0xC0000072 | Account disabled

What This Code Means

Where Users Usually See This Code

• Login and authentication prompts
• Privilege elevation or policy checks
• Certificate or token validation failures
• Security product or OS enforcement dialogs

Why This Code Appears

• Credentials, tokens, or policies did not validate
• An account state (locked/disabled/expired) prevented access
• Time/certificate validation failed
• A security control blocked the requested operation

What Typically Happens Next

• Access is denied and the operation stops
• An audit log entry is created
• A retry may succeed after policy/account issues are resolved

What This Code Is Not

• It is not safe to bypass security controls to test
• It is not always a network outage

Troubleshooting Checklist

• □ Confirm the exact code and the context where it appears
• □ Verify time and time zone for certificate-based authentication
• □ Check account status (locked, disabled, expired) if applicable
• □ Review the relevant audit logs for the real reason
• □ Avoid disabling security products as a troubleshooting step
• □ Use official admin and vendor remediation procedures

Notes And Edge Cases