Fix: A Referral Was Returned From The Server

Some errors can prevent essential functions and tasks from working on your PC. That’s the case with the error message, “A referral was returned from the server.” However, several different fixes can work, depending on your situation.

You’re likely to see this problem when installing a program, but it might also appear at other times. For example, when you update a program, change your drivers, or do anything that involves moving new files onto your PC. It’s important to fix this as soon as possible because of what it prevents you from doing.

The cause varies and isn’t always easy to track down. A few different problems might be at fault.

Lack of administrator access
Faulty update
Settings in the group policy editor
Problems with your operating system or computer

Since there are so many potential problems and solutions, the best way to fix the problem is to jump in and start looking for the one that works for you.

Table of Contents

How to Fix “A Referral Was Returned from the Server”?

Check to make sure everything is updated and working correctly. Once you know everything is in the proper shape, you can start making changes to find which will let you install your programs and updates again.

Run as Administrator

If you’re getting this error when you log into a specific program, you can set it up to run as an administrator. This might help get rid of the problem with very little work.

Right-click on the executable for the program and select Properties.
Choose the Compatibility tab.
Select Run this Program as an Administrator.
Click OK.
Try to rerun the program.

You can leave the program set to run as an administrator in the future if you’re comfortable with it.

Run System File Checker

Another great option is the System File Checker. This utility is included in Windows and is designed to scan your operating system files, find damaged or missing files, and then fix or replace them as needed. While it can usually fix it, there are times when you’ll have to either get the new files and install them on your own or do a complete reinstallation of Windows to fix the problem.

Press the Windows Key + X.
Choose Windows Power Shell (Admin). It may give you the Command Prompt option instead, which is fine. Just make sure to choose the administrative option.
Click Yes to confirm.
Type sfc /scannow and then press Enter.
Wait for the scan to finish. It should tell you if it found errors and whether it could fix them.
Restart your computer.

If it could fix the problems, you should try to do the action causing the Referral Returned from the Server error again. However, if it can’t fix the issues, you may have to get the missing files from a computer with the same operating system version and update pack. You have to use specific commands to take ownership of the files and replace them once you get them on your computer.

It’s much easier to reinstall your operating system if you have access to installation media. It’s best to do a completely clean install because your damaged system files might not work as well as they would if they were working correctly.

Update the Program You’re Using

If the program you’re using isn’t fully updated, check to see whether there’s a newer version. For some people with this issue, that’s fixed the problem.

Adjust Your User Account Settings

User accounts on Windows can each have different settings that affect what they can or can’t do. If your account settings prevent you from doing specific actions, it might be causing this error message to appear.

Press the Windows key.
Type Change User Account Control Settings.
Click the matching option.
Move the slider down to Never Notify.
Click OK.
Confirm your choice.
Restart your computer.

If you can’t do these without administrative permission, you may need to talk to the person with administrative access for your computer.

User Account Control Security Options

With the Group Policy Editor, you can adjust many settings that affect many different things on your computer.

Press the Windows key and type Edit Group Policy in the search bar.
Click the corresponding program.
Click Computer Configuration.
Click Windows Settings.
Click Security Settings.
Click Local Policies.
Click Security Options.
Double-click User Account Control: Only Elevate Executables That Are Signed and Validated.
Select Disabled.
Restart your computer.

If it still doesn’t work, you’ll have to make some other changes.

Change Your Registry Files

Most of the time, you don’t want to adjust your registry files unless you know what you’re doing and there’s no other way to fix a problem. However, you can make a quick adjustment, which might make a big difference. Turn off the ValidateAdminSignatures option to see whether it gets rid of this error code.

Press the Windows key + X.
Select Run.
Type regedit and then press Enter.
Click Yes.
Paste the following path on the path section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\
Right-click ValidateAdminCodeSignature and select modify.
Type 0 in the Value Data.
Press OK.
Restart your computer.

If this fixes the problem, you can leave the 0 in the Value Data on that option. It shouldn’t have any kind of negative effect on your system and is the default anyway.

Update Windows

The problem that caused this error for users has been fixed in later updates – if the cause is a particular Windows update. If you haven’t updated your operating system, then doing so might be the fix you’re looking for.

Press the Windows Key + X.
Choose Settings.
Click Update and Security.”
Click Windows Update in the left pane.
Click Check for Updates.
If updates are found, select to allow them to download and install.
Follow the prompts to complete the update and restart your computer when they’re done.

Once you’re done, check whether updating Windows fixed the problem.

Uninstalling Windows Updates

These are worth checking in case they’re the root of your error message.

Press the Windows Key + X.
Choose Settings.
Click Update and Security.
Click View Update History.
Click Uninstall Updates.
Select the update you want to remove.
Click Uninstall.
Restart your computer when the process is complete.

If none of this works, a Windows update probably isn’t the cause of your error, and you’ll have to investigate further.

Rolling Back Windows

You only have ten days to roll back an update before the OS files are removed from your system, so make sure to do this with time to spare.

Try other fixes before rolling back your operating system or Windows updates. Something simpler may work.

Press the Windows Key + X.
Choose Settings.
Click Update and Security.
Click Recovery in the left pane.
Click Get Started under Go Back to a Previous Version of Windows 10.
Follow the prompts to complete the process.

If you don’t see that button, you won’t be able to go back to an earlier version of your operating system without a complete reinstallation. However, you may be able to uninstall more minor updates for longer.