Windows 10: “A referral was returned from the server” Error Fix

When attempting to install applications in Microsoft Windows 10, some users may experience an error that says “A referral was returned from the server”. To solve this problem, try these steps.

Fix 1 – Registry Setting

Download and run referralfix.zip and run referralfix.reg to automatically apply these changes to your computer.

1. Hold the Windows Key and press “R“.
2. Type “regedit“, then press “Enter” to bring up the Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ System.
4. Open “ValidateAdminCodeSignatures” and set “Value data” to “0“
5. Open “EnableUIADesktopToggle” and set the “Value data” to “0“.

Fix 2 – Group Policy

1. Hold the Windows Key and press “R“.
2. Type “gpedit.msc“, then press “Enter” to bring up the Local Group Policy Editor.
3. Expand “Computer Configuration” > “Windows Settings” > “Security Settings” > “Local Policies” > “Security Options“.
4. Change the “User Account Control: Only elevate executable that are signed and validated.” policy to “Disabled“.