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ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED
The caller is not permitted to perform the operation
ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED is a general Win32 authorization failure. It may result from file or registry permissions, process integrity levels, service security, read-only policy, sharing restrictions, or a protected system resource.
What to inspect
- Record the identity and integrity level of the failing process.
- Compare the requested access mask with the object's security descriptor.
- Check whether elevation changes the result, but do not treat elevation as the permanent fix.
- Look for policy, antivirus, controlled-folder, or service-hardening restrictions.
Correct response
Request only the rights actually needed and grant them to the intended account or service identity. Do not repeatedly retry an authorization failure. Return enough context to identify the object and requested operation without exposing sensitive credentials.
References
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