Microsoft KB Archive/179692

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An HRESULT of 0x80010005 error occurs when you try to call methods on a COM server in Visual C++

Article ID: 179692

Article Last Modified on 11/21/2006



APPLIES TO

  • Microsoft Foundation Class Library 4.2, when used with:
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2 Enterprise Edition
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2 Enterprise Edition
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 Enterprise Edition
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Enterprise Edition
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2 Professional Edition
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2 Professional Edition
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 Professional Edition
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Professional Edition
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Standard Edition



This article was previously published under Q179692

SUMMARY

When calling methods on a COM server from within OnDraw() or a WM_PAINT message handler of an MFC client application, you may receive an HRESULT of 0x80010005 (RPC_E_CANTCALLOUT_INEXTERNALCALL - it is illegal to call out while inside message filter) as the return value of a COM call to a server.

MORE INFORMATION

MFC has a default implementation of IMessageFilter(COleMessageFilter). IMessageFilter is used by COM servers and clients to selectively handle incoming and outgoing COM messages while waiting for a response from synchronous calls. MFC's implementation allows processing of WM_PAINT messages (to keep the UI updated) on the COM client side, while waiting on a synchronous COM call to a server (for example, a call to an automation method). This is done through IMessageFilter::MessagePending(). Thus, when calling a COM server method inside of a WM_PAINT handler, you could already be in the middle of a call to the server, and therefore receive the error 0x80010005.

As with any Windows application, the code in WM_PAINT handlers should be minimal. If at all possible, do not have any calls to COM servers in WM_PAINT handlers.

To resolve this problem you could use any one of the following three workarounds:

  • In the WM_PAINT handler, post yourself a user-defined message; in the handler for the user-defined message, make the call to the COM server.
  • Create a secondary UI thread that creates and makes all calls to the COM servers.
  • Modify MFC's default implementation of MessageFilter::MessagePending(), which currently processes WM_PAINT messages. To do this, derive a class from COleMessageFilter and override the virtual function OnMessagePending():

    CMyMessageFilter : public COleMessageFilter
          {
             virtual BOOL OnMessagePending(const MSG* pMsg);
          }
    
          BOOL CMyMessageFilter::OnMessagePending(const MSG* pMsg)
          {
             //The base class function dispatches WM_PAINT
             //by returning FALSE no messages are being processed; the
             //user can add code here to appropriately handle messages.
             //WARNING: Not processing WM_PAINT messages will cause the user
             //         interface to appear to hang and not update until the
             //         current COM method call returns.
             return FALSE;
          }

Then, in the InitInstance() of the CWinApp derived class, unregister the IMessageFilter MFC registers for you when calling AfxOleInit(). Add this code after the call to AfxOleInit(). Then instantiate a class of type CMyMessageFilter and register it:

BOOL CmyApp::InitInstance()
   {
      // Initialize OLE libraries and registers default message filter.
      if (!AfxOleInit())
      {
         AfxMessageBox(IDP_OLE_INIT_FAILED);
         return FALSE;
      }

      CWinThread* pThread = AfxGetThread();
      if (pThread != NULL)
      {
         // Destroy message filter, thereby unregistering it.
         delete pThread->m_pMessageFilter;
         pThread->m_pMessageFilter = NULL;

         // Create the new message filter object.
         pThread->m_pMessageFilter = new CMyMessageFilter;
         ASSERT(AfxOleGetMessageFilter() != NULL);

         // Register the new message filter object.
         AfxOleGetMessageFilter()->Register();
      }
      ...
      ...
   }

For more information on how message filters work, please see the online documentation on IMessageFilter and COleMessageFilter.

REFERENCES

"Inside OLE", second edition, by Kraig Brockschmidt, Chapter 6, "Local/Remote Transparency," published by Microsoft Press.

Visual C++ Books Online and the MFC source code for the functions mentioned in this article.

(c) Microsoft Corporation 1997, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Jaganathan Thangavelu, Microsoft Corporation.


Additional query words: 80010005 2147549189 IMessageFilter MessagePending COleMessageFilter OnDraw

Keywords: kberrmsg kbtshoot kbarchitecture kbcontainer kbprb kbcode KB179692