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ERROR_ACCESS_DISABLED_BY_POLICY
The program was blocked by an effective policy
ERROR_ACCESS_DISABLED_BY_POLICY means Windows denied the attempted program launch or access because an applicable policy blocks it. This is a policy decision, not a generic file-permission failure and not proof that the executable is corrupt.
What to collect
- Record the executable or resource, caller identity, launch mechanism, target computer, and the exact operation that returned the error.
- Determine which effective local, domain, application-control, or other administrative policy produced the block. Use policy-result and relevant event data rather than guessing from a single registry value.
- Compare a working and failing system by effective policy scope, user/computer targeting, and executable identity before changing security settings.
Recovery
If the program is authorized, correct the specific policy or targeting rule through the organization's normal administrative path. If the block is intentional, the application should surface the policy restriction instead of retrying the same launch or attempting to bypass it.
After a policy change, refresh or re-evaluate policy as required and repeat the original operation. Keep a different result such as access denied, signature failure, or missing file separate; those indicate that execution progressed to another validation layer.
Official references
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