6 Ways to Fix Runtime Errors on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Such errors can also occur due to a buggy or outdated Windows build, so ensure to install any pending software updates.
• In most cases, repairing or reinstalling Microsoft Visual C++ packages should fix the runtime error.
• If nothing else works, you may have to perform a system restore.

Fix 1: Run SFC and DISM Scans

Damaged or corrupted system files on your PC can often result in runtime errors. Fortunately, Windows includes a couple of tools—SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management)—that can help you easily repair those system files. Here’s how to run them.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.

Step 2: In the console, run the following command and press Enter:

sfc /scannow

Step 3: Run the following commands one by one and press Enter after each one to run the DISM scan.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Restart your PC after the scan is complete and check if the issue persists.

Fix 2: Repair or Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

Problems with the Visual C++ Redistributable packages on your PC can also give rise to runtime errors on Windows 11. You can try repairing those packages to see if that helps.

Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar, type control panel, and press Enter.

Step 2: Use the drop-down menu at the top right to change the view type to large or small icons. Then, go to Programs and Features.

Step 3: Select the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package and click Change. Repeat this process to repair all the packages.

Step 4: Hit the Repair button and wait for the process to complete.

If repairing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages does not help, try reinstalling them on your PC.

Remove all the old, unwanted C++ packages. Then, head over to Microsoft’s website to download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages. Double-click the setup file and follow the on-screen prompts to finish the installation. Following this, runtime errors should no longer appear on Windows 11.

Fix 3: Update or Reinstall Graphics Driver

Outdated graphics drivers on your PC can also result in such issues. You can try updating those drivers from the Device Manager to see if that fixes runtime errors on Windows 11.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Device Manager from the list.

Step 2: Click the tiny arrow on the left of the Display adapters to expand it. Then, right-click on your graphics driver and select Update driver.

Follow the on-screen prompts to finish updating the driver. If the error persists, uninstall the driver using Device Manager. After that, restart your PC, and Windows will reinstall the missing driver during boot.

Fix 4: Reinstall the Program Causing the Runtime Error

Are you facing runtime errors accompanied by abnormal program termination messages when trying to launch a specific program? This issue might stem from an improper installation. You can try uninstalling that program and installing it again to see if that helps.

To uninstall a program, press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter. Select the program you want to remove and click Uninstall. Then, follow the on-screen prompts to uninstall the program.

Reinstall the program and check if you still encounter the runtime error.

Fix 5: Clear File Explorer Cache

Another way to fix the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime error on Windows 11 is to clear the File Explorer cache. Several users in a Microsoft community post reported fixing the issue almost instantly with this method.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type the following path in the box and press Enter.

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Step 2: In the File Explorer window, select all the files and folders and click the trash icon at the top to delete them.

Fix 6: Perform System Restore

If nothing else works, consider performing a system restore. This will allow you to undo any recent changes and revert Windows to its earlier state before the runtime errors start appearing.

Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar. Type create a restore point, and select the first result.

Step 2: Under the System Protection tab, click the System Restore button.

Step 3: Click Next.

Step 4: Select the restore point before the error first occurred. Then, hit Next.

Step 5: Click Finish.