How to fix Application error 0xc0150004 in Windows?

Error 0xc0150004 means a program asked Windows for a shared component, a side-by-side assembly, that is not installed, so Windows stopped it before its window opened. Most often it is an old Visual C++ 2005 or 2008 runtime. The SideBySide error in Event Viewer names the missing assembly, so read it first.

Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What Application error 0xc0150004 means

The window says: The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0150004). Click OK to close the application. This sentence is Windows' general text for a program that fails while it is being started, and the code in brackets is the real reason. Selecting OK closes the window and the program.

Many desktop programs carry a manifest, either inside the .exe file or as a separate file next to it. It names the shared assemblies the program needs, each with a name, a version and a processor type. Windows looks for each one in a fixed order, and 0xc0150004 is the answer when every place comes up empty.

• The code: 0xC0150004 is STATUS_SXS_ASSEMBLY_NOT_FOUND. Microsoft's text: the referenced assembly is not installed on your system.
• The facility: 0x015, FACILITY_SXS_ERROR_CODE, the side-by-side part of Windows. Every code that starts with 0xC015 comes from it.
• What it does not tell you: which assembly is missing. The error window never shows the name; the event log does (Fix 1).
• What it is not: a hardware fault, a driver problem or a sign of a virus. It is one program that cannot find one part.

Why programs fail with error 0xc0150004

The assembly is missing for one of four reasons. What happened on the PC just before the error started usually tells you which one.

How to fix Application error 0xc0150004

Fix 1 takes five minutes and tells you which of the others you need. Fix 2 solves most cases. Fix 3 is for several programs broken by a clean-up, Fix 4 for one program with a damaged folder. Fixes 5 to 7 are for when the event says too little or Windows itself is missing parts.

Fix 1. Find the missing assembly in the SideBySide error in Event Viewer

5 minutesNo riskEveryone, before any other fix.

When the search for an assembly fails, Windows writes an error with the source SideBySide to the Application log. It holds what the error window leaves out: the full path of the program and the exact assembly, version and processor type that could not be found.

1. Note the file name in the title bar of the error window, such as editor.exe - Application Error, then select OK.
2. Right-click Start and select Event Viewer.
3. In the left pane expand Windows Logs and select Application.
4. In the right pane select Filter Current Log, tick SideBySide under Event sources and select OK.
5. Open the newest Error from the minute the program failed and stay on the General tab.
6. Find the words Dependent Assembly and write down the name after them, plus processorArchitecture and version.

A typical entry for this code reads like the one below. Here the program needs the 32-bit Visual C++ 2008 runtime.

Activation context generation failed for "C:\Program Files (x86)\Example\editor.exe".
Dependent Assembly Microsoft.VC90.CRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",version="9.0.21022.8" could not be found.
Please use sxstrace.exe for detailed diagnosis.

Fix 2. Install the Visual C++ 2005 or 2008 SP1 package the event names

10 to 15 minutesLow riskThe Dependent Assembly starts with Microsoft.VC80. (Visual C++ 2005) or Microsoft.VC90. (Visual C++ 2008), such as CRT, MFC or ATL.

These assemblies reach WinSxS only through the Visual C++ 2005 or 2008 Redistributable. Microsoft says the packages for 2013 and earlier stay installed side by side, so the current 2017 to 2026 package does not stand in for them. The package must also match the program's processor type.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and type Visual C++ in the search box.
2. Check whether an entry for 2005 or 2008 with the processor type from the event (x86 or x64) is listed.
3. Open Microsoft Learn's page Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable latest supported downloads and scroll to Unsupported legacy versions.
4. For 2008, download vcredist_x86.exe (version 9.0.30729.5677) and, on 64-bit Windows, vcredist_x64.exe as well.
5. For 2005, follow the link to the Visual C++ 2005 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package MFC Security Update and get the x86 and x64 files.
6. Run each file and finish the setup. If that year is already installed and the installer offers Repair, choose it.
7. Restart the PC and start the program that failed.

Repairing every installed Visual C++ year and .NET Framework, step by step: How to repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable and .NET Framework.

Fix 3. Undo the clean-up that removed shared runtimes with System Restore

20 to 40 minutesRead the warningSeveral programs began to fail with 0xc0150004 on the same day, right after a PC cleaner, a runtime clean-up or the removal of many programs.

