diff --git a/include/wx/msw/rt/utils.h b/include/wx/msw/rt/utils.h
index 213dfe41b7..14186a8d4e 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/rt/utils.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/rt/utils.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ bool WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE Initialize();
 
 void WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE Uninitialize();
 
-bool WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE GetActivationFactory(const wxString& activatableClassId, REFIID iid, void ** factory);
+HRESULT WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE GetActivationFactory(const wxString& activatableClassId, REFIID iid, void ** factory);
 
 // RAII class initializing WinRT in its ctor and undoing it in its dtor.
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_CORE Initializer
diff --git a/src/msw/rt/utilsrt.cpp b/src/msw/rt/utilsrt.cpp
index ec2fb3491e..05168422df 100644
--- a/src/msw/rt/utilsrt.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/rt/utilsrt.cpp
@@ -215,19 +215,17 @@ void Uninitialize()
     RTCore::Get().RoUninitialize();
 }
 
-bool GetActivationFactory(const wxString& activatableClassId, REFIID iid, void ** factory)
+HRESULT GetActivationFactory(const wxString& activatableClassId, REFIID iid, void ** factory)
 {
     if ( !RTCore::IsAvailable() )
-        return false;
+        return CLASS_E_CLASSNOTAVAILABLE;
 
     HRESULT hr = RTCore::Get().RoGetActivationFactory(TempStringRef(activatableClassId), iid, factory);
     if ( FAILED(hr) )
     {
         wxLogDebug("RoGetActivationFactory failed %.8x", hr);
-        return false;
     }
-    else
-        return true;
+    return hr;
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------