Exception processing message 0xc0000135

“Exception processing message 0xc0000135” errors are caused by missing Visual C++ files on your system.

Visual C++ is a “library” package, distributed by Microsoft to help standardize the development process for a large number of different functions within Windows. There are several versions, and some errors are simply due to the lack of a particular version on your system.

Almost every popular application for the Windows platform uses a version of VC++, and it is obvious that the game/application you are trying to run has the same requirement.

Unfortunately, there are a number of common problems with VC++ that prevent it from working as required. These include everything from your PC not having the correct version installed, to several of your DLL files missing.

To make sure this problem doesn’t persist, you need to make sure that your system has all the necessary files to run, and that the game or application can load them properly.

Causes

Although the bug is often blamed on BattlEye, or a number of other “third party” packages, the real problem exists in how a particular game will link to use a particular VC++ package.

Microsoft distributes VC++ “redistributable” packages as stand-alone software, which means you can install or uninstall them as needed.

Because of this, they are often damaged

• Particular Visual C++ Redistributable Packages that are not present on your system
• VC++ package not installed correctly
• The game cannot access the necessary VC++ files
• Admin access required
• Windows cannot access certain settings etc.
• The antivirus could be blocking access to various subsystems

The error will usually display with the following error messages:

Exception processing message 0xc0000135

0xc0000135 – STATUS_DLL_NOT_FOUND

The core of the problem is that the application you are using does not have access to a particular “DLL” (Dynamic Link Library) file.

These files are used to provide standardized functionality in Windows and are used by almost every application you can use on the platform.

Your game may not be able to read one of the many “DLL” files implemented by the various Visual C++ packages.

The solution is to ensure that VC++ is properly installed.

Solution

The way to fix the problem is to make sure your application has full access to the file it requires:

1. Reinstall the faulty app

The first step is to completely reinstall the faulty app.

In the case of a game, this also means any associated software that has been added (such as a launcher, etc.).

• In Windows 7, click “Start” > “Control Panel” > “Add or Remove Programs”
• In Windows 10, right-click the “Start” button > select “Apps & Features”

• scroll down the list
• Select the app causing problems
• Select “Uninstall”
• follow the process
• Reboot your system

This will completely remove the software from the system; after reboot, it should reinstall the software.

To do this, the best strategy is to download a new version of the software from the Internet before trying to install it again.

2. Reinstall the VC++ packages

After trying to reinstall the software, you should be looking for any of the VC++ packages on your system.

As mentioned, the main problem with this error is that a VC++ package will not have the necessary files to run; this can be resolved by reinstalling any version of VC++ on your system.

To do this, you must follow these steps:

• In Windows 7, click “Start” > “Control Panel” > “Add or Remove Programs”
• In Windows 10, right-click the “Start” button and select “Apps & Features”

• Scroll down to “Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable”
• There should be some variants.
• You have to take note of the year Y architecture of each CV++
• For example, “VC++ Redistributable 2012 x64”

• Log in to your favorite search engine and search for “Visual C++ Downloads”
• Click on a page from Microsoft titled “Latest Visual C++ Supported Downloads”
• Scroll down to each “year” you have installed
• Download the redistributables based on the architecture you listed
• Save them to your hard drive and then run each one
• After installing them, reboot your system

The installation process should allow you to determine exactly if any of the VC++ packages have been damaged or corrupted (often overwritten).

If this does not resolve the issue, you should try targeting the specific DLL file that is missing.

3. Replace faulty/missing DLL

This is the real crux of the problem: your system is missing a DLL file.

To fix this, you must first discern which file is missing, and then find a replacement:

• Download an app called “DependencyWalker” (you can find it through search)
• Save it to your system and run it.
• load it up
• From the UI, find the “open” icon (top left) and click on it
• Locate the EXE of the application showing the error
• From the left sidebar, see all the DLLs used by the app
• There should be one of them highlighted in red – write it down

• If you can identify the file that the application requires, go to the Internet
• Find the file
• Find any website that specializes in sharing backup DLL files (DLLLe is pretty good)
• Download the file to your system

• If the file passes your antivirus scans etc, go to C:/Windows/System32
• Put the file there
• Press “Windows” + “R” keys
• Type “CMD” and press “Enter”
• Type “regsrv32 ____.dll” (inserting the name of the new DLL file you got)
• Wait for the process to complete and start your application again

While this is the most effective solution (if the first two steps didn’t work), most people have problems with DependencyWalker. Since it is a professional tool, you may need some help to make it work.

4. Registry Repair

This is not essential, but it sets a precedent, especially if you rely on your system for work/business.

The “registry” is a database within Windows that stores all the settings for your system. One of the settings it maintains is a list of DLL files (for easy access).

It can often happen that programs overwrite the list of DLL files, add wrong lists or just cause problems.

You can use a “registry cleaner” to fix this problem.

However, you should be careful because “registry cleaner” tools have been heavily promoted by unscrupulous vendors.

The only tool worth using at the time of writing is “CCleaner”, which is totally free and has been downloaded over a billion times:

• If you want to try using a registry repair tool, download your preferred option
• Once saved, upload it to your system
• Let it analyze all the possible errors/problems in the system
• Clean any of the errors it finds

Obviously this is not expected to properly resolve errors, but it should at least ensure the integrity of the underlying system.

If you still see the error, it means there is a deeper problem with Windows or your game/application.

Typical issues here stem from permissions or perhaps another piece of software blocking installation/access to required files. If this is the case, you’ll need to talk to someone with specific knowledge of your system, and that can only come from people with access to the actual applications you’re trying to run. The best communities for this include Reddit, Microsoft Answers, and SuperUser.

If you need more support, or are experiencing the problem on a business computer, you may want to get support from someone who provides solutions professionally. Fiverr has some good providers that can do this type of work (you will pay a fee). In any case, the best way to get the most out of the system.