---
description: "Learn more about: _com_error::ErrorMessage"
title: "_com_error::ErrorMessage"
ms.date: 11/17/2022
f1_keywords: ["COMDEF/_com_error::ErrorMessage", "_com_error::ErrorMessage"]
helpviewer_keywords: ["_com_error ErrorMessage method [C++]"]
ms.assetid: e47335b6-01af-4975-a841-121597479eb7
---
# `_com_error::ErrorMessage`

**Microsoft Specific**

Retrieves the string message for `HRESULT` stored in the `_com_error` object.

## Syntax

```cpp
const TCHAR * ErrorMessage() const throw();
```

## Return value

Returns the string message for the `HRESULT` recorded within the `_com_error` object. If the `HRESULT` is a mapped 16-bit [`wCode`](../cpp/com-error-wcode.md), then a generic message "`IDispatch error #<wCode>`" is returned. If no message is found, then a generic message "`Unknown error #<hresult>`" is returned. The returned string is either a Unicode or multibyte string, depending on the state of the `_UNICODE` macro.

## Remarks

Retrieves the appropriate system message text for `HRESULT` recorded within the `_com_error` object. The system message text is obtained by calling the Win32 [`FormatMessage`](/windows/win32/api/winbase/nf-winbase-formatmessage) function. The string returned is allocated by the `FormatMessage` API, and it's released when the `_com_error` object is destroyed.

**END Microsoft Specific**

## See also

[`_com_error` class](../cpp/com-error-class.md)