System Restore returns installed programs to the state of the restore point, and programs removed after it may come back. That puts the deleted Visual C++ packages back into WinSxS for every program at once, without hunting for each year.

1. Press Win + R, type rstrui.exe and press Enter.
2. Choose a restore point from before the day the programs started to fail and select Scan for affected programs.
3. In the list of programs that might be restored, look for Microsoft Visual C++ entries. Their presence confirms the cause.
4. Close the scan, select Next, then Finish, and let Windows restart.
5. Sign in and start the programs that failed.

From the recovery screen, or to make a restore point first: Undo recent changes with System Restore.

Fix 4. Reinstall the program whose own copy of the assembly is missing

10 to 20 minutesRead the warningOnly one program fails, the Visual C++ year it needs is installed, or the event names an assembly with the program's or its maker's name.

Microsoft's search order shows that after WinSxS, Windows looks in the program's folder for a manifest named after the assembly, then in a subfolder of that name. If those files were lost, the program fails even on a PC that has every runtime. A fresh install writes them back.

1. Right-click the program's shortcut and select Open file location.
2. Look for a .manifest file or a subfolder with the assembly name from Fix 1. Its absence confirms the cause.
3. Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Protection history and check whether a file from this folder was quarantined. Do not restore it unchecked; reinstall instead.
4. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the three dots next to the program and choose Uninstall.
5. Restart the PC.
6. Download the newest version from the maker or the store you bought it from, install it and start it.

More ways to remove a program, including Control Panel: Uninstall a program or app in Windows.

Fix 5. Trace the start with sxstrace when the event names nothing

10 minutesNo riskThere is no SideBySide error for the program, the error has no Dependent Assembly line, or you installed the runtime and the program still fails.

The event text even ends with "Please use sxstrace.exe for detailed diagnosis". The tool is part of Windows and records every step of the assembly search, so it shows the reference Windows could not resolve.

1. Select Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, select Run as administrator and then Yes.
2. Run sxstrace trace -logfile:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\sxs.etl and leave the window open.
3. Start the program that fails and close the 0xc0150004 window with OK.
4. Go back to Command Prompt and follow its prompt to stop the trace.
5. Run sxstrace parse -logfile:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\sxs.etl -outfile:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\sxs.txt.
6. Open sxs.txt from the desktop in Notepad and search for ERROR. The line usually reads Cannot resolve reference, followed by the assembly name, version and processor type.

sxstrace trace -logfile:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\sxs.etl
sxstrace parse -logfile:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\sxs.etl -outfile:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\sxs.txt

Fix 6. Repair Windows' own assemblies with DISM and SFC

20 to 30 minutesNo riskThe missing name starts with Microsoft.Windows., Windows' own tools fail with 0xc0150004 too, or Fixes 2 to 5 did not help.

Assemblies that ship with Windows live in the component store, C:\Windows\WinSxS, and no Visual C++ package replaces them. DISM repairs the store, by default from Windows Update, and SFC then restores protected system files from it.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Fix 7. Repair-install Windows and keep your apps and files

1 to 2 hoursRead the warningWindows' own assemblies are still missing after Fix 6, or many programs fail and nothing above helped.

A repair install writes a fresh copy of Windows, including its component store, over the current one. Your apps, files and settings stay, and so do the Visual C++ packages you installed.

1. Open Recovery in Settings. Open Settings > System > Recovery. Next to Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now. This keeps your apps, files and settings.

   

2. Start the reinstall. Choose whether the PC may restart on its own 15 minutes after the installation, then select OK.
3. Wait and restart. Windows Update downloads and installs a repair copy of your current Windows version. Keep the PC plugged in and online, and restart it when asked.

These steps were written for Windows 11 22H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reinstall Windows without losing files

On Windows 10, the same repair runs from Microsoft's Windows 10 setup: start the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's download page, choose Upgrade this PC now, and keep personal files and apps when asked.

If 0xc0150004 still appears

If one program still fails after Fixes 2 and 4, its installer does not deliver the assembly its manifest asks for. Microsoft's own download page tells people fixing an app this way to contact the app's maker, who can say which runtime that version needs.

