5 Fixes for “Application Was Unable to Start Correctly (0xc0000142)” Error for Office Apps

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Run the Office App as Administrator

Lack of relevant permissions can prevent Office apps from accessing essential files, triggering the “The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142)” error on Windows. You can try opening your Office apps with administrative privileges to avoid this.

Right-click on the Office app you want to use, such as Word or Outlook, and selectRun as administratorfrom the resulting menu.

Fix 2: Run the Office Repair Tool

Microsoft provides a dedicated tool for fixing common issues with Office apps on your PC. Several users on aMicrosoft Community postreported fixing the 0xc0000142 error for Outlook almost instantly by running this tool. You can also give it a go.

Step 1:Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Typeappwiz.cplin the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:In the Programs and Features window, select the Microsoft Office product on the list and click theChangebutton at the top.

Step 3:Select theOnline Repairoption and click theRepairbutton to continue.

Fix 3: Start or Restart the Office Software Protection Platform and Click-to-Run Service

The “Office Software Protection Platform” service on Windows ensures that you’re using a genuine Office product. Another background service, “Microsoft Office Click-to-Run,” helps manage the installation and provides relevant updates to Microsoft’s Office suite of apps.

If either of these services is not running on your PC, Office apps like Word, Excel, andOutlook may not openand display errors. Here’s how to fix that.

Step 1:Click the search icon on the taskbar, typeServicesand pressEnter.

Step 2:Locate theMicrosoft Office Click-to-Run Serviceon the list. Right-click on it and selectStart. If it is already running, selectRestart.

Similarly, start or restart the “Office Software Protection Platform” service as well. Note that this service won’t appear on your PC if you’re on a newer version of Office that doesn’t require this service. In that case, you don’t need to worry about it.

Fix 4: Re-Register the DLL Files

Corrupt or inaccessible DLL files on your PC can also give rise to “The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142)” error on Windows. To fix this, you can try re-registering all the DLL files using these steps:

Step 1:Right-click on theStart iconand selectTerminal (Admin)from the list.

Step 2:Type the following command in the console and pressEnter.

Wait for the process to complete and then check if the issue is still there.

Fix 5: Reinstall Microsoft Office

Another reason why Office apps may fail to open and display the 0xc0000142 error is if some core files are corrupt or missing. In that case, your best option is to uninstall Microsoft Office from your PC and then reinstall it.

Step 1:Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Typeappwiz.cplin the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:In the Programs and Features window, select the Microsoft Office product from the list and click theUninstallbutton at the top.

Follow the on-screen prompts to finish removing the Office suite from your PC. Then, use the following link todownload and install Microsoft Office.

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Last updated on 15 August, 2024

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