How to Fix “The Application Was Unable to Start Correctly (0xc0000142)” Error in Windows

Do you get a “The Application Was Unable to Start Correctly (0xc0000142)” error while trying to launch an app on your Windows PC? If so, you can update outdated tools, fix corrupt files, and apply a few other ways to resolve the error. We’ll show you how.

Often, it’s your PC’s various software components that cause the issue, not your app itself. You can use a few solutions to fix those components and get your app running properly.

Restart Your Windows 10/11 PC

When your app fails to launch, the easiest fix to apply is to reboot your PC. Doing so usually fixes many minor problems on your system, possibly resolving your application error.

Make sure you save your unsaved work before rebooting your PC.

1. Open the Start menu and select the Power icon.
2. Choose Restart in the menu.

3. Launch your app when the computer reboots.

Run Your App With Admin Rights

Some apps require admin privileges to function fully, and your app may be one of them. In this case, use a Windows option to run your app as an admin to see if that fixes the error code 0xc0000142. If it does, make Windows always launch your app with admin rights.

1. Right-click your app’s shortcut and select Run as administrator.

2. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.

If you can launch the app in admin mode, ask Windows to always launch this particular app shortcut with administrative privileges:

1. Right-click your app’s shortcut and choose Properties.
2. Select the Shortcut tab and choose Advanced.
3. Activate the Run as administrator option and select OK.

4. Choose Apply followed by OK on the Properties window.

Open Your Application in Compatibility Mode

One reason you get the “The Application Was Unable to Start Correctly (0xc0000142)” error is that your app isn’t compatible with your Windows version. This usually happens when you upgrade your PC from an old operating system version.

To fix that, Windows allows you to launch your apps in compatibility mode. This mode makes your app feel like it’s running on an older version of Windows.

1. Right-click your app’s shortcut and choose Properties.
2. Access the Compatibility tab.
3. Enable Run this program in compatibility mode for.
4. Access the drop-down menu beneath the option and choose a Windows version. We recommend choosing the version where your app worked fine.

5. Save your changes by selecting Apply followed by OK at the bottom.
6. Launch your app.

Update Your Windows Version to Fix the Application Error 0xc0000142

A possible reason your app fails to load is that you’re using an outdated Windows version. Older versions often have many bugs that are fixed in newer versions.

In this case, you can update your Windows operating system version to see if that resolves the problem.

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Select Update & Security in Settings.
3. Choose Windows Update in the sidebar on the left.
4. Select Check for updates in the pane on the right.

5. Install the available updates.
6. Reboot your PC.
7. Launch your app.

Update .NET Framework on Windows

Some Windows apps require the newest .NET Framework version to function. If your app is one of them, update your installed .NET Framework tool to the latest version, and your app should successfully launch.

1. Open a web browser on your PC and head to the .NET Download site.
2. Select the latest .NET Framework version on the list.
3. Choose the version for your operating system.

4. Double-click the downloaded file to start installing the tool.
5. Reboot your app.
6. Run your app.

Update DirectX on Windows

If you’ve encountered the “The Application Was Unable to Start Correctly (0xc0000142)” error while trying to launch a game, update your installed DirectX version to resolve your issue.

1. Head to the Direct X download site in your web browser.
2. Select your language from the drop-down menu and choose Download.

3. Launch the downloaded file and install the latest DirectX version.
4. Restart your computer.
5. Open your app.

Uninstall and Reinstall the Application

Your app’s core files may have gone corrupt, preventing Windows from successfully launching the app. You can fix this issue by removing all core files and reinstalling the app on your PC.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Select Apps in Settings.
3. Select your app on the list and choose Uninstall.

4. Select Uninstall in the prompt.

5. Run your app’s installer to reinstall the app.
6. If your app still doesn’t open, redownload and re-run the app installer.

Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

Microsoft’s Visual C++ Redistributable is an essential component to run various apps on your PC. If this item has become corrupt, you’ll have to uninstall and reinstall the item on your system.

1. Open Control Panel by accessing Start, searching for Control Panel, and selecting the app in the search results.
2. Select Uninstall a program in the Control Panel.

3. Choose your Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable version on the list and select Uninstall at the top.

4. Select Yes in the prompt.
5. Use the above steps to remove all versions of the component from your system.
6. Open the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable site in your web browser and download the latest package.
7. Run the downloaded file to install the component.

Fix Windows’ Corrupt and Missing Files

If your system files have gone corrupt or missing, Windows may display various errors, including the one you’re seeing when attempting to launch your app. You can’t fix these files by yourself, so you can use Windows’ built-in System File Checker to automatically find and fix corrupt and missing core files.

1. Open Start, find Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator on the right.
2. Choose Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
3. Enter the following in CMD and press Enter: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. Next, run the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow

5. Wait for the tool to find and fix your system’s faulty files.
6. Reboot your PC.

Troubleshoot Windows’ “The Application Was Unable to Start Correctly” Error With Multiple Methods

If you have trouble launching an application on your Windows PC, the causes likely include corrupt files and outdated software versions. Using the various methods outlined above, you can fix your Windows error and get your app working. Good luck!