Lately, a few users complained that they are not able to sign in to their Microsoft accounts due to the error 0x8000704ec in Windows 10. In such a scenario, you won’t be able to access any Universal Windows Platform apps as well.
UWP programs are basically Store apps that you can access from any Windows 10 device like Xbox, HoloLens, Tablet, PC, Phone, etc. When you encounter the error 0x800704ec while logging into your Microsoft, you may receive the following error message as well –
Can't sign in with a Microsoft account
This program is blocked by group policy. For more information, contact your system administrator. [Error 0x8000704ec]
Fix – Can’t Sign in with a Microsoft Account Error 0x8000704ec
If you are not able to login into your Microsoft account and rather receive error 0x8000704ec, try out these solutions –
1. Configure Local Group Policy
The error 0x8000704ec might have occurred due to some changes inside the local group policy. In order to fix this, you must configure the particular policy as follows –
- Press “Windows key + R” to start the Run dialog.
- Type “
gpedit.msc” and press OK. - When the GPE launches, select Computer configuration on the left column.
- Afterward, browse to the below path –
Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security options
- Head over to the right pane and double-click on the “Account: Block Microsoft account” policy.
- You will automatically be redirected to the “Local Security Setting” tab. Use the available drop-down menu and select “This policy is disabled“.
- Next, hit OK to save this configuration. Exit the Group Policy and restart Windows 10.
I hope you are now able to sign in to your Microsoft Account without getting any bugs or errors.
Note: If you are using windows 10 Home Edition, there isn’t any Group Policy Editor. So, you can’t modify any policy. In such a scenario, you may modify the registry instead. See the next solution –
2] Modify the registry
Since this is a registry operation, make sure to create a full registry backup. You may use this backup to restore all registries when the need arises. Here’s how to modify the registry –
- Open the Search window by pressing Win + S.
- Type “
regedit” and click once over the top result. - When the UAC window prompts, hit Yes.
- On the registry editor window, navigate to the following –
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Policies > System
- Jump to the right pane and locate the key –
NoConnectedUser. Its default value should be either 1 or 3. Double-click over this entry and put “0” under the value data field. - Come out of the registry editor, close all running windows, and restart the computer.
From the next logon, you should be able to sign in to your Microsoft account. I hope you are now able to access your Microsoft account and related UWP apps without getting into any error.
