The operating system installed on the computer has a high degree of reliability and stability in operation. However, sometimes there are situations when some components or applications come into conflict with each other and do not allow the correct launch of programs, games or computer services. The reasons for conflicts can be different, from mismatching drivers to using “pirated” copies of applications. It should be borne in mind that we are not talking about one-time failures, but about constant errors that occur on different devices and have received their own code name. Let’s consider one of them (error 0xc000007b), familiar to many gamers.
Content
- 1What does the error mean when starting the application 0xc000007b
- 2Reasons for error
- 3What to do
- 1Checking for viruses
- 2Installing and Updating Microsoft Component Libraries
- 3Correct installation of the program
- 4Updating Drivers
- 5Scan for sfc / scannow applications
- 6System Recovery
- 7Cleaning the registry
- 8Installing Direct X
- 4What to do to prevent the error from appearing again
What does the error mean when starting the application 0xc000007b
Error 0xc000007b occurs when launching applications (most often games), when the game does not start, and instead a system message appears on the screen.
If you see such a message, do not panic or give up, it is a mistake to simply eliminate
The codename for this error is INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT, but the problem is not just a failure in image processing. The very design of the error that has occurred indicates problems with the elements of the operating system. It turns out that different drivers are involved, subroutines that conflict with each other and do not allow the application to start in normal mode.
Reasons for the error
The video card driver may be to blame for the appearance of the “error when starting the application 0xc000007b” sign. This happens most often with NVidia cards, but often a similar situation occurs with other cards. Sometimes the reason for the failure is the absence of any system files, but most often the problem is created by unnecessary elements that appeared as a result of any user actions or system updates. The following reasons for the error have been identified:
- incorrect installation or failure of video card drivers;
- interrupted Windows 10 update;
- failure to install Windows 10;
- the appearance of errors in the registry, due to the incorrect removal of games or programs (we did not use the standard uninstallation methods, but deleted the entire folder with files from “Program Files”);
- incorrect or emergency shutdown of the PC;
- virus infection of system elements;
- damaged boot controller driver;
- “Pirated” copy of the application downloaded from questionable sources.
The number of possible reasons is large and does not allow to unambiguously indicate the culprit of such a failure.
What to do
There is no simple and suitable methodology for correcting the situation that has arisen. We have to try different options, for someone they are successful, someone has to use other methods. If the attempt is unsuccessful, you should not worry – it will not harm your computer. Consider possible ways to fix
Virus check
This option is usually recommended for all such failures, as viruses often manifest themselves in this way. It is necessary to run a computer scan for possible threats, for which an anti-virus program must be installed. If it is not there, you need to purchase or download a free version, of which there are quite a few. Removing viruses will help eliminate the problem that has arisen, as well as get rid of many other troubles, existing or possible in the future. Alternatively, you can use the specialized applications Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool or Dr.Web CureIt !. They are distributed free of charge and are very effective at finding threats that are sometimes missed by the anti-virus programs installed on your computer.
Installing and Updating Microsoft Component Libraries
You need to download and install the new Microsoft Visual C ++ package, which is used by most modern games and applications. It also requires the installation of the latest version of the NET Framework, the platform on which almost all fresh applications run. Installing or updating Microsoft Component Libraries is one of the most effective ways to resolve error 0xc000007b problems in most cases. The programs are provided free of charge, the user is only required to download and install the corresponding version. You can find distributions on the official Microsoft website.
Correct installation of the program
Perhaps the error lies in the application itself, which was installed incorrectly. First of all, you need to use the official, licensed version of the program, and not a dubious copy from torrents or file sharing. In addition, during the installation, some hardware problems, power surges and other undesirable events could occur that affected the quality of the application. It is necessary to completely remove the problematic application using standard Windows tools or specialized programs (for example, CCleaner or the like). Then restart your computer and reinstall the official version of the program, carefully following the installation progress. Sometimes the reasons for the problems that arise lie in an incorrectly checked box or an incorrectly specified installation path.
Attention! Some applications require the entire installation path to be only Latin letters. The presence of the Cyrillic alphabet in the folder names can cause a crash on startup.
