Error in MS Office "The application (0xc0000142) was unable to start properly."

For a number of functions, Windows users are likely to utilise one of the MS office software on a daily basis. However, numerous Windows users have recently reported receiving an error message claiming that the application was unable to start correctly with the error number 0xc0000142 while attempting to run any MS Office application.

The vast majority of Windows users are unable to resolve this problem just by restarting their computer. One of the factors listed below could be the root of the problem.

System files that have been corrupted
Admin rights are not required to launch the application.
Applications were not installed correctly.
Some DLL files are damaged or incorrectly registered.
Windows is not up to date.

If you're having a similar problem with your system, we've developed a list of possible solutions in this post, taking into account all of the aforementioned criteria.

Fix 1 – Repair Microsoft Office

If the user has previously made a mistake when using MS Office products, the most obvious solution is to fix MS Office on the system. So, using the simple procedures outlined below, let's see how to restore Microsoft Office.

Step 1: Go to the Installed apps page on the system by pressing the Windows key and typing installed apps.

Step 2: Then, click Installed apps system settings from the search results as shown in the below screenshot.

Step 3: On the Installed apps page, type Office in the search bar as shown.

Step 4: Then, click three vertical dots (Show more options) of Microsoft Office from the search results.

Step 5: Select Modify from the list.

NOTE: Click Yes on any UAC prompt to accept it to continue.

Step 6: In the Repair window, select the Quick Repair radio button and click Repair as shown below.

Step 7: It prompts whether you are ready to start the repair because till it completes, you are not allowed to use the office products.

Step 8: Click Repair to start the repair process.

Step 9: Immediately it starts repairing and please wait till it finishes.

Step 10: Once it is done repairing, click Close.

Step 11: Now launch any of the Office products to see if the problem has been resolved.

I hope this has resolved the issue.

Fix 2 – Re-Register the DLL files

Various DLL files are used by MS Office products to increase performance and improve the user experience. When these DLL files get corrupted or produce a problem, the products are affected in a variety of ways. As a result, it is preferable to re-register all DLL files using the command prompt, as detailed below.

Step 1: Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R keys together on the keyboard.

Step 2: Then, type cmd in the Run box and press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER keys together to open the command prompt as admin.

NOTE: Accept the UAC prompt by clicking Yes to proceed.

Step 3: In the Command Prompt, copy and paste the below command and hit Enter key to execute it.

"for %i in (%windir%\system32\*.dll) do regsvr32.exe /s %i"

Step 4: This might take a while so please wait till it finishes.

Step 5: Once it is done, close the command prompt.

Step 6: Now check if the problem still persists.

Hope this fixed the problem.

Fix 3 – Perform SFC Scan and DISM Health restore for Corrupted Files

When users unintentionally shut down the system without saving the open apps, any system file is damaged. These corrupted system files cause a slew of unexpected problems. So, whenever we see problems like the ones described above, we advise users to run an SFC scan and a DISM health restoration, both of which will detect corrupted data.

Let's have a look at how to execute an SFC scan and DISM health restore in a few easy steps.

Step 1: Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R keys together on the keyboard.

Step 2: Then, type cmd in the Run box and press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER keys together to open the command prompt as admin.

NOTE: Accept the UAC prompt by clicking Yes to proceed.

Step 3: In the Command Prompt, type sfc /scannow and hit the Enter key to start scanning for corrupted system files.

Step 4: Once done, copy and paste the below command to restore the system health using DISM as shown below.

"DISM /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth"

Step 5: Wait till it finishes.

Step 6: Once done, close the command prompt and check if the problem is solved.

That’s it.

Fix 4 – Windows should be updated.

Microsoft produces fresh builds and updates (either system or driver updates, for example) that improve the Windows operating system, and users who do not keep their systems updated are more likely to experience application difficulties.

As a result, it is preferable to maintain the Windows operating system up to date. The steps to upgrade the Windows system are listed below.

Step 1: Press Windows + I keys together on the keyboard to open the Settings app on your system.

Step 2: Go to Windows Update on the left menu of the Settings app window as shown below.

Step 3: On the right side of the Settings window, click the Check for updates button at the top right-most corner of the page as shown below.

Step 4: If you find any updates available, then download and install those updates.

Step 5: After the windows update, check if the issue still occurs or not.

Hope it fixed the issue.

Fix 5 – Restart ClickToRun Service

Microsoft introduced the ClickToRun service to help speed up the installation of Office components on the PC. It can also be used to update Office on any Windows-based PC. As a result, the user must ensure that the ClickToRun service on the system is not malfunctioning and is functioning normally.

To restart the ClickToRun service using Task Manager, follow the instructions outlined below.

Step 1: Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC keys together to open Task Manager on the system.

Step 2: Once the Task Manager opens up, click on the Services tab on the left menu as shown below.

Step 3: Then, locate the ClickToRun service from the list of services.

Step 4: Right-click on the ClickToRun service and select Restart from the context menu as shown below.

Step 5: Once it is restarted, close the task manager window.

Step 6: Check if Office products are launching properly.

Hope this solved the issue.

Fix 6 – Check to see if any other apps have altered the registry settings.

NOTE: Before you begin this patch, make sure you export the registry file so you can undo it at any moment. Otherwise, you risk further damage to the system.

Step 1: Press Windows + R keys to open the Run box and type regedit in the Run box and hit the Enter key.

Step 2: Accept the UAC prompt to continue by clicking Yes.

Step 3: This opens up the registry editor window.

Step 4: In the registry editor, copy and paste the below path in the empty address bar and hit Enter key.

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows"

Step 5: Once it reached the Windows registry key, on the right side double click on LoadAppInit_DLLs DWORD Value to open its properties window.

Step 6: In the Properties window, Enter 0 in the Value data field and click OK.

Step 7: Close the registry editor window.

That is all there is to it.

I hope you found this post to be useful and instructive. Please give your thoughts in the box below.

Thank you very much!