Fix: The Application was Unable to Start Correctly (0xc000007b)

The Application was unable to start correctly with the error code (0xc000007b) is a Windows Operating System bug which usually occurs after you update your system to its latest version whether you are installing Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10. The most affected victims of this error are the people who use Windows 10. This error message appears when you try to run your apps or programs like Adobe Reader, VLC Player, MS Office, etc.

There are a lot of reasons due to which you receive this Windows error code (0xc000007b). The error might be due to an invalid image format. If you are trying to run an application which is designed to run on the 64-bit operating system but your computer is running on a 32-bit Windows. The 64-bit application won’t be able to hold on a 32-bit dll, so this incompatibility brings the error.

Also Fix: 7 Best USB Bootable Software for Windows

The Application was unable to start correctly error can also be caused due to problematic software which has corrupted files, virus infections, registry errors, etc.

The Application was unable to start correctly error (0xc000007b) can also occur if you are not running the software as an administrator. As Windows will fail to process a particular file or the necessary settings to run the application and so the software will not start correctly.

If this problem affects only one application on your system, then the app might corrupt and needs reinstallation. However when this error prevents you from opening a number of programs, then it must be your .NET framework 3.5 or Visual C++ Redistributable Packages that are missing or corrupted. Because if, the NET framework is absent from your system; you won’t be able to run the apps that we build on it.

See also: FIX: The Application Unable To Start Correctly (0xc0000005)

How to Fix The Application was Unable to Start Correctly (0xc000007b)

So if you are troubled due to The Application was unable to start correctly error, read this article further to find out the possible solutions to this error. There are times when you need more than one fix, so you need to try them one after the other if the earlier one doesn’t work for you.

Method 1. Reinstall corrupted application to fix the error

If The Application was unable to start correctly error affects only one app on your computer; then this method should be used. So try to launch the app through Administrative privileges. If that doesn’t work reinstall the corrupted application:

1. Right click on the app that is giving the 0xc000007b error.

2. Select Properties and then open Compatibility tab.

3. Then click on ‘’Run this Program as an Administrator’’ and click OK.

4. Now try to launch the app. If it doesn’t work, then Right-click on Windows key.

5. Afterward, select Control Panel and open Programs and Features.

6. Now find the corrupted app, and click on it to uninstall.

7. Now Re-install the app from a reliable source.

Method 2. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++Redistributable Packages

Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages are essential for Windows application. If they are not installed well, Programs will not be able to work regularly and will give you various errors of which the 0xc000007b is one. Microsoft releases the Visual C++ Packages in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of your system. So if you receive The Application was unable to start correctly error due to corrupted Visual C++ Redistributable Packages, follow the steps to Re-install it:

1. At First, right-click on Windows key and select Control Panel. Then you will find ‘’Uninstall a program’’ on the control panel, click on it.

2. Then open Programs and Features section and remove all the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable items. After this reboot your computer.

Also Check: Fix Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device

3. Now go to the official Microsoft website to download the visual runtime packages and install all of the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages manually. You need to restart your PC several times to let the installation take place.

Check Out:

10 Ways to Fix Critical Process Died Error in Windows 10

5 Ways to Fix Your Windows License Will Expire Soon Error

3 Ways to Fix Windows Update Service Not Running

4 Ways to Fix Kmode Exception Not Handled in Windows Error

Method 3. Run the Software as Administrator

Sometimes the software requires running as administrator, and The Application was unable to start correctly error occurs if the software is not running as Administrator. This solution works if all the users have an administrator account. So providing administrative privilege will solve your problem. To rectify The Application was unable to start correctly error:

1. At First, right click on the shortcut icon on your desktop and select “Run as Administrator” option. Then click Yes on the popped up message that appears, and you will be able to run the application now.

2. If you cannot find the option after right-clicking on the application icon, select ‘’Properties’’ option from the right-click menu. Click Compatibility tab on the Properties box and find the option ‘’Run as Administrator’’. Then click on OK.

