How to Fix Visual Studio, Unable to start program, Access is denied [Steps]

What is ‘Visual Studio, Unable to start program, Access is denied’ error in Windows 10/11?

In this post, we are going to discuss on How to fix Visual Studio, Unable to start program, Access is denied error in Windows 10/11. You will be guided with easy steps/methods to resolve the issue. Let’s starts the discussion.

‘Visual Studio, Unable to start program, Access is denied’ error:

It is common Windows Problem considered as Microsoft Visual Studio program issue. This error is usually appeared when you try to run your programs on Microsoft Visual Studio C++ 2017 and Visual Studio C++ 2015 in Windows 10/11 computer. Several users reported this error is also appeared during the debugging of program. The error is appeared with message saying ‘Unable to start program, Access is denied’. This issue indicates you are unable to launch and use Visual Studio programs in computer for some reasons.

There could be several reasons behind the issue including the corruption in system files or registry, interference of antivirus/firewall, issue with startup project settings, corrupted Visual Studio settings itself, and other issues. One possible way to fix the issue is to repair corruption in system files in computer, but there is also some other possible solutions to fix the issue as mentioned in the post. Let’s go for the solution.

How to fix Visual Studio, Unable to start program, Access is denied error in Windows 10/11?

Method 1: Fix ‘Visual Studio, Unable to start program, Access is denied’ error with ‘PC Repair Tool’

‘PC Repair Tool’ is quick & easy ways to find and fix BSOD errors, DLL errors, EXE errors, problems with programs/applications, malware or viruses infections in computer, system files or registry issues, and other system issues with just few clicks.

Method 2: Move Installer to C: Drive

This issue can be occurred if you run the installer from alternative drive than the drive in which Windows is running. You can fix the issue by moving the installation file to C: Drive in computer, and then check if it works for you.

Method 3: Set Startup project

Step 1: Right-click on Project you want to debug and select ‘Set Startup Projects’ option

Step 2: Now, set the startup project correctly and then check if the issue is resolved.

Method 4: Login as administrator

This issue can be occurred due to lack of admin permission in computer. You can login into your account as administrator to fix the issue.

Step 1: Type ‘cmd’ in Windows Search Box and press ‘CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER’ keys on keyboard to open ‘Command Prompt as Administrator’

Step 2: Type the following command and hit ‘Enter’ key to execute.

net user administrator /active: yes

Step 3: Once executed, restart VS project and check if it works for you.

Method 5: Run SFC scan and DISM scan

You can run SFC scan and DISM scan in computer to repair corruption in system files and system image to fix the issue.

Step 1: Open ‘Command Prompt as Administrator’ using above method, type the following commands and hit ‘Enter’ key after each to execute.

sfc /scannow

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Step 2: Once executed, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

Method 6: Add Exclusion in Windows Firewall

Step 1: Open ‘Virus & Threat Protection’ via Windows Search Box and go to ‘Manage Settings’

Step 2: Click ‘Add or remove exclusions’, in ‘Exclusion’ tab, click ‘Add an exclusion’ and select ‘File’, and go to File Directory where you saved the program and choose the original file. Once done, check if the issue is resolved.

Method 7: Disable your antivirus/firewall program temporarily

Interference of your antivirus/firewall program installed in computer could be a reason behind the issue. You can fix the issue by disabling your antivirus/firewall temporarily in computer to fix the issue, and check if the issue is resolved.

Method 8: Adjust UAC Settings

You can adjust UAC settings in computer to fix.

Step 1: Open ‘Control Panel’ app in Windows PC and go to ‘System and Security > Security and Maintenance’ and click ‘Change User Account Control Settings’

Step 2: Drag the slider button to ‘Never Notify’ option and hit ‘Ok’ button to save the changes and then check if the issue is resolved.

Method 9: Switch user account to Admin profile

Another way to fix the issue is to switch user account to admin profile in computer.

Step 1: Press ‘Windows + R’ keys on keyboard, type ‘netplwiz’ in ‘Run’ window and hit ‘Ok’ button to open ‘User Accounts’ window

Step 2: Click ‘Users’ tab and select your account and hit ‘Properties’

Step 3: Go to ‘Group Membership’ tab and choose ‘Administrator’ to make this an admin account and then hit ‘Apply > Ok’ button to save the changes, and check if the issue is resolved.

Method 10: Reset Visual Studio settings

If the issue is still persist, you can try to fix the issue by resetting Visual Studio settings in computer.

Step 1: Open ‘Visual Studio’ program in computer and click ‘Tools’ in menu bar

Step 2: Select ‘Import and Export Settings…’ and choose ‘Reset all settings’ in ‘Import and Explorer settings wizard’ and hit ‘Next’ button

Step 3: Choose ‘Yes, save my current settings’ and hit ‘Next’ and hit ‘Finish’. Once done, check if the issue is resolved.

Conclusion

I hope this post helped you on How to fix Visual Studio, Unable to start program, Access is denied error in Windows 10/11 with easy ways. You can read & follow our instructions to do so. That’s all. For any suggestions or queries, please write on comment box below.