High
Operating Systems
✓ Solution Verified by Community (0+ upvotes)
How to fix error 0xc0000142 in Windows 11
Application failed to initialize properly. DLL initialization failure.
Fix based on community reports and expert analysis. Last verified: 2026-08-12
· How we verify fixes
| Error Code | 0xc0000142 |
|---|---|
| Affected System | Windows 11 (Microsoft) |
| Difficulty | High |
| Estimated Time | 45 min |
| Requires Admin Rights | ⚠️ Yes |
| Requires Reboot | 🔄 Yes |
Solution Steps
- 1 Press Windows key + R, type 'sysdm.cpl', and press Enter. Go to the 'Advanced' tab, under 'Performance' click 'Settings'. In the new window, go to the 'Data Execution Prevention' tab. Select 'Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only' and click Apply. DEP prevents malicious code from running in memory, but sometimes it blocks legitimate programs. This step ensures DEP isn't interfering.
- 2 Press Windows key + X and select 'Windows Terminal (Admin)'. Type 'sfc /scannow' and press Enter. This checks for corrupted system files, including DLLs. Wait for it to finish. If it finds issues, it will repair them. This is the most common fix for DLL initialization errors.
- 3 If SFC doesn't help, run DISM. In the same terminal, type 'DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth' and press Enter. This repairs the system image, which can fix DLL issues at a deeper level.
- 4 Re-register the problematic DLL. If you know which DLL is failing (check Event Viewer), open an admin command prompt and type 'regsvr32 [path to DLL]' (e.g., 'regsvr32 C:\Windows\System32\example.dll'). This updates the DLL's registration in the Windows registry, which can fix initialization issues.
- 5 Check for missing Visual C++ Redistributables. Many programs depend on these. Go to the Microsoft website and download the latest 'Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio' packages (both x86 and x64). Install them and restart your PC. This ensures all required runtime components are present.
- 6 If the error occurs with a specific program, reinstall it. Uninstall via Settings → Apps → Installed apps, then download the latest version from the official site and install it. This replaces any corrupted DLLs that came with the program.
- 7 Perform a clean boot to rule out software conflicts. Press Win+R, type 'msconfig', and press Enter. In the 'Services' tab, check 'Hide all Microsoft services' and click 'Disable all'. In the 'Startup' tab, open Task Manager and disable all startup items. Restart. If the error disappears, re-enable services one by one to find the culprit.
Alternative Solutions
Method 2 (0 upvotes)
- Press Win+R, type 'sysdm.cpl', and press Enter. Go to the 'System Protection' tab, select your system drive, and click 'Create'. Name the restore point and click Create. This creates a backup of your system settings so you can revert if something goes wrong.
- Run the System File Checker. Press Win+X and select 'Terminal (Admin)'. Type 'sfc /scannow' and press Enter. This scans and repairs corrupted system files, including DLLs.
- Run DISM to repair the system image. In the same terminal, type 'DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth' and press Enter. This fixes deeper corruption that SFC might miss.
- Reinstall the application that's failing. Uninstall it via Settings → Apps → Installed apps, then download the latest version from the official website and install it. This replaces any missing or corrupted DLLs specific to that app.
- Install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables. Go to Microsoft's website and download the latest 'vc_redist.x64.exe' and 'vc_redist.x86.exe'. Run both. Many programs rely on these DLLs.
- Check for malware. Run a full scan with Windows Defender (Settings → Privacy & Security → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Full scan). Malware can corrupt DLLs.
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