If, after installing a Windows update on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer, you receive a 0xc0000142 Blue Screen error during boot up, some of the suggestions in this post are likely to help you.
0xC0000142: DLL Initialization Failure
When you encounter this issue, you’ll receive the following full error message;
Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. You can restart.
If you’d like to know more, you can search online later for this error: 0xc0000142
Fix 0xc0000142 Blue Screen error on Windows PC
If you’re facing this issue, you can try our recommended solutions below, in no particular order, and see if they help resolve the issue.
- Restart computer
- Run the Blue Screen Online Troubleshooter
- Uninstall problematic Update
- Disable Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG)
- Perform System Restore
- Perform Startup Repair.
Let’s look at the description of the process involved in each of the listed solutions.
If you can log in normally, good; else, you will have to boot into Safe Mode, enter the Advanced Startup options screen, or use the Installation Media to boot to be able to carry out these instructions.
1] Restart the computer
As indicated on the BSOD prompt, a simple restart can boot your system into a workable normal state.
2] Run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter
The next logical step to take in resolving this 0xc0000142 Blue Screen error if restarting fails to fix the issue is to run the Blue Screen Troubleshooter and see if that helps.
3] Uninstall problematic Update
Since you encountered this issue after a recent Windows update, you can uninstall the problematic update and then hide that update.
4] Disable Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG)
Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG) is a Windows security mitigation which is a part of Exploit Protection, that prevents applications from generating or modifying executable code at runtime. Disable it via Windows Security > Exploit settings and see if it helps.
5] Perform System Restore
If you’ve noticed that the error started to occur recently, it’s entirely possible that the issue was triggered by a change your system has undergone recently.
This solution requires you to restore your system to an earlier point. This will restore your system to an earlier point when it was working correctly.
6] Perform Startup Repair
This solution requires you to perform Startup Repair, which will most likely resolve the issue, as the BSOD error occurs during startup and prevents your device from fully booting to the desktop.
Any of these solutions should work for you!
How do I fix a blue screen after Windows Update?
If you see a blue screen after installing a Windows Update, the update has likely caused a problem with your system. You can try restarting your computer, booting into Safe Mode, and uninstalling any recent Windows updates or drivers. If nothing else works, you can choose to restore your PC to an older date using System Restore. Since you are getting BSOD, you will need to use a bootable media to boot into Advanced Options and then recover the PC.
Does Blue Screen of Death cause damage to files on Windows PC?
While the Blue Screen of Death can be a frustrating experience, it does not typically cause damage to your files. However, if the error is caused by a hardware problem, such as a failing hard drive, it is possible that your files could be damaged. It is always a good idea to back up your important files regularly to protect against potential data loss.
Similar error code: Error 0xc0000142, The application was unable to start correctly in Windows 11.
