Getting error 65000 in Intune when deploying Settings Catalog policies? This error means Intune can't process the policy, usually because required ADMX files weren't delivered to the device. Here's how to fix it.

What Causes Error 65000

Error 65000 appears when:

- ADMX files aren't delivered via the ADMXInstall CSP

- Microsoft's Intune service has a backlog (service-level failure)

- Windows 11 25H2 processes policies faster than ADMX files download

Common triggers:

- OneDrive Known Folder Move policies

- Chrome extension deployment

- Windows Update for Business settings

Three root causes:

1. Service outages: In November 2025, the Northern Europe region had ADMX policy backlogs affecting thousands of devices

2. ADMX ingestion failures: Network interruptions during Autopilot or conflicting ADMX files in C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions

3. Windows 11 25H2 bug: 15+ configuration profiles fail simultaneously during enrollment

The Fix

Step 1: Check for Service Outages

Before troubleshooting devices, verify it's not a Microsoft service issue:

# Open Service Health dashboard
Start-Process "https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/servicehealth"

Filter by "Intune" and check for active incidents about ADMX policy delivery. If there's an outage, wait for Microsoft to resolve it.

Step 2: Check SyncML Logs

On an affected device:

# Export SyncML logs
wevtutil epl Microsoft-Windows-DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider/Admin C:\Temp\intune-syncml.evtx

# Or check Event Viewer:
# Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows >
# DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider > Admin
# Look for Event ID 1906 and check if ADMXInstall commands appear

If ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/ConfigOperations/ADMXInstall/ commands are missing or failing, ADMX ingestion is broken.

Step 3: Force Policy Sync

# Trigger Intune sync manually
Get-ScheduledTask | Where-Object {$_.TaskName -eq 'PushLaunch'} | Start-ScheduledTask

# Wait 5 minutes, then check device status in Intune portal

Step 4: Recreate the Policy

If error 65000 persists after 2-3 sync attempts:

1. Delete the failing Settings Catalog policy

2. Wait 24 hours for cleanup

3. Recreate the policy from scratch

4. Assign to a test group and verify deployment

Step 5: Windows 11 25H2 Workaround

For mass policy failures on 25H2:

Option A: Use Configuration Profiles instead of Settings Catalog for ADMX-based policies.

Option B: Pre-cache ADMX files in your Windows image:

# During image customization
Copy-Item "C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\*.admx" `
  -Destination "C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\"

Copy-Item "C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\en-US\*.adml" `
  -Destination "C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US\"

When to Wait vs. Intervene

Wait 24-48 hours if:

- Service Health shows an active incident

- Only a few devices affected

- Policy was just created/assigned

Intervene immediately if:

- All devices in deployment group show error 65000

- Policies that worked last week suddenly fail

- Windows 11 25H2 shows 15+ simultaneous errors

Prevention

Test Settings Catalog policies in pilot groups before production deployment. Monitor the Intune Product blog for changes to CSP behavior. For Windows 11 25H2, pre-cache ADMX files or use Configuration Profiles instead of Settings Catalog.

Need hands-on help? Contact RainCity Techworks.