| Previous | Next |
| STATUS_CTX_GRAPHICS_INVALID | STATUS_CTX_CLIENT_QUERY_TIMEOUT |
STATUS_CTX_NOT_CONSOLE
A remote session was used where the physical console is required
STATUS_CTX_NOT_CONSOLE means that an operation is restricted to the Windows session attached to the physical console. It is not a diagnosis that Remote Desktop itself failed; it says that the caller is running in, or targeting, the wrong session class for this operation.
The console session has a distinct session identifier. Microsoft documents that it can be absent temporarily while it is being attached or detached, so code that assumes a fixed console session ID can make an otherwise valid request race with session transitions.
Useful evidence
- Use the active-console session ID and the caller process session ID to prove whether the operation is actually running in the required context.
- Record whether the target is a physical-console task, an RDS session, or a service trying to interact with a user desktop.
- Do not reinterpret the status as a permission failure; changing ACLs cannot turn a remote session into the physical console.
References
- Microsoft Open Specifications: NTSTATUS values
- Microsoft: WTSGetActiveConsoleSessionId
- Microsoft: Remote Desktop Sessions
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.