Updating Drivers
It is recommended to install the latest video card drivers. This is especially true for NVidia cards. The newer the game or other application, the more likely it is that the old drivers are not capable of starting correctly, as a result of which the user receives the error 0xc000007b. The correct way is to download new drivers on the official website of the company. In some cases, the opposite action is required – the error appears after installing updates. Usually, in such situations, the issue is resolved by installing the drivers that come with the video card upon purchase (or together with a set of drivers for the computer, if the card was not purchased separately). Thus, one of three actions must be performed:
- update;
- reinstallation;
- rollback to the previous version.
Driver updates are displayed in Standard Windows Update, where you can check for availability and the date they were installed.
In Windows Update, you can check the version of the drivers installed on your PC and update them if necessary
You can open it by following the path: Start menu – All Programs – Windows Update.
Scan sfc / scannow applications
It is possible to scan system files using native Windows tools. A full scan of all files is performed and the identification of changed or damaged elements. Scanning is started from the command line using the sfc / scannow command.
- In Windows 10, the Command Prompt is invoked by right-clicking on the Start button. For Windows 7, the command line is called from the “Start” – “Run” menu – in the window that opens, enter cmd and click “OK”.Command Prompt helps you solve many problems with your computer
- In the command line that opens, enter sfc / scannow and press “Enter” on the keyboard. The process of scanning and attempts to restore system files will begin, which takes several minutes. The command prompt window will display information about the current state of the procedure.
This is what the system file checker process looks like when launched from the command line.
- After the operation is completed, a message about the end of scanning will appear in the command line window.
The scan result will be displayed on the command line
- Restart your computer and check if the error has disappeared as a result of the operation performed, or you need to try another way to solve the problem.
System Restore
One of the possible reasons for the error 0xc000007b may be changes in system files that occurred when downloading updates, installing conflicting applications or other user actions. The operating system provides the ability to roll back a state to one of the previous restore points. We must try to remember when the message “Error while starting the application 0xc000007b” appeared and return the system state to that moment.
- In Windows 7, select “Control Panel” from the “Start” menu, then “All Control Panel Items”, where select “Recovery”. In Windows 10, you need to follow the sequence: “Start” – “Settings” – “Update and Security” – “Recovery” – “Start”.Do not neglect the function of creating restore points on your computer
- After completing the required actions, the computer will reboot, and during system boot, it will rollback to the previous working state.
Cleaning the registry
The registry is a kind of database that contains information about the settings of programs, hardware, presets and user profiles. Any changes to the system, installation or removal of applications, rollback of the system to its previous state and other actions are always displayed in the registry settings. In some cases, the registry keeps out of date or distorted settings, resulting in crashes or refusals to perform various operations. The appearance of error 0xc000007b is also possible.
You can use the Auslogics Registry Cleaner to clean up the registry.
Auslogics Registry Cleaner is a very useful utility for scanning and cleaning the registry
It is distributed free of charge, takes up only 12 MB, and performs scanning and cleaning the registry. It takes about a minute. In addition, you can at the same time check the state of the system for temporary or unnecessary files, unused items, etc. This will not help fix the error, but it will not hurt to check the system once again.
Installing Direct X
Direct X is a set of communication tools, functions, and software solutions used by Microsoft Windows to enable applications to run. The package is actively used for games, its absence will prevent the application from starting and can be indicated by the computer as error 0xc000007b. You can find out which version of DirectX is installed on your computer by typing dxdiag in the Start menu search box and pressing Enter. The “DirectX Diagnostic Tool” window will open, where the version installed on the computer is listed on the first page “System” at the bottom. If not, you can download it on the official Microsoft website. After launching the distribution kit, the installed version of the system will be automatically determined, under which all the necessary libraries will be installed.
What to do to prevent the error from appearing again
No one can give a full guarantee that the error 0xc000007b will never occur again. Changes in system files that occurred when downloading updates, installing new applications, and other actions can create conditions for the problem to reappear. As a preventive measure, you can recommend not to use “pirated” copies of applications, especially games. You also need to take a close look at the system itself. Various assemblies made by unknown craftsmen create fertile ground for system crashes and failures. Installing the official, licensed version will help to avoid most of the possible problems. You should limit yourself in using dubious applications downloaded from file hosting or torrent trackers, where no one is responsible for the quality of the software and there is a possibility of infection with various viruses.
If the error 0xc000007b occurs, this indicates a system problem or a conflict between installed applications. No universal way to remedy the situation has been found, any of the described methods can help out. To solve the problem, you will have to consistently apply all the options until a positive result is achieved.
