“Runtime error” appears when launching various applications, including video games, or at random times when running Windows. The error is not exclusive to any one version of Windows – it occurs on everything from Windows XP to the latest Windows 10 builds. In today’s article, we will tell you what causes “Runtime error” and how to get rid of it.
Reasons for the appearance of “Runtime error”
Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine the exact cause of this error: the user must go through the available solutions until one of them fixes the problem. Nevertheless, let’s still take a look at the list, so to speak, “suspects”. Here’s what can cause a “Runtime error” error to appear:
- missing or damaged system components;
- conflict of the launched application with a third-party program/service;
- corrupted files of the launched application;
- the presence of Cyrillic in the location of the application’s executable file;
- “Crooked” installation of Visual Studio C++ and .NET Framework libraries or their absence.
Solving the “Runtime error” error
Decision No. 1 Elimination of the Cyrillic alphabet
The “Runtime error” error can occur when launching those programs and games that contain Cyrillic characters in their location. For example, this error can be encountered if the application being launched is located along the path C:Users[ИМЯ АККАУНТА НА РУССКОМ]Downloads[КОРНЕВАЯ ПАПКА ПРИЛОЖЕНИЯ]. Get rid of the Russian language on the way to the application and try launching it again.
Solution #2 Change the language of non-Unicode programs
The “Runtime error” error may occur if the locale settings for non-Unicode applications are set to Russian instead of English.
- Press WIN + R and execute the value “CONTROL”;
- click on the item “Change date, time and number formats” in the “Clock and region” section;
- go to the “Advanced” tab in the “Region” window that appears;
- click on the “Change system language …” button;
- in the drop-down menu, select “English (United States)” and save the changes;
- restart your PC.
Run the problematic application to check for an error.
Solution #3 Reinstall Visual Studio C++ and .NET Framework
Incorrectly installed (or missing from the system) Microsoft Visual Studio C++ and .NET Framework Redistributable Libraries can cause a “Runtime error” to appear. To reinstall these libraries, you need to do the following:
- call the Control Panel in front of you, as shown above;
- click on “Uninstall a program” in the “Programs” section;
- find all versions of Visual Studio C++ in the list of programs and uninstall them;
- go to Microsoft official website and download the required VS C++ installers;
- do the same with the various versions of the .NET Framework on your PC;
- go back to the “Programs and Features” window and click on “Turn Windows features on or off”;
- make sure all versions of the .NET Framework are checked;
- close all open windows and restart your PC.
Solution #4 Uninstalling Recently Installed Programs
Certain programs may conflict with applications on your computer. Did the “Runtime error” error start appearing almost immediately after installing some program or game? Remove it, restart your PC and try launching the application you need again. Perhaps this time no error will appear. You can uninstall programs in Programs and Features (shown above ↑).
Solution #5 Restoring System Files
Corrupted system files are a potential reason behind the “Runtime error” error. Fortunately, Windows has a special utility whose task is to restore system files. To put this utility to work, you need to do the following on your PC:
- right-click on the Start menu and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” (PowerShell will work too);
- write the command “SFC /SCANNOW” in the console and press ENTER;
- wait for the end of scanning and restoring system files;
- restart your computer.
The “Runtime error” error will almost certainly disappear from your PC, especially if SFC was able to find and repair corrupted system files.