Are you trying to open an application and it shows error 0xc00007b stating “The Application was unable to start correctly”? In this article, we outline some of the ways in which you could fix this error.
The 0xc00007b error can be quite frustrating especially if the program that you’re opening is important and you can’t afford to lose access to it. Fortunately, there are a number of solutions that could fix this problem which we’ll be discussing in this article shortly.
Table of Contents
What Does Error 0xc00007b Mean?
The error code is vague and doesn’t explain why it is being displayed. It usually happens when Windows is unable to launch an application, mainly to corrupt files, missing DLL files, or when you incorrectly install the 32-bit version of the software instead of 64-bit.
7 Ways to Fix Error 0xc00007b: “Application Was Unable to Start Correctly”
Before beginning this tutorial, I recommend that you first try to restart your computer and check if it resolves the issue. Yes, this sounds very simple, but you would be surprised to find out that most issues are fixed by just restarting the computer. If the issue is still present after restarting, then proceed with the steps below.
- Reinstall the Application
- Open the Program as an Administrator
- Install Visual C++ Redistributable Package
- Install .NET Framework
- Install or Update DirectX
- Update Windows to the Latest Version
- Reinstall Windows
1. Reinstall the Application
The issue could be due to corrupt files or DLL files that could be missing from the software. As such, you should try to uninstall the application and then re-install it to ensure that the software is installed properly without any files going missing.
2. Open the Program as an Administrator
Certain applications require administrator access in order to function as expected. Without this, they may throw the 0xc00007b error. Therefore, try to launch the application as an administrator to check if it resolves the issue.
To open an application as administrator, right-click on the application’s icon and select Run as administrator. A popup appears for confirmation, click Yes to proceed.
3. Install Visual C++ Redistributable Package
Some applications are built with the C++ programming language. In order to function properly, they require the Visual C++ Redistributable package to be installed on the computer. This package installs runtime components that are required by C++ applications.
Note: if you already have this package installed, then uninstall it and re-install the latest available version.
1. Go to Microsoft’s page and download the latest file.
2. If your Windows is 32-bit, then download the vcredist_x86.exe file. Otherwise, if it’s 64-bit, then download the vcredist_x64.exe file.
3. Once downloaded, double-click the file to begin the installation. After the installation has been completed, try opening the application to see if the issue is resolved.
4. Install .NET Framework
Not having the .NET framework could be the reason why Windows is unable to open the application. If you already have it, then make sure that it is on the latest version.
To install or update it, head to this Microsoft’s webpage and download the latest available version.
5. Install or Update DirectX
DirectX is one of the common reasons why users see this error, especially if the application is a game that you are opening. By installing or updating DirectX, you may be able to get this fixed and launch the application without any errors.
Download the latest DirectX file from Microsoft. Once done, double-click the downloaded file and follow the onscreen instructions to install it on your computer. Note that once the installation is complete, you have to restart your computer.
6. Update Windows to the Latest Version
When Microsoft releases new updates, it usually fixes a lot of bugs and issues that are present in old versions of Windows. Therefore, I highly recommend that you update your Windows to the latest version as this could fix the 0xc00007b error that the application is showing.
To update Windows 10, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows + I key to open settings.
2. Click Update & Security.
3. Now click the Check for updates button.
4. If there are any updates available, Windows will download and install them on your computer.
Once you’re done with updating your Windows, check to see if the application runs successfully.
7. Reinstall Windows
As a last resort, if none of the solutions outlined above worked, then you should consider formatting your computer and reinstalling Windows. In this way, any corrupt files or issues related to missing Windows components would be fixed and you may be able to use the application again without any problems.
Note that before you proceed with this step, you must take a full backup of all the files and data on your computer because they would be removed from your computer once you reinstall Windows.
Wrapping Up
The 0xc00007b error is a very annoying error that keeps on saying “The Application Was Unable to Start Correctly” whenever you attempt to open a program. Now that you’ve reached the end of this article, I hope that you were able to resolve the issue using any of the steps outlined above.
If you used any other solutions to fix the problem, please do let us know by contacting us and we’ll have it added to the article. This could help others as well.
