220-1102 Software Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that a Windows 10 application crashes immediately with the error 'The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142)'. The technician has already reinstalled the application, updated Windows, and run System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool (DISM) with no issues. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to compatibility mode or clean boot as generic troubleshooting steps, but the specific error code 0xc0000142 points directly to a DLL initialization failure, making runtime dependency repair the targeted next step.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Check for missing or corrupted Visual C++ Redistributable packages.
Error 0xc0000142 typically indicates a failure during application initialization, often due to missing or corrupted Visual C++ Redistributable runtime libraries. Since the technician has already reinstalled the app, updated Windows, and verified system file integrity with SFC and DISM, the next logical step is to check the Visual C++ Redistributables, as many Windows applications depend on these specific runtime components to load correctly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run the application in compatibility mode for a previous version of Windows.
Why it's wrong here
Compatibility mode alters the operating system version that Windows reports to the application, which can address older programs that check for a specific OS version before launching. However, the 0xc0000142 error is not an OS-version check failure; the process starts but a required DLL fails to initialize. Compatibility mode does not install or repair the missing Visual C++ runtime libraries, so it cannot resolve the underlying dependency fault.
- ✗
Perform a clean boot to identify a software conflict.
Why it's wrong here
A clean boot disables all non-Microsoft startup items and services to determine whether a background process is interfering with the application. While this is a valid diagnostic step for application conflicts, the 0xc0000142 error specifically indicates that a required DLL could not initialize, not that another process is blocking it. Even in a clean environment, the application will still fail if the Visual C++ Redistributable package is missing or corrupted, so clean boot does not address the root cause.
- ✓
Check for missing or corrupted Visual C++ Redistributable packages.
Why this is correct
The error 0xc0000142 translates to 'DLL initialization failed' and is commonly caused by missing or corrupted Visual C++ Redistributable packages, which provide essential runtime components like msvcp140.dll and vcruntime140.dll. If the required version (e.g., 2015-2022) is absent, damaged, or has both x86 and x64 variants mismatched, the application cannot load those dependencies at startup. Repairing or reinstalling the appropriate Visual C++ Redistributable from Microsoft's official download page restores the needed DLLs and typically resolves the error.
- ✗
Use System Restore to revert the computer to an earlier state.
Why it's wrong here
System Restore reverts system files and registry settings to a prior snapshot, but error 0xc0000142 typically indicates a corrupted application dependency—such as a missing Visual C++ runtime or a damaged DLL in the application’s own folder—that a system-level restore point may not repair if the dependency was never correctly installed at that snapshot. It is tempting because System Restore is designed to undo recent system changes that cause instability, and it would be correct if the error followed a driver update or registry modification, not a persistent application-specific dependency fault.
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Key term
Windows 10
Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft that combines the familiarity of Windows 7 with the modern features of Windows 8, designed to run on a wide range of devices from desktops to tablets.
Key term
Integrity
Integrity is the assurance that data has not been altered or tampered with in an unauthorized way, preserving its accuracy and consistency from source to destination.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1102 exam.