Fix: The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142)

The application was unable to start correctly 0xc0000142, an error that occurs when users attempt to launch the application and games. According to our research, it appears most of the time with games and Microsoft word applications. The error usually indicates the corrupted DLL files, but it is not yet confirmed that corrupted DLL files are always behind it. It could be due to not having administrator permissions, corrupted .Net Framework, and outdated Windows.

There are even more reasons that can trigger this error. We have provided some of the leading causes below.

• Temporary issue- The issue can be temporary as it can cause by corrupt data stored in the Ram. Due to this, you may run into many issues unless you restart your computer to clear the corrupted data.
• Outdated Windows- If you have not updated your Windows in a long time, the error may result from outdated Windows. Outdated Windows is not recommended as it supports outdated programs and may not run the latest application. Thus, you will need to update your Windows.
• Corrupted Microsoft .NET Framework- If the Microsoft .net framework gets corrupted, you may encounter this error the .net Framework is required to run and create .net apps.
• Corrupted Microsoft Visual C- Microsoft Visual C++ is a code compiler that allows running applications written in C++ and C languages. If the Microsoft Visual C++ files are corrupted, you may not be able to run applications. Therefore, you may need to reinstall Microsoft Visual C++.
• Corrupted System Files- Another cause that may be involved as a culprit is corrupted system files. System files are the files that execute many tasks, including installing the application to the system. If system files are corrupted, you will encounter this error. 
• Corrupted DLL Files- DLL or Dynamic Link Library allows other programs to share the code at the time to perform various tasks. The DLL files can be used by different applications at a time. If it gets corrupted, you may face several issues while running applications.
• Not having Administrator Permissions- Sometimes, Windows components block the application files by interfering in the launching process. Therefore, you will have to run the program with administrator privileges.
• Interference of Antivirus- As it turns out, interference from a Windows defender or a third party can cause this error. Window’s inbuilt antivirus has the ability to block the application if it contains malware or malicious data. However, antivirus sometimes interferes without any reason by blocking the files. Therefore, you may need to temporarily disable the Windows defender.

1. Reboot your computer

You can first try rebooting your computer as the error can occur due to corrupted data that might be stored in the Ram. Moreover, restarting the computer eliminates the temporary bugs and glitches that may prevent the application from launching. Therefore restarting the computer may help fix The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142).

2. Run Application As an Administrator

Another easy and effective solution is to run the application with administrator privileges. The benefit of running a program with administrator permissions is that it eliminates all the interference from inside and outside programs.

1. To run the application as an administrator, right-click on the application or game
2. Click Properties and go to the Compatibility tab from the top

   

3. Tick the option Run This Program As An Administrator
4. Additionally, check Run This Program in Compatibility Mode For
5. Select Windows 7 or Windows 8 from the bottom menu
6. Click Apply then click OK
   

   

7. Once done, launch the application and see if it fixes the issue.

3. Change Current System Locale

If the wrong region is selected, you may encounter The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142) error as most applications require a correct region to be selected. Follow the steps to check if the correct region is selected. If it is, try the next method.

1. To check the region, click Start Menu and type Control Panel
2. Open the control panel and choose Small Icons from the View By menu
3. Click Region from the listed options

   

4. Go to Administrator from the top and click Change System Locale
5. Select your region and click OK
6. Once done, click Apply and press OK to save the changes

   

7. Now launch the application and check if the error persists.

4. Modify Registry File

Another solution to fix this issue is to change the value data of LoadAppInit_dl, a file that loads all the DLL files. According to several affected users, the error can be resolved by changing the value data. Before making any changes to the registry file make sure to create a registry backup. Below are the instructions:-

1. Click Start Menu and type command prompt
2. Launch the terminal as administrator by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Enter
   

   

3. Copy and paste the following command and hit Enter

   reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows" /v "LoadAppInit_DLLs" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

   

4. Once done, launch the application and check if the issue is resolved.

5. Using Command to Re-register all DLL files

There is a registry command, which allows users to register all DLL files at a time. Basically, it is a loop that will go through all the DLL files and register them. Follow the steps and see if it helps.

