How to Fix Boot Error 0xC00000E5 on Windows

By ErrorFix · Updated October 16, 2026 · 7 min read

What error 0xC00000E5 means

You double-click a program, and instead of opening it, Windows shows a small dialog: the application was unable to start correctly, with the code 0xc00000e5. Despite the scary hex string, the meaning is simple — Windows began initializing the program and the process died before it could draw a single window. The program is not necessarily broken. More often, something on the system interfered with the launch sequence: a security product that hooks into new processes, a set of corrupted system libraries, or a damaged install of the app itself.

The clue that separates this error from similar ones is which programs are affected. If the error only appears for one application, the damage is almost certainly inside that app's files — reinstalling it fixes the problem most of the time. If it appears for several unrelated programs, the problem sits deeper: corrupted Windows system files, a malware infection that damaged shared components, or an overzealous antivirus. The fixes below are ordered by how often each cause turns out to be the real one, so work through them top to bottom and stop when the program launches.

Common causes

• Third-party antivirus blocking the app: AVG and Comodo are the best-known offenders — their shields can stop a program from initializing, and Windows reports the failure as 0xc00000e5.
• Corrupted Windows system files: damaged shared libraries that programs need at startup make the initialization step fail for one or several apps.
• Malware damage: infections that alter or replace system and program files can leave apps unable to start even after the malware is removed.
• Damaged program installation: a broken update, an interrupted install, or corrupted app data files leave the program unable to get past its own startup.
• Data Execution Prevention (DEP) conflicts: this Windows security feature occasionally flags a legitimate program's startup behavior and blocks it from running.

How to fix error 0xC00000E5 — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. The antivirus check in step 2 is the quickest win; the system-file repairs in step 5 cover the deeper causes.

1. Identify exactly when the error appears. Write down which program triggers the 0xc00000e5 dialog and whether it happens when you double-click the program's own shortcut, when a background service starts with Windows, or right after login. If it only hits one program, the problem is probably that program's files or how your security software treats it. If it hits several programs, suspect system files or a deep antivirus conflict. This single observation decides which of the fixes below actually matters for you, so do not skip it.
2. Temporarily disable third-party antivirus and test. This error is famously linked to AVG and Comodo security products, which can block an application from initializing. Open your antivirus, find its protection toggle, and switch it off for about ten minutes. Try launching the program that showed the error. If it starts normally, you have found the culprit. Re-enable your antivirus right away — leaving it off is not the fix. The real fix is adding the program to the antivirus exclusion list, which is the next step.
3. Add the program to your antivirus exclusions. Excluding the app stops the scanner from interfering with it while keeping your protection on. In Windows Security, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection, click Manage settings, scroll to Exclusions, choose Add or remove exclusions, and add the program's executable file and its install folder. In AVG or Comodo, open Settings and look for Exceptions, Exclusions, or the File Shield ignore list, then add the same executable. Restart the app and confirm the error is gone.
4. Run a full malware scan. Malware can replace or damage the system files a program needs at startup, which surfaces as error 0xc00000e5. Run a full scan with Windows Security (Virus & threat protection > Scan options > Full scan) or your preferred security tool, and let it remove anything it finds. If threats were cleaned up, restart the PC before testing the program again, because the cleanup itself can require a reboot to finish replacing damaged files.
5. Repair Windows system files with SFC and DISM. Corrupted system files are another classic cause of this error. Press Win + X and choose Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin). Type sfc /scannow and press Enter, then wait for the scan to finish — it can take 15 to 20 minutes. Restart, and if the error is still there, go back to the admin terminal and run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, which downloads clean copies of damaged files from Windows Update. Restart once more after DISM finishes and test the program.
6. Uninstall and reinstall the affected program. If only one application throws the error, its own files may be damaged beyond what system repairs can fix. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find the program, uninstall it, and restart the PC. Then download a fresh installer from the official website — do not reuse the old installer file, which may itself be corrupted — and install it. This replaces any broken libraries and registry entries the program needs at startup.
7. Turn off DEP for the program or use System Restore. Data Execution Prevention is a Windows security feature that occasionally blocks a legitimate program from starting. Press Win + I to open Settings, go to System > About, and click Advanced system settings. Under Performance, click Settings, open the Data Execution Prevention tab, and select Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select. Click Add, browse to the program's executable, and add it. If the error began after a recent change, System Restore is the faster path: search for Create a restore point, open System Restore, and pick a restore point from before the error started.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

• Third-party antivirus temporarily disabled and re-tested
• Program added to antivirus exclusions (or antivirus fully updated)
• Full malware scan clean
• sfc /scannow and DISM completed, program reinstalled from a fresh download

If the error still appears after all seven steps, the remaining suspects are a damaged user profile or a deeper Windows problem. Create a new local user account (Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account) and try the program there — if it works in the new profile, migrate your files over. As a last resort, use Reset this PC from Settings > System > Recovery, choosing Keep my files. Back up anything important before you reset, even with the keep-files option.