Fix error 0xc000012f on Windows 10 [STEP-BY-STEP]
- Error 0xc000012f may appear on some Windows 10 computers with the message "Bad Image". It usually happens when you try to run a certain software on the device.
- When installing something like Microsoft Office, these programs depend on others such as Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable files. If the system can't find them, it will return the error 0xc000012f. Install the files to fix it.
- Keep your device in top shape by having your Windows updated. Make sure to fix windows update errors if anything bad happens in the process.
- Remember that the best place to visit in case of problems is our terrific Windows 10 errors hub compiled to cover a great deal of issues.
Error 0xc000012f may appear on some Windows 10 computers with the message “Bad Image“. The error message reappears multiple time even after the user clicks on “OK”. This can be quite annoying.
This error usually appears when the image file that is being used is not of the right format. There are several solutions you could try to fix this error. Some of them have been listed below.
Steps to fix error 0xc000012f on Windows 10
Solution 1 – Run sfc/scannow
This is the simplest solution you could try to resolve error code 0xc000012f. Simply run the “sfc /scannow” command to conduct an automatic system repair. Follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key to open Start and in the search bar type “Command Prompt”.
2. In the search results, right-click on Command Prompt, and select “Run as administrator”. Click Allow when prompted.
3. In Command Prompt, type in “sfc /scannow” and hit Enter.
4. Wait for the verification to reach 100%. Once the process is complete, restart the computer.
If this didn’t resolve the issue, move on to the next solution.
If you’re having trouble accessing Command Prompt as an admin, then you better take a closer look on this guide.
scannow command has stopped before the process finished? Don’t worry, we’ve got an easy fix for you.
Solution 2 – Uninstall updates
You should try reverting all recent updates, to see if the issue arose from one of them. Follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key to open Start and in the search bar type “Update”. Select & open Update & Security.
2. In the Update & security window, select Windows Update.
3. Click on Advanced Options > Update history. You will get a list of all the updates that were installed successfully and those that failed to install successfully. Usually these are the roots of the error.
4. Click on “Uninstall an update”. You will be taken to the Uninstall an update window. (Just to be sure) Right-click on the first installed update on the list and click uninstall. Confirm your decision & follow the on-screen instructions.
5. Restart the computer and see if this fixed your issue. If not, repeat the steps for every installed update on the list, until the issue is resolved.
Solution 3 – Install Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015
For some users, installing the latest version of Microsoft’s Visual Studio Redistributable will resolve error code 0xc000012f. You can find the latest version at Microsoft’s official website.
Select the appropriate version (32-bit or 64-bit) and proceed on with the download.
Once the download is complete, open the installation file and follow the on-screen instructions. Once the installation is complete, check to see if error code 0xc000012f persists.
Hopefully, your issue was resolved. If not, move onto solution 4.
Solution 4 – Check for new updates
Microsoft frequently releases small and big updates for Windows 10, and with them patches that fix errors such as the error code 0xc000012f. Follow these steps to check for updates:
1. Click the Windows key and in the search bar type “Update settings”. Select it from the search settings.
2. In the Windows Update dialogue, click on “Check for updates”.
3. This will send an update request to the Microsoft servers, and if any new updates are available, you will be notified.
Once the new updates are installed, error code 0xc000012f will most likely be resolved. If this didn’t work for you, move on to the next solution.
Your Windows search box is missing? Get it back in just a couple of easy steps. Also, if your Windows key isn’t working, take a look at this amazing guide that will help you deal with the problem.
Having trouble updating your Windows? Check out this guide that will help you solve them in no time.
Solution 5 – Perform a clean boot
Performing a clean boot can be useful in identifying the cause behind error code 0xc000012f. Usually, the problem stems from some third party application, or startup processes.
Disabling all start up processes and then re-enabling them one at a time can help pin point the source of the error. Follow these steps:
1. Click on Start, and in the search bar, type “msconfig”
2. From the search results, select “System Configuration”.
3. Open the Services tab.
4. Check the “Hide all Microsoft services” check box. Next click the “Disable all” button.
5. Next, open the Startup tab. Click the “Open Task Manager” button. Alternatively press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys.
6. Open the Startup tab in Task Manager. Right-click on all start-up items and click on “Disable” to disable them.
6. Close Task Manager.
7. Click the OK button on the Startup tab of the System Configuration window, to save the changes.
If you want to know how to add or remove startup apps on Windows 10, check out this simple guide.
Can’t open Task Manager? Don’t worry, we’ve got the right solution for you.
Once the process is complete, restart the computer. See if the error persists. If not, start each application/services one at a time. As soon as the problem reappears, you will have identified the culprit.
If none of these solutions worked for you, try contacting Microsoft Support.
If you have other suggestions or questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below and we’ll surely take a look.
FAQ: Learn more about Windows errors
- What is a bad image error?
When the error BAD IMAGE shows it usually means that some necessary files are missing. Sometimes those files are dependencies of other programs or sometimes it is the software itself. Reinstalling usually takes care of the dependency problem. Running a sfc /scannow command also helped other users.
- How do I fix error 0xc000012f?
Depending on the main cause of the error, you can fix it by following one of the steps in this article. Install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable files is a common fix as well as scanning your hard-drive and performing an automatic system repair.
- How do I fix LocalBridge exe error?
In order to fix error 0xc000012f, which can come with the words BAD IMAGE and LocalBridge.exe associated, all there needs to be done is to run Disk Cleanup on the drive that has your operating system installed. Usually it is the C: drive.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been since updated in April 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
