“This app cannot be activated when UAC is disabled” error message pop-up when users try to open a file or run an app within a pop-up. This indicates that the address of the file you are trying to run as well as the app can’t be activated when the UAC is disabled.
There have been several users reported about this problem since years and several solutions they opted to get the problem resolved. We have decided to put all these solutions all together for you. Check below the different possible solutions.
Factors responsible for the error caused
This list is not long and it has something to do with a bug on Windows 10 or 8 where people can’t use any of the native Windows apps when the UAC is disabled that they got their fix through the update. Here is the full list:
- You won’t be able to use native metro app on your Windows if UAC is not enabled. While, it is annoying, you have to re-enable it,
- The EnableLUA option might be disabled in the registry. You have to enable it by changing its value,
- An update for Windows might bring the fixes for the bug causing the annoying error. So, you should install the latest update to enjoy your computer error free.
Solution 1: Re-enable UAC
UAC or otherwise called User Account Control is a security measure to double-check if the things are going good. You should use it when you manage anything you run, download and open on your computer.
Its pop-ups might be annoying overtime and you might have disabled it. This method consists of how to re-enable UAC. This will certainly get rid of this app cannot be activated when UAC is disabled pop-up and it is the easiest method to get rid of the problem:
- Press Win+ R, type control.exe and hit Enter,
- Switch the view on the Control Panel to Large Icons,
- Locate User Accounts, open it and then click on Change User Account Control Settings,
- You can see the slider there. If it is set at the bottom level, which means the UAC is disabled,
- Increase this value by one and check if the problem is resolved,
- Repeat the process if the error persists till you set UAC to the highest level.
Solution 2: Change a Registry Entry
Use this option so that the Windows would notice users when programs are about to be launched or installed. Perform the steps carefully as the result can be catastrophic:
- Press Win+ R, type regedit and hit Enter,
- In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the below key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
- Click on it and try to locate a REG_DWORD entry called EnableLUA at the right-side of the window,
- Right-click on it and then choose Modify option from the context menu,
- In the Edit window and under the value section, change the value to 1,
- Apply the changes, confirm he dialog box appears and then restart the device,
- Check on the next boot up if this app cannot be activated when uac is disabled error is gone.
Solution 3: Change Some Group Policy Settings
Here is how you can tweak UAC options that would enable you to keep UAC disabled but to avoid the error which is bothering you. Follow the instructions below:
- Press Win+ R, type in gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open Local Group Policy Editor tool,
- Under Computer Configuration on the left, double-click on Policies and navigate to Windows Settings> Security Settings> Local Policies> Security Options,
- Select Security Options by left-clicking on it and check out its right-side section,
- Double-click on the User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account policy option,
- Check the radio button next to the Enabled and also double-check the User Account Control: behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode potion and change it to Prompts for Credentials,
- Apply these changes, restart the device and to save them and check the then if the problem persists.
Solution 4: Install the latest Updates
If this app cannot be activated when UAC is disabled continues, you should consider checking for Windows and install it if available. The trick is that an outdated Windows version might be running with various bugs responsible for the said issue. Here is how to install the update:
- Right-click on Start menu and then click on Windows PowerShell (Admin),
- In the PowerShell console, type cmd to switch to the cmd-like window,
- In the cmd-like console, type the below command and hit Enter:
- exe /updatenow
- Let this command do its thing for at least half an hour and check back to see if there is update available and installed without issues.
Conclusion
That’s all! Now, we are rounding off this article on how to fix this app cannot be activated when UAC is disabled. Hope so, these methods are helpful for you in getting the required fix. if problem persists, we recommend you use PC Repair Tool and run a full system scan using it to find and fix any Windows related issues automatically.
