How to fix remote: Repository disabled. Please ask the owner to check their account. in Git

First, confirm the exact error message you're receiving. The "Repository disabled" error is specific:

# The error typically looks like this:
$ git push origin main
remote: Repository disabled. Please ask the owner to check their account.
fatal: unable to access 'https://github.com/owner/repo.git/': The requested URL returned error: 403

# Or when cloning:
$ git clone https://github.com/owner/repo.git
Cloning into 'repo'...
remote: Repository disabled. Please ask the owner to check their account.
fatal: repository 'https://github.com/owner/repo.git/' not found

If you see a different error like "repository not found" without the "disabled" message, you may have a different issue (authentication, permissions, or incorrect URL).

Since this is an account-level issue, only the repository owner can resolve it. Reach out to them through:

If you know the owner personally:
- Email, Slack, or other direct communication
- Explain you're getting the "Repository disabled" error
- Ask them to check their GitHub account status

If you don't know the owner:
- Check if they have contact information on their GitHub profile
- Look for a website or social media links on their profile page
- Search for other ways to contact them (project website, README files in cached versions)

Sample message to send:

> Hi, I'm trying to access [repository-name] on GitHub but I'm getting an error:
> "remote: Repository disabled. Please ask the owner to check their account."
>
> This error suggests there may be a billing or account issue. Could you please check your GitHub account status?

Keep in mind the owner may not be aware their account has been restricted, especially if it's related to an expired payment method.

If you own the repository and received this error (or someone notified you), check your GitHub account status:

Check for billing issues:
1. Go to https://github.com/settings/billing
2. Look for any payment failures or past due notices
3. Check if you've exceeded any plan limits
4. Update your payment method if needed

Check for account notifications:
1. Go to https://github.com/settings/notifications
2. Check your email associated with GitHub for any messages from GitHub Support
3. Look for emails about Terms of Service, security, or billing

Check account status:
1. Visit https://github.com/settings/admin
2. Look for any account restrictions or warnings
3. Check if there are pending actions required

For organization accounts:
1. Go to https://github.com/organizations/[your-org]/settings/billing
2. Verify the organization's payment status
3. Check organization-level notifications

If the issue is billing-related, take these steps:

Update payment method:

1. Go to https://github.com/settings/billing/payment_information
2. Click "Edit" next to your current payment method
3. Enter new payment details
4. Save and verify the payment processes successfully

Clear past due balance:
- GitHub may have outstanding charges that need to be paid
- Check the billing page for any overdue invoices
- Pay any outstanding balance

Downgrade to free plan (if applicable):
If you no longer need paid features:
1. Go to Settings > Billing & plans
2. Downgrade to the Free plan
3. Note: This may affect private repositories or collaborator limits

For LFS/Packages overages:
1. Check your Git LFS usage at https://github.com/settings/billing
2. Consider purchasing additional data packs
3. Or remove large files from Git LFS to reduce usage

After resolving billing issues, repositories are typically re-enabled within a few minutes to an hour.

If your account was suspended for a Terms of Service violation, you'll need to appeal:

Submit an appeal:
1. Go to https://support.github.com/contact
2. Select "Account recovery" or "Appeal a decision"
3. Provide your GitHub username
4. Explain the situation and request reinstatement

Common TOS violations and how to address them:

| Violation | Resolution |
|-----------|------------|
| Prohibited content | Remove or explain the content |
| Cryptocurrency mining | Remove the mining scripts |
| Excessive automation | Explain legitimate use case |
| Spam or abuse | Demonstrate it was unauthorized |

In your appeal, include:
- Clear explanation of the situation
- Steps you've taken to address the violation
- Commitment to follow Terms of Service
- Any relevant context (account was compromised, misunderstanding, etc.)

GitHub typically responds to appeals within 1-5 business days.

If the repository was disabled due to a security lockdown:

Secure your account first:

# If you can still log in:
1. Change your GitHub password immediately
2. Enable two-factor authentication if not already enabled
3. Review and revoke suspicious OAuth apps
4. Check and remove unknown SSH keys
5. Review recent security events in Settings > Security log

If you cannot log in:
1. Go to https://github.com/password_reset
2. Follow the password recovery process
3. If that doesn't work, contact GitHub Support at https://support.github.com/contact

After securing your account:
1. Review recent commits and pushes for unauthorized changes
2. Check if any secrets or tokens were exposed
3. Rotate any credentials that may have been compromised
4. Contact GitHub Support if repositories remain disabled after securing the account

Enable additional security:

- Enable 2FA: https://github.com/settings/security
- Review sessions: https://github.com/settings/sessions
- Set up security key: https://github.com/settings/security

While waiting for the owner to fix their account, you may have options:

If you have a local clone:

# You already have the code locally
# Continue working, but you won't be able to push

# Check your last successful sync
git log --oneline -10

# Create a backup of your local work
git bundle create backup.bundle --all

If you need to continue development:
1. Push your local copy to a new repository on your own account
2. Continue development there
3. Coordinate with the original owner to merge changes later

# Create a new origin (assuming you have a local clone)
git remote rename origin original-disabled
git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/repo-fork.git
git push -u origin main

If the repository was a dependency:

# For npm, point to a specific commit or fork
# package.json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "package": "github:your-username/forked-repo#commit-sha"
  }
}

# For Go modules, use a replace directive
# go.mod
replace github.com/disabled/repo => github.com/your-username/fork v1.0.0

Important: Only do this for your own legitimate work. Don't re-publish someone else's code without permission.

If the repository is critical and you cannot reach the owner:

Contact GitHub Support:
1. Go to https://support.github.com/contact
2. Select the most relevant category
3. Explain the situation and business impact
4. Provide repository URL and context

When contacting support, include:
- The exact error message
- Repository URL
- Your relationship to the repository (collaborator, downstream user, etc.)
- Business impact if applicable
- Steps you've already taken (contacting owner, etc.)

For organization/enterprise accounts:
- Enterprise customers have priority support
- Contact your GitHub account representative
- Use the enterprise support portal

For open source projects:
- GitHub may be more responsive for popular/important open source projects
- Mention the project's community impact
- Note if this affects many downstream users

GitHub Support typically cannot override account restrictions, but they can:
- Expedite communication with the account owner
- Provide more information about the issue
- Help with account recovery if needed