15 Fixes For Error Code 0xc000007b

Have you been randomly facing Error Code 0xc000007b (The application was unable to start correctly) while running any Windows application on your desktop or your favorite games such as Assassin’s Creed or GTA 5?

The 0xc000007b error might pop up irrespective of whichever application you are trying to launch and displays an error message – The application was unable to start correctly (0xc000007b).

Click OK to close the application – followed by an OK button that terminates the application causing the error.

If you are burdened by the same error and unable to launch any application, this article on How to Fix Error Code 0xc000007b will direct you toward troubleshooting fixes to eliminate this error. Head over to the next section to learn more.

Why Does the 0xc000007b Error Occurs – The Application Was Unable To Start Correctly?

The 0xc000007b error code occurs when you or your Windows PC is trying to launch an application that is missing any DLL or runtime files.

After encountering such a terminal error, the application instructs you to close the error message without giving any insight into the cause of the error.

Upon analyzing the complaints of frustrated users on the Windows forum, we came up with several reasons that cause the application error 0xc000007b:

• Error Code 0xc000007b first surfaced in Windows 10 after the rollout of the Anniversary Update. For some users, the error appears immediately after any feature update or patches and prevents them from launching any application.
• As discussed before, the error appears when the necessary DLL file for an application is unavailable on your hard disk, or Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable packages, DirectX runtimes, and .NET framework files are not detected. This occurs due to the automatic blocking of any DLL file by antivirus due to false-positive malware, corrupt hard disk partition, missing redistributable packages, invalid image format, or faulty Windows system files.
• Typically, the 0xc000007b error code appears when a 64-bit process and a 32-bit system clash. A 32-bit environment cannot carry out activities that need a lot of memory, in contrast to 64-bit versions of Windows. The error code will likely appear if a 64-bit process is forced to operate on a 32-bit system.
• If any 32-bit software requires a DLL file designed for a 64-bit system or vice-versa, the application error might occur as dependencies are not met upon application startup.
• Lastly, Application Error 0xc000007b might occur due to bugs inside the software, the absence of administrator privileges, or compatibility issues with the current Windows platform. It can be fixed by reinstalling the application, resetting app preferences, or running the app in compatibility mode.

How To Fix Application Error 0xc000007b (The Application Was Unable To Start Correctly)?

Although the reason for the application error 0xc000007b might seem vague, the error message regularly pops up for many users worldwide. The erroneous applications are not limited to a particular list.

Since there is no magical way to find a specific solution for the error code appearing on your device, you will require to dedicate some time and try several fixes below to fix 0xc000007b on Windows PC and launch your favorite applications without any hassle.

If one troubleshooting tip doesn’t work out for you, immediately proceed to the following lineup of fixes.

Solutions To Fix Application Error 0xc000007b

1. Restart your Windows PC
2. Perform A Clean Boot
3. Check And Repair Corrupt System Files on Windows Hard Disk
4. Run The Program Using Administrator Privileges
5. Reset App Preferences To Fix The Problematic Windows Application
6. Run the Windows Application in Compatibility Mode
7. Perform Proper Reinstallation of the Application showing error code 0xc000007b
8. Download and Copy 32-bit DLL File in 64-bit versions of Windows
9. Update or Reinstallation of .NET Framework Files
10. Update DirectX Runtimes
11. Uninstall and Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages
12. Run CHKDSK to Scan and Fix Hard Drive Partition Files
13. Update Windows To Fix 0xc000007b error
14. Installing libvlc.dll DLL file (Only For VLC Application Error 0xc000007b)
15. Reinstallation and Updating Windows VC Runtime Files Using AIO Packages

1. Restart your Windows PC

A simple restart might help fix almost any Windows error, as rebooting clears the cache files and reverts temporary registry and DLL file changes. Rebooting your Windows device can quickly solve the 0xc000007b application error on the next boot. Follow the steps given below to restart your device:

• If you are logged in to Windows, click on the Windows button on the taskbar to open the start menu.
• Click on the power button in the lower–left corner.
• From the power menu, click on Restart.

• If you are on the login screen, select the Power button at the bottom–right corner, and click on Restart.
• Wait and see if the error is fixed on the next boot.

2. Perform a Clean Boot

If restarting your device didn’t fix the error, you can try to perform a clean boot that eliminates any third-party services and processes that might interfere with the working of an application.

