What does Windows error code 786 (ERROR_ACCESS_DISABLED_NO_SAFER_UI_BY_POLICY) mean?

ERROR_ACCESS_DISABLED_NO_SAFER_UI_BY_POLICY

An administrator policy blocked the resource and no interactive SAFER prompt is available.

ERROR_ACCESS_DISABLED_NO_SAFER_UI_BY_POLICY means that an administrator policy blocked the resource and no interactive SAFER prompt is available. Software Restriction Policies or related application-control evaluation determined that the target cannot run or be accessed. The “no SAFER UI” portion matters for services, noninteractive processes, and environments where Windows cannot ask a user to approve or explain the blocked action.

Where the result appears

• CreateProcess or shell launch of a file disallowed by policy.
• installer, updater, or script host running outside an interactive desktop.
• service accounts attempting to execute software from an untrusted location.
• legacy Software Restriction Policy enforcement integrated into an application.

What to collect

• the exact executable, script, library, or resource path.
• file hash, signer, zone information, and publisher metadata.
• the matching SRP, AppLocker, or application-control policy rule.
• caller identity, session type, integrity level, and interactive availability.

Handling and recovery

Do not bypass the rule by copying or renaming the file. Validate whether the software should be allowed, then modify the centrally managed policy or deploy the file to an approved, correctly signed location. A service should report the policy rule and actionable deployment guidance to its administrator.

Common misinterpretation

This is not a missing-file or ordinary ACL problem. Granting NTFS permissions will not override a software restriction rule.

References

• Microsoft: System error codes 500–999