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ONL_E_ACCESS_DENIED_BY_TOU
The scope of ONL_E_ACCESS_DENIED_BY_TOU, HRESULT 0x80860002, is Windows Online ID and interactive account authentication: the accepted Terms of Use do not allow the application to access the requested Online ID properties. In a Online ID access denied by tou incident, requested properties, application identity and consent or Terms of Use state should be captured before another retry changes state.
Evidence that can change the diagnosis
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Primary record | Requested properties, application identity and consent or Terms of Use state; this is the shortest evidence path to the decision. |
| Object correlation | Keep the product, account, package, device, key, or API identity associated with the recorded identifiers and values beside the first timestamped result. |
| Neighboring-state control | Use a controlled comparison that tests whether this is an authorization restriction, not a bad password; this separates the named condition from a nearby status. |
| Before/after result | Retain the outcome before and after the corrective action “request only permitted data or have the user complete the applicable consent flow”; keep the same identifiers until the broker returns a fresh result. |
Why this HRESULT is specific
The broker can return this HRESULT before a service ticket is issued. Keep the asynchronous operation, requested scopes or tickets, application identity, UI context and account remediation result together; a wrapper message such as “sign-in failed” discards the distinction.
The decisive question is whether the primary record supports the reported condition that the accepted Terms of Use do not allow the application to access the requested Online ID properties. Keep evidence tied to the failing operation.
Controlled troubleshooting sequence
- Locate the exact object: Use the primary record to identify the transaction or licensed object that actually returned this result.
- Preserve the first decision: Record the earliest event stating that the accepted Terms of Use do not allow the application to access the requested Online ID properties, together with the code, UTC time, and the same identity fields.
- Change one prerequisite: Request only permitted data or have the user complete the applicable consent flow; do not combine this with a store reset, key replacement, account removal, package reinstall, or unrelated repair.
- Repeat the user operation: Re-run the original operation and require that the broker returns a fresh result; if another HRESULT appears, diagnose it as a new boundary.
How to distinguish nearby failures
Do not merge neighboring statuses: This is an authorization restriction, not a bad password. The Online ID access denied by tou diagnosis remains attributable only while the primary record and the affected identity stay fixed.
Evidence-preserving cautions
While investigating this result, do not collect passwords or tokens in diagnostic logs, and do not bypass broker UI with embedded credential forms. That shortcut can replace or invalidate that evidence before the original decision is understood.
Verification
The incident is resolved only when the broker returns a fresh result. Confirm the result by repeating the exact operation that produced this result; maintenance success alone is insufficient.
Technical references
- Microsoft Win32 metadata: winerror.h — status definition reference.
- Microsoft: Errors associated with Web Account Manager — owning service/API reference.
- Microsoft: OnlineIdAuthenticator class — diagnostic/remediation API reference.
- Microsoft: OnlineIdAuthenticator.AuthenticateUserAsync — lifecycle reference.
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