different-ai/openwork · error · Error

Failed to delete desktop policy (${response.status}).

Error message

Failed to delete desktop policy (${response.status}).

What it means

Thrown by deleteDesktopPolicy when DELETE /v1/desktop-policies/:id returns non-OK. Unlike its create/update siblings there is no 402 special case: getRequestError either throws ReauthRequiredError (403 reauth payload) or an Error with the server message or this fallback. It means the server refused to delete the policy.

Source

Thrown at ee/apps/den-web/app/(den)/dashboard/_components/desktop-policy-data.tsx:222

export async function updateDesktopPolicy(policyId: string, input: DesktopPolicyPayload) {
  const { response, payload } = await requestJson(`/v1/desktop-policies/${encodeURIComponent(policyId)}`, {
    method: "PATCH",
    headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
    body: JSON.stringify(input),
  }, 12000);
  if (!response.ok) {
    if (response.status === 402) throw new Error(DESKTOP_POLICY_ENTERPRISE_PLAN_ERROR);
    throw getRequestError(payload, response, `Failed to update desktop policy (${response.status}).`);
  }
}

export async function deleteDesktopPolicy(policyId: string) {
  const { response, payload } = await requestJson(`/v1/desktop-policies/${encodeURIComponent(policyId)}`, {
    method: "DELETE",
  }, 12000);
  if (!response.ok) {
    throw getRequestError(payload, response, `Failed to delete desktop policy (${response.status}).`);
  }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 2b7df46e8a)

Solutions

1. If 404, refresh the policy list - the policy is already gone.
2. Check whether the policy is default/protected and disable instead of delete.
3. Re-authenticate on reauth/session errors and retry.
4. Retry as an org admin with policy permissions.
5. Inspect server logs for 5xx.

Example fix

// before
if (!response.ok) {
  throw getRequestError(payload, response, `Failed to delete desktop policy (${response.status}).`);
}
// after
if (!response.ok) {
  if (response.status === 404) return; // already deleted, treat as success
  throw getRequestError(payload, response, `Failed to delete desktop policy (${response.status}).`);
}

const policy = policies.find((p) => p.id === policyId);
if (!policy) { refreshPolicies(); return; } // already gone
if (policy.isDefault) { showToast("The default policy cannot be deleted."); return; }

function isNotFound(error: unknown): boolean { return error instanceof Error && error.message.includes("404"); }

try {
  await deleteDesktopPolicy(policyId);
} catch (error) {
  if (isNotFound(error)) { refreshPolicies(); return; } // idempotent delete
  if (isReauthRequiredError(error)) { promptReauth(); return; }
  showToast(error.message);
}

When it happens

Trigger: DELETE /v1/desktop-policies/{policyId} fails: policy already deleted (404), protected/default policy that cannot be removed (400/409), insufficient permissions (401/403), or 5xx. 12s timeout. Called from softDeletePolicy.

Common situations: Double-clicking delete (second call 404s); trying to delete the default policy; non-admin session; stale UI after another admin already removed the policy.

Understand the failure class

Background: 'Something went wrong' / 'Request failed (500)' / 'HTTP error! status: 404' — what failed HTTP requests actually mean and how to find the real cause — this error's family across 28 libraries.

Related errors

• Failed to create desktop policy (${response.status}).
• Failed to update desktop policy (${response.status}).
• Failed to load dashboard access (${response.status}).
• Failed to verify skill plugin (${membershipResult.response.s
• Failed to fetch latest-mac.yml (${response.status} ${respons

AI-assisted analysis of different-ai/openwork@2b7df46e8a (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/afd04bc5d84485ab. Report an issue: GitHub.