What causes "SR.OperationCannotBePerformed" in dotnet/wpf?

Re-find the item element immediately before Select to ensure the item handle/index is current, then retry.

dotnet/wpf · error · InvalidOperationException

SR.OperationCannotBePerformed

Error message

SR.OperationCannotBePerformed

What it means

ISelectionItemProvider.Select deselects all items and then calls WindowsListView.SelectItem; when the native ListView messages (LVM_SETITEMSTATE) fail to select the item, the provider throws InvalidOperationException(SR.OperationCannotBePerformed). This indicates the native control refused the selection despite the item and window being valid and enabled.

Solutions

Re-find the item element immediately before Select to ensure the item handle/index is current, then retry.
Catch InvalidOperationException and verify the item still exists (item.Current.Name) before retrying.
Synchronize with the app so the list is fully populated/not being refreshed while automation selects items.
For virtual/owner-data lists, ensure the app supplies item data promptly so selection requests succeed.

Example fix

// before
itemPattern.Select();

// after
try { itemPattern.Select(); }
catch (InvalidOperationException)
{
    var fresh = list.FindFirst(TreeScope.Children, new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.NameProperty, itemName));
    ((SelectionItemPattern)fresh.GetCurrentPattern(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern)).Select();
}

Defensive patterns

Strategy: retry

Validate before calling

var stillThere = list.FindFirst(TreeScope.Children,
    new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.RuntimeIdProperty, item.GetRuntimeId()));
if (stillThere == null) throw new InvalidOperationException("Item no longer exists; refind before Select.");

Type guard

bool ItemExists(AutomationElement list, AutomationElement item) =>
    list.FindFirst(TreeScope.Children, new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.NameProperty, item.Current.Name)) != null;

Try / catch

try { selItem.Select(); }
catch (InvalidOperationException)
{
    var fresh = RefindItem(list, itemName);
    ((SelectionItemPattern)fresh.GetCurrentPattern(SelectionItemPattern.Pattern)).Select();
}

Prevention

Re-find item elements immediately before selecting; do not use stale references
Coordinate with the app so lists are not repopulated during selection automation
For virtual/owner-data lists, ensure item data is available before selecting
Use RuntimeId to verify the element identity before pattern calls

When it happens

Trigger: Select() on a ListView item where SendMessage(LVM_SETITEMSTATE) returns failure - e.g. the item index is stale (item removed between finding the element and selecting), the list is in a mode that disallows selection, or virtual list (LVS_OWNERDATA/LVS_VIRTUAL) state is inconsistent.

Common situations: Automation racing with list repopulation (data virtualization clearing items); selecting items in owner-data list views; stale element references after the app refreshed the list contents.

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/3cac367781e5525b. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Microsoft.DotNet.Wpf/src/UIAutomation/UIAutomationClientSideProviders/MS/Internal/AutomationProxies/WindowsListViewItem.cs:401

            // Make sure that the control is enabled
            if (!SafeNativeMethods.IsWindowEnabled(_hwnd))
            {
                throw new ElementNotEnabledException();
            }

            // simple case: object already selected - only works for single selection element
            if (!WindowsListView.MultiSelected (_hwnd) && WindowsListView.IsItemSelected (_hwnd, _item))
            {
                return;
            }

            // Unselect all items.
            WindowsListView.UnselectAll (_hwnd);

            // Select the specified item.
            if (!WindowsListView.SelectItem(_hwnd, _item))
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException(SR.OperationCannotBePerformed);
            }
        }

        // Adds this element to the selection
        void ISelectionItemProvider.AddToSelection ()
        {
            // Make sure that the control is enabled
            if (!SafeNativeMethods.IsWindowEnabled(_hwnd))
            {
                throw new ElementNotEnabledException();
            }

            // simple case: object already selected
            if (WindowsListView.IsItemSelected (_hwnd, _item))
            {
                return;
            }

View on GitHub (pinned to 81131a70a4)