How to fix ERROR_TRANSACTION_INVALID_MARSHALL_BUFFER (6713 | 0x1A39 | 0x80071A39) – Invalid PushTransaction/PullTransaction marshaling buffer

This error means the byte buffer you passed to PushTransaction or PullTransaction is not a valid KTM transaction marshaling blob.
In plain terms:
“You’re trying to import/export a transaction context, but the data you supplied is not a real (or not a compatible) transaction buffer.”
This is a marshaling/serialization format violation, not corruption of the disk, not permissions, and not a “retry later” condition.

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Error code equivalence (same error, different formats)​

Fact: 0x80071A39 is the HRESULT-wrapped form of Win32 error 6713.

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What this error really means​

Windows KTM supports moving a transaction context across boundaries (thread, process, RPC, etc.) using:

• PullTransaction → imports a marshaled transaction into the current thread context
• PushTransaction → exports the current thread transaction into a marshaled buffer

This error occurs when the provided buffer:

• Is not a KTM marshaled transaction at all
• Is truncated (wrong size)
• Is corrupted in transit (bad encoding/serialization)
• Is from a different API/version/architecture context that can’t be interpreted
• Was produced incorrectly (wrong function, wrong flags, wrong buffer length)

KTM enforces strict format validation because a malformed buffer could imply:

• invalid handles
• bogus security context
• broken transaction identity
• potential memory safety risks

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Common real-world scenarios that trigger this error​

1) Buffer truncation or size mismatch (most common)​

Cause

• Sending the buffer through an API that truncates binary data
• Using string functions (null-terminated) on a binary blob
• Incorrect length passed to PullTransaction

Typical signs

• Works for small payloads, fails randomly under different sizes
• Buffer length differs between producer and consumer

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2) Treating binary blob as text (base64/hex mistakes)​

Cause

• Converting marshaled bytes to a string without encoding safely
• Dropping bytes due to charset conversions (UTF-8/UTF-16)
• Incorrect base64 decode or missing padding

Typical signs

• Errors appear only when sent across HTTP/JSON/XML
• Buffer “looks readable” when it shouldn’t

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3) Wrong buffer source (not produced by PushTransaction)​

Cause

• Attempting to feed a transaction handle, GUID, or custom struct
• Using TxF/TxR artifacts or unrelated blobs

Typical signs

• Always fails, deterministic
• “Buffer” format doesn’t match expected KTM blob length/structure

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4) Cross-process / cross-session misuse without proper duplication​

Cause

• Exported transaction context is used in a different security/session boundary
• Buffer is valid but cannot be bound in the target context

Typical signs

• Works within same process, fails over RPC/service boundary
• Fails only when service runs under different account

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5) Mixed architecture / ABI mismatch (x86 vs x64)​

Cause

• Marshaled blob produced in one environment and interpreted in another with incompatible assumptions
• Wrong struct packing around calls, especially in P/Invoke or manual bindings

Typical signs

• Works on x64, fails on x86 (or vice versa)
• Only fails in specific build configurations

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What this error is NOT​

• Not a disk corruption issue
• Not a permissions/ACL problem
• Not fixed by retries
• Not a generic transaction abort
• Not a CLFS container issue

This is a bad input buffer problem.

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Real fixes & solutions (correct order matters)​

Step 1: Confirm you are using the correct APIs for marshaling​

You must:

• Generate the buffer using PushTransaction (or the correct KTM marshaling API path)
• Consume the buffer using PullTransaction

Do not invent your own buffer format or pass handles/GUIDs.

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Step 2: Preserve the buffer as raw bytes end-to-end​

Golden rule:

A marshaled transaction buffer is binary, not text.

Click to expand...

Correct handling:

• Treat it as byte[] / BLOB
• Store and transmit with explicit length
• Avoid null-terminated string APIs (strlen, wcslen, etc.)

If transmitting over text-only channels:

• Encode as Base64 (recommended)
• Decode back to exact original bytes before PullTransaction

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Step 3: Validate buffer length and integrity at both ends​

At minimum:

• Log the buffer length produced by PushTransaction
• Log the buffer length received before PullTransaction
• Verify they match exactly

Common failure:

• Copying into a smaller buffer
• Using the wrong length variable (characters vs bytes)

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Step 4: Fix marshaling across process/service boundaries​

If crossing boundaries:

• Ensure the receiving side is allowed to bind that transaction context
• Ensure consistent security context expectations
• Avoid sending transaction blobs across unrelated sessions unless the design explicitly supports it

In many architectures, the correct approach is:

• Perform transactional work within one boundary (service-side)
• Expose higher-level “unit of work” operations instead of shipping KTM context around

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Step 5: Fix P/Invoke / interop definitions (developers)​

If you call these APIs via interop:

• Confirm parameter types are correct (BYTE*, lengths in bytes)
• Confirm structure packing and calling convention
• Confirm x86/x64 builds use correct signatures

Interop mistakes commonly cause:

• incorrect buffer length passed
• pointer misalignment
• stack corruption leading to invalid blob interpretation

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Step 6: Consider deprecations and redesign if using TxF/TxR patterns​

If your design relies heavily on:

• Transactional NTFS (TxF)
• Transactional Registry (TxR)

Be aware:

• These are deprecated
• Cross-boundary KTM marshaling may be fragile in modern environments

Prefer:

• Application-level transaction contexts
• Database transactions
• Explicit operation batching within a single service/process boundary

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Fast “symptom → fix” mapping​

• Fails after sending over JSON/HTTP → Blob treated as text → Base64 encode/decode
• Fails intermittently → Truncation/length mismatch → Preserve bytes + explicit length
• Always fails → Not produced by PushTransaction → Generate correct KTM blob
• Fails only across service boundary → Session/account mismatch → Keep transaction inside service
• Fails only on x86/x64 → Interop signature/packing issue → Fix ABI and lengths

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Related transaction marshaling / context errors (context map)​

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Practical diagnostic checklist​

• Was the buffer produced by PushTransaction (not custom data)?
• Are you preserving it as raw bytes (no string conversions)?
• Do producer/consumer lengths match exactly?
• Are you transmitting via Base64 if using text channels?
• Are you crossing a security/session boundary incorrectly?
• Are your interop signatures correct for x86/x64?

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Note​

ERROR_TRANSACTION_INVALID_MARSHALL_BUFFER is a strict input validation error.
Windows is refusing to import/export a transaction context because the buffer is not a valid KTM marshaled transaction blob.
The correct fix is to generate the buffer using the proper KTM API, preserve it byte-for-byte with the correct length, avoid text conversions, and ensure interop/architecture correctness—especially when crossing process or service boundaries.