1. Copy the newest SideBySide error text from Event Viewer (Fix 1).
2. Add the sxs.txt file from Fix 5.
3. Press Win + R, run winver and copy the version and OS build.
4. Send all three to the program's support and ask which Visual C++ package and processor type it needs.

• A name with Debug in it, such as Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT, means the program was built in a developer test mode. We could not find a public Microsoft package for these; only the maker can ship a fixed build.
• A work or school PC may block installing runtimes. Ask your IT department instead of working around it.
• Disk or Ntfs errors in Windows Logs > System point to a failing drive that can damage the component store again. Check it with Check a disk for errors (chkdsk) and back up your files.
• A different message: if a program shows code 0xc0150002 or says its side-by-side configuration is incorrect, see our guide to error 0xc0150002.

How to keep error 0xc0150004 from coming back

This code returns when shared runtimes disappear. They rarely disappear on their own: a clean-up, a reset or a copied program is usually behind it.

Frequently asked questions

What is Application error 0xc0150004?

It is Windows telling you that a program needs a side-by-side assembly that is not installed. In Microsoft's NTSTATUS list the code is STATUS_SXS_ASSEMBLY_NOT_FOUND. The program's manifest names a shared part, Windows could not find it in WinSxS or in the program's folder, and so the program was stopped before it opened. The name of the missing part is in the SideBySide error in Event Viewer.

Why do several of my programs show 0xc0150004 at the same time?

Because they share the missing part. Programs built with the same Visual C++ 2005 or 2008 tools all load the same runtime from WinSxS, so when it goes, all of them fail with the same code. A PC cleaner, a manual clean-up of Visual C++ entries or a Windows reset is the usual trigger. Check that two of the SideBySide errors name the same assembly, then install it once or restore to before the clean-up.

Will installing the latest Visual C++ Redistributable fix 0xc0150004?

Usually not. The current package covers programs built with Visual Studio 2017 to 2026, while 0xc0150004 programs most often ask for Microsoft.VC80 or Microsoft.VC90, the 2005 and 2008 runtimes. Microsoft says packages for 2013 and earlier remain installed side by side, so each year is a separate install. Install the year the event names, in the processor type it names, from Microsoft's legacy versions section.

What about "unable to start correctly 0xc0150001"?

0xc0150001 is STATUS_SXS_SECTION_NOT_FOUND: the requested section is not present in the activation context. It comes from the same side-by-side part of Windows and shows the same kind of window. The way in is the same: read the SideBySide event or run sxstrace to see what the program could not resolve, then install the runtime it names or reinstall the program.

Can I copy the missing files from another PC?

No. A side-by-side assembly is more than a DLL: it is registered in WinSxS with its manifest, version, processor type and signature, and Windows checks all of them. Files copied by hand into WinSxS or next to the program usually do not match, and DLL download sites add the risk of malware. The Visual C++ package from Microsoft, or the program's own installer, puts every file in the right place.

Is 0xc0150004 a virus?

No. The code is a loading failure, not a security warning. A virus is worth checking for in two cases only: the program path in the event is in a Temp or AppData folder you never installed anything into, or Protection history shows that Microsoft Defender quarantined a file from the program's folder. In the second case reinstall the program from its maker rather than restoring the file.

Do the Store Apps troubleshooter, Windows Update or a clean boot help?

Rarely, and none of them is the fix for this code. The Store Apps troubleshooter checks Microsoft Store apps, while 0xc0150004 hits desktop programs. A clean boot stops background programs but installs nothing. Windows Update does not install the Visual C++ 2005 or 2008 runtime; it matters only as the source DISM uses to repair Windows' own assemblies in Fix 6.

I did everything and it still does not work. What now?

Look at what the event or trace names after the last fix, because the name often changes. A new name means you fixed one part and the program needs another; install that one too. The same name after a correct install, in the right processor type, means the program's installer is at fault. Send its maker the SideBySide error, the sxstrace file and your Windows build, as described above.

I searched in another language. Is this the right page?

Yes, if the window shows 0xc0150004. Searches such as "bagaimana mengatasinya", "mit csináljak?" or "masih error juga" ask how to fix the error or say it is still there. The code is the same in every Windows language, and Event Viewer shows the SideBySide source and assembly names in English on every system, so the steps here work unchanged.