dotnet/wpf · error · NotSupportedException

SR.Image_NoPixelFormatFound

Error message

SR.Image_NoPixelFormatFound

What it means

CreatePixelFormatInfo queries WIC (via IWICImagingFactory::CreateComponentInfo) for component info about a pixel format GUID. If WIC returns WINCODEC_ERR_COMPONENTNOTFOUND or WINCODEC_ERR_COMPONENTINITIALIZEFAILURE, the method throws NotSupportedException with Image_NoPixelFormatFound, meaning WIC has no registered component describing that pixel format. This indicates the pixel format GUID is not recognized by the installed WIC infrastructure.

Solutions

  1. Only request pixel-format info for standard WIC-backed formats (Bgr32, Pbgra32, Gray8, etc.); skip Extended formats
  2. Reinstall/repair the WIC codec or OS imaging components if a third-party codec format is expected
  3. Check the format's GUID against known WIC GUIDs before calling, and guard with try/catch NotSupportedException
  4. Fall back to default bit-depth/channel metadata computed in managed code when WIC info is unavailable

Example fix

// before
var info = GetPixelFormatInfo(pixelFormat); // may throw for Extended
// after
if (pixelFormat == PixelFormats.Extended) return DefaultPixelFormatInfo();
try { return GetPixelFormatInfo(pixelFormat); }
catch (NotSupportedException) { return DefaultPixelFormatInfo(); }
Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

if (pixelFormat == PixelFormats.Extended) throw new SkipPixelFormatInfoException();

Type guard

bool IsWicBackedFormat(PixelFormat pf) => pf != PixelFormats.Default && pf != PixelFormats.Extended;

Try / catch

try { return CreatePixelFormatInfo(pf); }
catch (NotSupportedException ex) { log(ex); return FallbackPixelFormatInfo(pf); }

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Calling pixelFormatInfo / pixel-format metadata APIs on a PixelFormat whose WIC GUID is not registered on the machine (e.g. PixelFormat.Extended, or formats from third-party WIC codecs that are missing).

Common situations: Running on systems where third-party WIC codecs were uninstalled; querying metadata for PixelFormats.Extended or other non-WIC-backed formats; broken WIC registry entries after OS servicing.

Understand the failure class

Background: UnsupportedOperationException and "is not supported" errors: when a library deliberately refuses a call — this error's family across 30 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of dotnet/wpf@81131a70a4 (2026-09-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3970f9087aa3aeaa. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Microsoft.DotNet.Wpf/src/PresentationCore/System/Windows/Media/PixelFormat.cs:405

        internal readonly IntPtr CreatePixelFormatInfo()
        {
            IntPtr componentInfo = IntPtr.Zero;
            IntPtr pixelFormatInfo = IntPtr.Zero;

            using (FactoryMaker myFactory = new FactoryMaker())
            {
                try
                {
                    Guid guidPixelFormat = _guidFormat;

                    int hr = UnsafeNativeMethods.WICImagingFactory.CreateComponentInfo(
                        myFactory.ImagingFactoryPtr,
                        ref guidPixelFormat,
                        out componentInfo);
                    if (hr == (int)WinCodecErrors.WINCODEC_ERR_COMPONENTINITIALIZEFAILURE ||
                        hr == (int)WinCodecErrors.WINCODEC_ERR_COMPONENTNOTFOUND)
                    {
                        throw new NotSupportedException(SR.Image_NoPixelFormatFound);
                    }
                    HRESULT.Check(hr);

                    Guid guidPixelFormatInfo = MILGuidData.IID_IWICPixelFormatInfo;
                    HRESULT.Check(UnsafeNativeMethods.MILUnknown.QueryInterface(
                        componentInfo,
                        ref guidPixelFormatInfo,
                        out pixelFormatInfo));
                }
                finally
                {
                    if (componentInfo != IntPtr.Zero)
                    {
                        UnsafeNativeMethods.MILUnknown.ReleaseInterface(ref componentInfo);
                    }
                }
            }

View on GitHub (pinned to 81131a70a4)