1. To re-register, press the Windows + R to open Run Program
2. Type cmd and press Enter

   

3. Copy and paste the following command and hit Enter

   for %i in (%windir%\system32\*.ocx) do regsvr32.exe /s %i

   

4. Once done, check if the issue is resolved.

6. Perform a Clean Boot

If the issue is still there, try performing a clean boot to disable irrelevant Microsoft services at startup. A clean boot starts the Windows with a minimum of services and drivers. Moreover, it disables the third-party application and programs to not interfere in the problematic application and troubleshooting process. However, you can re-enable the services by clicking on the enable button. Below are the steps:-

1. To perform a clean boot, click Start Menu and type MSConfig and System Configuration
2. Choose Selective Startup and move on to the Services tab

   

3. Click Hide All Microsoft Services and click Disable All
   

   

4. Once done, restart your computer and then launch the application to check if the error persists.

7. Run Repair Commands

If the DLL files are corrupted, the error will arise. Therefore, you must need to repair them in order to run the application. When we talk about corrupted DLL files, we should first execute SFC, and DISM commands. These are the command line utility used to restore corrupted files. DISM includes three commands, and every command does its job correctly by checking, scanning, and restoring the system files. While SFC, System Files Checker is usually executed to repair corrupted default Windows DLL files. Thus, DLL files get repaired. Follow the steps to repair DLL files.

1. From Start Menu, type the command prompt
2. Right-click on the command prompt and choose Run As Administrator
   

   

3. Once the terminal is launched, copy and paste the following commands, and for each press Enter
   

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   sfc /scannow

   

4. Once done, launch the application and see if it fixes Error: The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142)

8. Reinstall the Microsoft .NET Framework

Microsoft .NET Framework allows users to create and run the .Net applications. As per the several affected users, the error can be a result of a corrupted Microsoft .Net framework. Therefore reinstalling the .net Framework may fix this issue. However, this solution does not apply for Windows 7 or below versions as we cannot uninstall Microsoft .Net Framework manually from an older version of Windows OS. Thus, if you do not have Windows 8, 10, and 11, you may need either to update or reinstall the latest version in the order to have the latest Microsoft .Net Framework.

1. To reinstall Microsoft.Net Framework, open Run Window by hitting Win + R on the keyboard
2. Type Appwiz.CPL and click OK to navigate into Programs & Features
   

   

3. Once you are there, right-click on Microsoft .Net Framework and click Uninstall
   

   

4. Once done, go to the official Microsoft website to download and install the latest framework

9. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

Microsoft Visual C++ is a compiler that allows running applications written in C and C++ language. It is also used to create applications. According to the affected users, installing Microsoft Visual C++ will aid in fixing The application was unable to start correctly 0xc0000142.

1. To reinstall Microsoft Visual C++, click Start Menu and type Control Panel
2. Open Control Panel, and go to Programs & Features by clicking on Uninstall a Program
   

   

3. Find and select Microsoft Visual C++ and click Uninstall
   

   

4. Once you uninstalled it, proceed to download and install the latest version of Microsoft Visual C++.

10. Update your Windows

Another important fix for this error is to update Windows to the latest version. If the error occurs due to the corrupted files, Windows updates will automatically repair them by replacing the files with the latest ones. If the error occurs while updating Windows, follow the steps composed Windows update article.

1. To update your Windows, go to Settings from Start Menu or press Win + I to launch settings
2. Navigate to Update  & Security
   

   

3. Click Check For Updates and if the new updates are found, install them and restart your computer to see if the issue persists.

   

11. Run check disk

The error could also be caused by corrupted and damaged files in the C drive. Therefore, we need to repair the files if there is any problem with the disk. The commands check the hard disk status alongside repairing disk errors. Below are the instructions:-

1. Search Command Prompt from the Start Menu
2. Right-click on the command prompt and choose Run As Administrator
3. Copy and paste the following command and hit Enter

   chkdsk /f /r

   

4. Wait for the process to complete, then check if the error is fixed.

12. Reinstall the Application or Game

If the error does not fix after doing all the workarounds, you will have to reinstall the application as it may be due to the corrupt installation of the application or game. If the error occurs while launching the game, you may need to verify or repair the game files.