How to fix error 0xc000012f on Windows 10 [STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE]

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.

If you want the latest and greatest, download Visual C++ Redistributable 2019 without any additional packages.

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.

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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.

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