Fix 0xC0000362: STATUS_ACCESS_DISABLED_BY_POLICY_PATH

Cause 1: AppLocker rule is blocking the app

You double-click a program and Windows refuses to run it, throwing 0xC0000362. Nine times out of ten, AppLocker is the culprit. This is common on work laptops or school computers where IT pushes a policy that only allows whitelisted apps to run. You'll see the message "This app has been blocked by your system administrator" or a dialog that references policy. The error code itself, 0xC0000362, translates to STATUS_ACCESS_DISABLED_BY_POLICY_PATH.

The fix is to remove or disable the AppLocker rule that's blocking the path to your executable. You'll need admin rights. If you're on a managed machine, check with IT first because they might have put the rule there on purpose.

1. Press Win + R, type secpol.msc, and hit Enter. If you're on Windows Home, secpol.msc isn't available. Skip to step 5 for the gpedit method.
2. In the left pane, expand Application Control Policies, then AppLocker.
3. Click each subfolder: Executable Rules, Windows Installer Rules, Script Rules, Packaged app Rules.
4. Look for any rule with an action of Deny that references the path of the program you're trying to run. If you find one, right-click it and choose Delete. After deleting, you should see the rule disappear from the list.
5. If secpol.msc wasn't available, open gpedit.msc. Go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker. Do the same: find deny rules and delete them.
6. Once you've removed the rule, open an elevated Command Prompt and run gpupdate /force. You'll see a message that policy is updating. Wait for it to finish.
7. Try launching your program again. It should open normally now.

If you're not sure which rule is blocking you, check the Event Viewer. Open Event Viewer, go to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > AppLocker > EXE and DLL. Look for an event with ID 8004. The details will show the file path that was blocked and the rule that did it. That tells you exactly what to remove.

Cause 2: Software Restriction Policies (SRP) are blocking the path

Before AppLocker existed, Microsoft had Software Restriction Policies. Some older domains still use SRP. If you're hitting 0xC0000362 and AppLocker isn't even configured, SRP is the next place to look. The symptom is the same: a program won't run and you get the policy error. But the fix is in a different snap-in.

1. Press Win + R, type secpol.msc, and press Enter.
2. Expand Software Restriction Policies. If you see a subfolder called Additional Rules, click it.
3. Look through the rules on the right. You're hunting for a rule with a security level of Disallowed. The path in the rule might be something like C:\Users\*\Downloads\* or a specific folder.
4. If you find a rule that's blocking your app, right-click it and select Delete. The rule vanishes from the list.
5. Also check Security Levels under Software Restriction Policies. If Disallowed is set as the default, that means everything is blocked unless explicitly allowed. That's a heavy-handed config and probably not what you want. Right-click Unrestricted and choose Set as Default.
6. Run gpupdate /force in an elevated Command Prompt.
7. Test your program again. It should launch.

One thing to watch: SRP and AppLocker don't play nice together. If both are configured, AppLocker takes precedence for executables. If you're still blocked after clearing SRP rules, go back and check AppLocker again. And if you're on a domain-joined machine, your domain admin might be pushing these policies from a central GPO. In that case, local changes won't stick after a reboot. You'd need to talk to IT.

Cause 3: The executable is in a blocked location like Downloads or Temp

Even without a specific deny rule, some default policies block executables from running out of certain folders. Downloads, Temp, and the Recycle Bin are common examples. This is a security measure to stop users from accidentally running malware. If you downloaded a tool and tried to run it straight from the Downloads folder, 0xC0000362 can pop up.

The fix here is simple: move the file.

1. Close the error dialog.
2. Open File Explorer and go to the folder where the executable lives, likely C:\Users\YourName\Downloads.
3. Cut the file (Ctrl+X) and paste it into a different folder, like C:\Tools or your Documents folder. Create the folder if it doesn't exist.
4. Try running it from the new location. In most cases, it'll start right up.

If you must run it from Downloads, you can add an allow rule in AppLocker or SRP for that specific path, but that's a security hole. I don't recommend it. Moving the file is cleaner and safer.

Also worth checking: sometimes the file is marked as blocked because it came from the internet. Right-click the exe, choose Properties, and look at the bottom of the General tab. If you see an Unblock checkbox, tick it and click OK. That removes the Mark-of-the-Web flag. It won't fix a policy block, but it can fix related launch failures.

Quick reference table

If none of these work, check Event Viewer for AppLocker or SRP events. Event ID 8004 in the AppLocker log is your best friend. It tells you exactly which rule blocked which path, so you're not guessing. And if you're on a corporate machine, remember that IT controls these policies. They might have a reason for blocking your app. Ask before you start deleting rules.