To perform a clean boot, you have to be logged into your Windows account. Follow the steps given below to perform a clean boot in Windows 10:

• Open the Start Menu, type msconfig on the Windows Search bar, and press enter on the System Configuration App.

• Open the Services tab on the System Configuration window.
• Mark “Hide all Microsoft services” and click on Disable all.

• Head to the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.

• Once inside the Startup tab of the Task Manager, select all the entries and click on the Disable button.
• Close the Task Manager window.

• Click on Apply, and press the OK button to confirm your changes.
• Restart your Windows device.

3. Check And Repair Corrupt System Files on Windows Hard Disk

In some instances, the 0xc000007b error code might appear while launching an application because the Windows System file necessary for its operation might be corrupt or not present in its usual location.

Errors occurring due to corrupt system files can be fixed by running the SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) software utilities through the command prompt.

They scan for irregularities with files present in the Windows partition that might occur due to any malware or unrecognized third-party software and fixes them by downloading the missing system files through Windows Update. Follow the steps given below to fix this error:

• Press Win on your keyboard to open the start menu, type cmd, and click on Run as Administrator under Command Prompt.

• Once the Command Prompt runs with Administrator privileges, type the following command inside the command prompt and press Enter: sfc /scannow

• If the issue persists, type the following commands again inside the CMD terminal and press Enter after each of them:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• These command line utilities will take significant time to scan and repair the errors in system files, so make sure to wait patiently.
• If SFC and DISM didn’t fix the error message 0xc000007b, head to the following method.

4. Run The Program Using Administrator Privileges

The application error might occur while launching it from the desktop shortcut because the software fails to acquire administrator privileges required to access the necessary runtimes installed only for the admin user.

You can try to solve the error by running the software with administrator authentication, as demonstrated through the steps given below:

• Head to the window where the application icon or desktop shortcut is present.

• Right–click on the application icon that is causing the error.
• Select the Run as administrator option from the context menu.

• Click Yes on the UAC window to confirm your choice.
• If you aren’t logged into the administrator account, you may have to provide a password from your laptop admin.
• Check if the error code 0xc000007b persists after providing administrator privileges.

5. Reset App Preferences To Fix The Problematic Windows Application

Suppose you have trouble opening a Windows UWP application and the error 0xc000007b popup instructs you to close the application on startup.

In that case, you can try resetting the app preferences from the Windows Settings and returning them to default. Follow the steps given below to reset Windows apps:

• Press the Win key + I shortcut on your keyboard to open the Settings app.

• Select the Apps category.

• From the list of apps on the right pane, find the Windows app causing the error.
• Click on the app and select Advanced options under the app name.

• Scroll down and click on the Reset button.

• Click on Reset again to confirm your actions, and the app preferences will be reverted to their factory settings.
• After resetting app preferences, run the app once again to see if the error code appears.

6. Run the Windows Application in Compatibility Mode

When you are about to run an application on Windows 10/11 designed for an older version of Windows, such as Windows 98, XP, Vista, 7, or 8, it might show the error message 0xc000007b.

Such an issue occurs due to compatibility errors, and we can use Window’s compatibility troubleshooter to find out which Windows platform the software launched without any error. Follow the steps below to use the compatibility troubleshooter:

• Right–click on the application icon to open up its context menu.
• Click on Properties.

• Head over to the Compatibility tab.
• Click on Run compatibility troubleshooter.

• The troubleshooter will start scanning for problems and ask you if you want to Try recommended settings or Troubleshoot programs.
• Select Try recommended settings.

• The troubleshooter will try setting the compatibility mode to Windows Vista in the beginning.
• Click on Test the program… to see if the application runs without any error.
• Click on Next to continue.

• If the program ran without any error, select Yes, and save these settings for this program.
• If there was any other, click on No, and try again using different settings to find out other troubleshooting steps.

• Select the first option if you want to try another version of Windows, and click on Next.

• Select any version of Windows from the list.
• Click on Next to see if the application works in compatibility mode without any error.
• Repeat the steps until you find the correct Windows compatibility mode.
• You can also manually select the Windows version from the Compatibility tab.

• Mark the “Run this program in compatibility mode” option, and select any Windows OS from the drop-down menu.
• Click on OK to apply the settings, and try opening the app to see if the error code persists.

7. Perform Proper Reinstallation of the Application showing error code 0xc000007b

Suppose none of the above methods fixed your issue. In that case, you might be experiencing this issue due to an error that occurred during the installation of the complex software and was not completed completely.

You’ll only be able to repair the problem if you uninstall and reinstall the affected software. In doing so, you must follow the steps given below after backing up the necessary files and settings:

• Click on the Start button, type control panel in Windows Search, and open the first choice.

• Click on Uninstall a program under the Programs category in the Control Panel Window.

• Find the application among the list of installed programs causing the error code.
• Right-click on the application and click on Uninstall.
• Follow the on-screen instructions of the uninstallation wizard to delete everything the software stores.
• After the uninstallation completes, restart your desktop.
• On the next boot, proceed towards reinstallation of the application by downloading the latest exe file from Google and installing it by following the on-screen instructions of the installer.
• When the application has been reinstalled, try running it and check if the error has been fixed.

8. Download and Copy 32-bit DLL File in 64-bit versions of Windows

According to the complaints in the Windows Forums, the community came to a solution that downloading the 32-bit version of a DLL file and pasting it into the immediate directory of the affected application can help fix the 0xc000007b error code.

This particular fix doesn’t depend on your system’s architecture, as any 64-bit or 32-bit software requires only the 32-bit DLL to work correctly without any error. Here, we will tell you how to use these 2 DLL files – xinput1_3.dll and msvcr110.dll to fix the error from popping up:

Download and Install xinput1_3.dll

• Head over to the xinput1_3.dll Download site.

• Click on the Download button beside the 32-bit xinput1_3 DLL.
• Open the downloaded zip file and extract it to the Downloads folder.
• Copy the file using Ctrl+C, head to the folder where the application exe is present, and paste the DLL system file using Ctrl+V.
• You can also paste it inside the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder and overwrite the existing file.

Download and Install msvcr110.dll

• Head over to the msvcr110.dll Download site.

• Depending on your system architecture, download either the 32-bit or 64-bit version of msvcr110.dll.
• Open the downloaded zip file and extract it to the Downloads folder.
• Copy the file using Ctrl+C, head to the folder where the application exe is present, and paste the DLL system file using Ctrl+V.
• If the file doesn’t help fix the error, you can try downloading the DLL of another bit of architecture and replacing the previous one.

9. Update or Reinstallation of .NET Framework Files

In most scenarios, incorrect .NET Framework files have been the root cause of the 0xc000007b error.

Some applications either didn’t find the correct .NET Framework package necessary for its operation, or the framework files installed in the computer were not installed correctly.

Follow the steps listed under the different fixes given underneath to solve this error:

Install missing .NET Framework Packages:

• Open the Control Panel by searching for it on Windows Search.

• Click on the Programs category, and select the option to Turn Windows features on or off under Program and Features.

• From the list of available Windows Features, mark the checkbox for the first option .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)
• Click on the OK button.
• Windows Update will automatically download the required packages from the Internet and add the features to your desktop. Follow the on-screen instructions and Restart when needed.

Repair the existing .NET Framework Installation:

• Download the Microsoft .NET Framework Repair Tool from the Official download site.
• Run the installer by executing the exe file.

• The repair tool will automatically scan for any problem with the .NET Framework installation and attempt to repair them.

Reinstallation of .NET Framework:

• In case the repair tool didn’t work out, here’s a direct approach to repairing – reinstallation.

• Open the Control Panel from the Start menu, and click on Uninstall a program under the Programs section.

• Find all the existing .NET Framework Installation files from the list, click on each, and press the Uninstall/Change button.
• After the uninstallation is complete, restart your PC.

• Proceed towards reinstallation by downloading the latest framework runtime from the given link and installing it directly.

10. Update DirectX Runtimes

DirectX Runtimes are required for running any graphical interface provided by an application. But the software may show the error code 0xc000007b when the proper DirectX runtime files are not found in your system. In that case, you can try to reinstall or update DirectX using the steps given below:

• Open the official DirectX Download site to download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer.
• Run the setup file after the download completes.
• The DirectX(R) Setup wizard will automatically search for old and missing DirectX files and install them automatically.
• Try rerunning the application to see if the new DirectX Runtimes fixed the error message.

11. Uninstall and Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

As mentioned previously, problems with Microsoft Visual C++ are often the root of this problem. If you suspect a problem with Microsoft Visual C++, reinstalling the Redistributable package should resolve the issue. Follow the steps given below to do so:

• Navigate to the Control Panel, and click on Uninstall a program under the Programs section.

• Find Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable–x86 or Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable–x64 in the list, depending on your computer’s operating system.
• Right-click on each of them and click on Uninstall.
• To remove the redistributable packages, follow the on-screen instructions provided by the uninstallation wizard(s).

• Restart your PC after the redistributables have been removed.
• If you have a 32-bit operating system, download the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable – x86 or the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable – x64 from (if your computer has a 64-bit Operating System).
• Download both Redistributable installers if you removed both versions of Redistributable.
• After downloading the installer, run it and follow its instructions to install any Redistributable version. It’s best to run each Redistributable installation separately if you have to download both.

12. Run CHKDSK to Scan and Fix Hard Drive Partition Files

Hard Disk failures or partition errors can cause the 0xc000007b error because the installed application might not get access to some system files stored in the corrupt partition.

CHKDSK is an essential Windows utility to check if the partition has any errors and repair the damaged sectors quickly (if any). Follow the steps given below to execute the chkdsk command on your primary hard drive partition:

• Press Win on your keyboard to open the start menu, type cmd, and click on Run as Administrator under Command Prompt.

• Type chkdsk C: inside the command prompt and press Enter.
• You will be asked whether you want to schedule the scan for the next time the machine restarts. To confirm, enter y and press Enter inside the elevated Command Prompt.
• Restart your Windows PC.
• On the next boot, CHKDSK will run automatically and scan the C: drive of your computer’s hard disk. Be patient and wait for the process to finish.
• The device will boot into windows once CHKDSK has finished scanning and fixing the partition.

13. Update Windows To Fix 0xc000007b error

Although installing Windows Updates might be a nuisance in some cases, the latest version of Windows 10 arrives with the latest bug fixes and feature updates that might fix the application error 0xc000007b.

Follow the steps given here to update your Windows 10 to the newest version:

• Open Settings using the Win key + I shortcut.
• Select the Update & Security category, and open the Windows Update section from the left pane.

• Click on Check for Updates and wait patiently as Windows downloads updates automatically from the Internet.

• After download, click on Restart now to start their installation.

14. Installing libvlc.dll DLL file (Only For VLC Application Error 0xc000007b)

If you are receiving the error code 0xc000007c while launching or using the VLC Media Player, this method will help fix your issue.

This VLC application error occurs when the media player doesn’t find the libvlc.dll file inside the Windows system directory.

Follow the steps given below to download the DLL system file and paste it inside the System32 folder of your primary partition:

• Head to the Download link for the libvlc.dll file.
• You can download the 64-bit or 32-bit of the libvlc.dll depending on which version of VLC is installed on your system.
• Extract the downloaded zip file in the Downloads folder and copy the libvlc.dll using Ctrl + C.
• Head to the following location in Windows Explorer: C:\Windows\System32
• Paste the file inside this folder using Ctrl + V.
• Allow UAC prompts for granting administrator privileges while pasting.
• Launch the VLC media player to see if the issue persists.

15. Reinstallation and Updating Windows VC Runtime Files Using AIO Packages

Suppose all the methods given above didn’t work out for you. In that case, you can try removing every Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package, cleaning the residual files from the Windows system, and performing reinstallation using the AIO VC Redist package. Follow the steps given below to do so:

• Open the Run dialog box using the shortcut keys: Win key + R
• Type appwiz.cpl inside the Run box and press Enter.

• From the list of installed applications, find all the Microsoft Visual C++ xxxx Redistributable Files, right–click on each of them and click on Uninstall. (xxxx = VC Redistributable release year)
• After uninstalling each of them, you must clean up the WinSxS Component Store.

• Open the Start Menu context window using the Windows key + X shortcut keys.
• Click on Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).

• In the terminal window, type the following command, and press Enter to execute: Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
• Wait for the completion of the process, and restart your computer.

• On the next boot, head to the VC Redistributable AIO Download Link and click on the Download button at the top-left corner.
• Unzip the zip file to a separate folder, and open the folder after extracting.

• Right-click on install_all.bat and select the Run as administrator option.
• Wait for a few minutes until the automatic installation process is over.
• Restart your computer and see if the error code 0xc000007b persists.

Wrapping Up

If the above fixes didn’t work out for you, you could try reinstalling Windows as a last measure toward solving the error. Even while we recommend that you attempt a repair installation first, if it doesn’t work for you, you may always obtain the latest ISO from the official website and proceed with a clean installation.