Error codes guide
Ever get an “Error occurred: 10023” message or similar from an application? Well, those meaningless numbers can actually be useful if you know what they mean.
Converting from hex to decimal, a quick run-through
Of course, sometimes you’ll get an error code in a format like so - 0x0000C0A3. The 0x means that it’s hexadecimal - and most lists of error codes give the decimal. To convert:
- Open calc.exe
- Select Hex
- Select Dword
- Enter the number without the
0x - Select Dec
You should now have a decimal representation.
System error codes
A list of Win32 API error codes can be found here. - You usually met these when a badly written application is crashing.
Kernel error codes
A list can be found here These are emitted from the basic core of the OS and are normally displayed via the dreaded Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD). Usually met when a badly written device driver is crashing, or hardware is failing.
For further help in resolving these, please see our Guide to resolving BSODs.
Winsock error codes
These error messages are peculiar to Windows’ networking code and seem to be rarer these days.