Method 4. Reinstall Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

The most common reason of The Application was unable to start correctly error which prevents you from opening more than one app or program in your computer is that the Microsoft .NET framework is missing or corrupted or outdated. This framework is there in your Windows 8 and 10 computer by default so it cannot be removed or modified. But if it has been damaged or corrupted due to some significant changes in your computer system, it can be fixed by downloading and installing the latest Windows updates or by running a scan with an optimization utility that is Reimage. To install the updates:

You Might Be Facing: We Couldn’t Complete the Updates, Undoing Changes

1. At First, press Windows key + I. and select Update and Security and click on Check for Updates.

2. It will display the list of updates available. Now click on Install Updates button.

3. The reinstallation will solve The Application was unable to start correctly.

Method 5. Update DirectX

It is one of the most critical parts of your computer. You need always to make sure that your computer is updated to the latest version of DirectX so that you will not receive the problems like The Application was unable to start error correctly. You can easily download and install DirectX Runtime Web Installer from Microsoft’s official website to check out whether your DirectX is up to date or not. For this download, the setup file and Run it. Then follow the on-screen instructions that are displayed to reinstall it. When the installation takes place, you have to restart your computer.

Method 6. Solve Compatibility issues between System and Application

As I mentioned earlier sometimes The Application was unable to start correctly error occurs when the application running on your system is not compatible with your computer system. Sometimes software requires high esteem configuration, but the system on your computer can’t match up the requirement. So you need to change the compatibility settings between system and application to get rid of The Application was unable to start correctly. To do this:

1. At First, right-click the on the application that does not start correctly and select Properties.

2. Then click on Compatibility tab in the Properties window and click the button ‘’Run compatibility troubleshooter”.

3. Now select “Try recommended settings,” and you can choose to either to run the application or just click on next.

4. If the previous step doesn’t work, you can also select the compatibility mode manually from the drop-down menu. Select the earlier version of Windows and Click Apply and OK buttons.

Method 7. Clean Boot your System

A clean boot of your system will help you to figure out whether The Application was unable to start correctly. Error was caused by a third party application as it can eliminate software conflicts. You must log in to your computer as an administrator to perform a clean boot of your system. After the troubleshooting, reset your computer to start it usually. To perform a clean boot in a Windows 10 computer follow the steps:

1. At First, click on start and search for msconfig. Click on system configuration from the search result.

2. Then select “Service” tab on the dialogue window. Select ‘’Hide all Microsoft Services’’ and click ‘’Disable all’’ button.

3. Afterward, click startup tab to open “Open Task Manager.” Now select each for a startup items here and click Disable button.

4. Close Task Manager and click OK on the System Configuration window. Finally, restart your computer now.

Method 8. Check your Hard Drive with Command Prompt

Hard Drive issues sometimes create various problems like The Application was unable to start correctly error so checking your hard drive may help you to rectify the error problems. To check your Hard Drive for possible errors follow the steps:

1. Run Command Prompt as Administrator on your PC. If you are a Windows 7 user, click on the Start button and type “cmd’’ in the search box. If you are a Windows 8 or 8.1 user, press the Windows key and type ‘’cmd’’. Right-click and select “Run as Administrator’’.

2. Type chkdsk c: /f /r in Command Prompt and press Enter.

3. If your Windows is installed in C drive, then you will get the message “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts?” Click on Yes here and press Enter key.

4. Your computer system will restart now so check the disk while it is restarting.

Method 9. Create a new user account

You can choose to create a new user account to check if The Application was unable to start correctly error occurs in the new account or not. To create a new account:

1. Click on Start button and select “Control Panel.”

2. Select User accounts and ‘’Manage another Account’’ respectively.

3. Click on “Add a new user in PC Settings,” and next you have to follow the on-screen displayed instructions to finish the process.

4. When this process is done, login to the new user account and check if the issue occurs there.

You may also like – 

• {Solved} One or More Network Protocols are Missing on This Computer
• 8 Ways to Fix Kernel Security Check Failure in Windows 10
• 10 Ways to Fix Windows 10 Search Not Working
• {Solved} 6 Ways to Fix VCRuntime140.dll is Missing Error

Method 10. Update DLL

The Application was unable to start correctly error might appear if the file xinput1_3.dll is corrupted or is overwritten which some other version that is not compatible. However, it is a slightly complicated method to fix The Application was unable to start correctly error through updating DLL as for this method it is required to replace the options like 32-bit xinput1_3.dll with a very appropriate version inside the C drive. So to update DLL Follow the steps below:

1. Download 32-bit xinput1_3.dll and extract files with a compression tool. Remember to back up the original ximput1_3.dll before trying this method as in case you fail to complete this process; you can restore it. The xinput1_3.dll file is usually located at C:\ Windows \SysWOW64 and paste it there.

2. Now select Copy and Replace if there is any prompt.

Final Words

So these were the 10 possible solutions that can be used to fix The Application was unable to start correctly error, you can opt for any of them according to your problems.