Orbmu2k/nvidiaProfileInspector · error · NvapiException

DRS_FindProfileByName

Error message

DRS_FindProfileByName

What it means

NvapiException wrapping a non-OK NVAPI status from the DRS_FindProfileByName call, which looks up an NVIDIA driver-settings profile by name in an open DRS session. The library deliberately swallows NVAPI_PROFILE_NOT_FOUND (returns IntPtr.Zero so callers can create the profile), so this exception means a different, unexpected NVAPI failure occurred: typically NVAPI_API_NOT_INITIALIZED / NVAPI_SESSION_NOT_FOUND (bad or closed session handle), NVAPI_INVALID_ARGUMENT, or NVAPI_EXECUTABLE_NOT_FOUND when the NVAPI DLL could not load on a machine without NVIDIA drivers.

Solutions

1. Verify an NVIDIA GPU with current drivers is installed and nvapi.dll loads (the static constructor's SYS_GetDriverAndBranchVersion returning NVAPI_OK is a good pre-check).
2. Ensure DRS_CreateSession succeeded and the handle is used only inside the DrsSessionScope lifetime; never cache hSession across scopes.
3. Log the inner NvapiException.Status to distinguish NVAPI_API_NOT_INITIALIZED (driver problem) from NVAPI_INVALID_ARGUMENT (bad name/handle).
4. Update GeForce/Studio drivers; very old drivers lack parts of the DRS API and return NVAPI_NO_IMPLEMENTATION.
5. If the profile genuinely may not exist, rely on the IntPtr.Zero return path instead of treating the exception as 'not found'.

Example fix

// before
var hProfile = service.GetProfileHandle(hSession, profileName); // throws NvapiException
// after
try
{
    var hProfile = service.GetProfileHandle(hSession, profileName);
}
catch (NvapiException ex) when (ex.Status == NvAPI_Status.NVAPI_API_NOT_INITIALIZED)
{
    // NVIDIA driver unavailable - surface a friendly message or skip DRS work
}

if (!NvapiDrsWrapper.Instance.SYS_GetDriverAndBranchVersion(ref ver, ref branch).Equals(NvAPI_Status.NVAPI_OK))
    throw new InvalidOperationException("NVIDIA driver/NVAPI unavailable");
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(profileName))
    throw new ArgumentException("profileName required", nameof(profileName));

static bool HasValidSession(IntPtr hSession) => hSession != IntPtr.Zero;

try { handle = GetProfileHandle(hSession, name); }
catch (NvapiException ex)
{
    if (ex.Status == NvAPI_Status.NVAPI_API_NOT_INITIALIZED)
        ReportDriverUnavailable();
    else
        throw; // do not treat as 'profile not found'
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling GetProfileHandle with a session handle that was never created (DRS_CreateSession failed or its status was ignored), a session already destroyed by DRS_DestroySession, an invalid (non-NUL-terminated or oversized) profileName StringBuilder, or running on a system where nvapi.dll is missing/stale so the P/Invoke returns NVAPI_API_NOT_INITIALIZED or NVAPI_NO_IMPLEMENTATION.

Common situations: Running the tool on a machine with only integrated/AMD graphics (no NVIDIA driver => nvapi.dll absent), a broken or very old NVIDIA driver install, a driver update mid-run invalidating the DRS session, or a code path that closed the DrsSessionScope before calling GetProfileHandle.

Related errors

• DRS_CreateProfile
• NvapiAddApplicationException(appName)
• DRS_CreateSession
• DRS_LoadSettings
• DRS_DestroySession

AI-assisted analysis of Orbmu2k/nvidiaProfileInspector@2f50c388b3 (2026-09-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/eee63c04d96abbfe. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at nvidiaProfileInspector/Common/DrsSettingsServiceBase.cs:79

            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(profileName))
            {
                var nvRes = nvw.Instance.DRS_GetCurrentGlobalProfile(hSession, ref hProfile);

                if (hProfile == IntPtr.Zero)
                    throw new NvapiException("DRS_GetCurrentGlobalProfile", NvAPI_Status.NVAPI_PROFILE_NOT_FOUND);

                if (nvRes != NvAPI_Status.NVAPI_OK)
                    throw new NvapiException("DRS_GetCurrentGlobalProfile", nvRes);
            }
            else
            {
                var nvRes = nvw.Instance.DRS_FindProfileByName(hSession, new StringBuilder(profileName), ref hProfile);

                if (nvRes == NvAPI_Status.NVAPI_PROFILE_NOT_FOUND)
                    return IntPtr.Zero;

                if (nvRes != NvAPI_Status.NVAPI_OK)
                    throw new NvapiException("DRS_FindProfileByName", nvRes);
            }
            return hProfile;
        }

        protected IntPtr CreateProfile(IntPtr hSession, string profileName)
        {
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(profileName))
                throw new ArgumentNullException("profileName");

            var hProfile = IntPtr.Zero;

            var newProfile = new NVDRS_PROFILE()
            {
                version = nvw.NVDRS_PROFILE_VER,
                profileName = profileName,
            };

            var nvRes = nvw.Instance.DRS_CreateProfile(hSession, ref newProfile, ref hProfile);

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