These are STILL_ACTIVE (thread) and STATUS_PENDING (process). Seeing them from GetExitCodeProcess means you called it before the process actually exited. This is a classic race.
In the Windows canon, 3010 is a very specific, very famous error code: .
In cmd.exe , the exit code of a batch file is the exit code of the last command executed . A batch file that copies a file and then echoes a message will return 0 even if the copy failed, because echo always succeeds. This forces developers to use exit /b %errorlevel% explicitly. exit codes windows
"Come on," Elias whispered, eyes scanning the PowerShell console. "You had one job."
It was a simple integer, a single 32-bit number passed from one process to another. But in the dark, silent logic of the operating system, that number was the difference between a functioning system and a broken loop. It was the difference between Success and Failure . These are STILL_ACTIVE (thread) and STATUS_PENDING (process)
PowerShell-native commands return rich objects, not exit codes. When you run an external .exe , PowerShell captures its exit code in $LASTEXITCODE , but the PowerShell process's own exit code is set only by exit $n . A script that runs non-existent.exe will see $LASTEXITCODE = 0xC0000135 (STATUS_DLL_NOT_FOUND), but the PowerShell process itself exits with 0 unless you explicitly forward it.
In Windows, exit codes are numerical values that indicate the outcome of a command or a process. When a command or a script is executed, it returns an exit code that signifies its success or failure. Understanding exit codes is crucial for troubleshooting, scripting, and automating tasks. In the Windows canon, 3010 is a very
Three common scenarios produce exit codes that are technically correct but semantically useless: