How to fix
“The application was unable to start correctly (0xc000007b)“ Error
on Windows

I‘m using Windows 10 x64. When I try to run random apps on my PC, for example Microsoft Word, Celestia, Adobe Reader, VLC Player and others, I get the error message "The application was unable to start correctly (0xc000007b). Click OK to close the application."

I have upgraded the system to Creators Update a couple of weeks ago and everything went smooth up until today. Could someone please help?

"The application was unable to start correctly" with an Error Code 0xc000007b is a Windows OS bug, which usually occurs right or soon after upgrading the system to the newer version. Although it has been registered on earlier Windows versions (7, 8, and 8.1), the vast majority of PCs hit by this error are running Windows 10.

The Error Code 0xc000007b is a rare issue on PCs running Anniversary Update, but Creators Update is prone to return this bug check when trying to launch random system's apps. 

There are many reasons why the Application Error 0xc000007b may occur. If the problem affected only one application on the system, it might be that the application has been corrupted and needs to be reinstalled.

However, usually the bug quarantines more than one legitimate application and, therefore, prevents the PC‘s owner from using various services. In this case, the culprit may be missing or corrupted .NET framework 3.5[ref en-1] or Visual C++ Redistributable Packages.[ref en-2] 

Although Microsoft hasn‘t yet provided the patch, it‘s advisable to fix "The application was unable to start correctly (0xc000007b)" by reinstalling the affected app, .NET framework 3.5 or Visual C++ Redistributable Package. Thorough instructions can be found down below:

Solution #1. Reinstall corrupted application to fix "The application was unable to start correctly" error

If the error affected only one app on your PC, then this method should work. Try to launch the app using Administrative privileges.[ref en-3] If that doesn‘t help, reinstall the malfunctioning app.

1. Right-click on the app that gives the 0xc000007b error.
2. Select Properties and open Compatibility tab.
3. Mark the Run this program as an administrator and click OK.

   

4. After that, try to launch the app. If the attempt ended up with a failure, right-click on Windows key.
5. Select Control Panel and open Programs and Features.
6. Locate the problematic app, click on it, and select Uninstall.

   

7. Then find the reliable download source for the neede app and install it. Check if that helped to fix Application Error 0xc000007b.

Solution #2. Reinstall Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

If you cannot open many apps due to the "The application was unable to start correctly" error, it might be that the Microsoft .NET framework is missing, corrupted or outdated. Windows 8 and 10 contains this framework by default and it cannot be removed or modified in any way.

However, if it has been damaged or corrupted due to some major system‘s changes, it may be fixed by installing the latest Windows updates or running a scan with an optimization utility like [d1]. To install updates, press Windows key + I, select Update & Security and click Check for Updates. Once the list of available updates is prepared, click Install Updates button.

If you are encountering the 0xc000007b error on Windows 7, try to reinstall the .NET framework manually:

1. Open Control Panel and select Programs and Features.
2. Click on Microsoft .NET items and select Uninstall/Change.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the items completely.
4. Finally, navigate to the Microsoft .NET Framework download website and reinstall the framework manually.

   

Solution #3. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

1. Right-click on Windows key and select Control Panel.
2. Open Programs and Features section and remove all Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable items.
3. Then navigate to the official Microsoft‘s website and install Visual C++ Redistributable Package manually.