Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is a mouthful, but it’s also a new feature for modern GPUs that has numerous benefits but a few drawbacks. Let’s explain what this feature does and whether you should enable it.

What Does a GPU Do?

Before we can talk about advanced stuff like hardware scheduling, let’s also talk about GPUs. We cover this in detail in What Is a GPU, but in short, this is a specialized processor on your computer dedicated to rendering graphics.

Actually, that’s no longer quite accurate since GPUs now do all sorts of things beyond graphics, including AI, data decompression, and video editing acceleration. However, for this discussion, just think of the GPU as the microchip that allows high-performance graphics to appear on your screen. However, the GPU doesn’t do all the work itself. Other components in your computer all have their role, and that’s where your operating system comes into the picture.

Understanding Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Your operating system, in this case, Microsoft Windows, is the one that delegates tasks to your hardware. Traditionally, Windows used the CPU to perform the actual processing work of delegating tasks to hardware in the computer, which makes sense since the CPU is the main all-purpose processor for the whole computer.

This means that the CPU becomes part of the process of getting the GPU to draw graphics on the screen. But as with any chain, the weakest link can limit how well the entire thing works. If the CPU can’t delegate tasks to the GPU as fast as the GPU can handle, you get what’s called a “bottleneck.” In almost all cases, you want the GPU to be the performance bottleneck rather than the CPU, since we want the GPU to draw as many frames as it can.

With hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, the CPU is removed as the middleman, so the GPU handles its own scheduling. This means it’s more (but not entirely) independent of the CPU and won’t be held back where the traditional method would result in a CPU bottleneck.

The Benefits of Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

If you do turn on this feature, there are a few potential benefits that it can bring.

Reduced Latency

Latency is how long the graphics on your screen take to respond to your inputs or changes in the game world. The less latency there is, the sooner each new frame appears on the screen. By cutting the CPU out of the scheduling process, the total time it takes to render a frame is reduced, so the total latency should decrease. Will it go down by a noticeable amount? That will depend on the specific game and CPU you’re using.

Better Efficiency

When running code and executing tasks on hardware, there are varying levels of efficiency to achieve a goal. Emulation, for example, is highly inefficient since you’re simulating an entirely different computer system to run software that’s not meant for the computer you’re using. The ideal situation is often referred to as “bare metal” or “close to the metal,” where a piece of hardware runs as close to its ideal situation as possible.

One potential advantage of hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is that the GPU can run at its full potential with less overhead or influence from other components in your system.

Better Responsiveness and Consistency

Offloading scheduling from the CPU to the GPU can also make the whole system more responsive, preventing heavy graphics tasks from bogging down the CPU causing latency spikes and uneven frame delivery. Sometimes, even though the frame rate seems high, the CPU struggles to juggle everything, leading to uneven time gaps between each frame. So, you still get a weird jerky sensation that can be hard to nail down.

The Downside of Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Since this feature is still relatively new, having only been introduced in Windows in 2020, not all combinations of hardware, drivers, and applications will work well. For example, we’ve recently enjoyed playing Robocop: Rogue City, but the game suffered from frequent crashes on our PC. After much troubleshooting, it turned out that disabling hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling made the games 100% stable, and we could play it with ease.

Random instability is the main issue you’ll likely face with this feature. We’ve been playing numerous video games, both old and new, with the feature turned on, and the aforementioned Robocop game was the only time it’s ever made a difference, but everyone’s PC is unique. So, if you are struggling with instability, try turning the feature off to see if it makes a difference.

As mentioned above, if your PC wasn’t highly CPU-limited already, hardware-accelerated scheduling likely won’t make much of a difference anyway, but there is one potential sacrifice. New GPUs now have a “frame generation” feature where the GPU creates interpolated frames between the traditionally rendered frames. This is essentially the same thing as the “soap opera effect” motion smoothing feature TVs have had for ages. However, this technology on PC looks far better and doesn’t have the latency impact that “dumb” motion smoothing introduces.

Frame generation is perfect for CPU-limited games since it bypasses the CPU completely. However, as you’ve probably guessed by now, it relies on the hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling feature. However, if you don’t care about frame generation, you might as well turn the feature off.

Minimum Requirements for Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Before we even worry about turning this feature on or off, you should confirm whether your computer can use it. These are the minimum requirements:

• An NVIDIA 1000-series or AMD 5600 series or later. As of this writing, Intel Arc cards do not support the feature.
  
• Window 10 version 2004 or later, or Windows 11
  
• The latest GPU driver for whichever GPU you have.
  

The feature was activated by default on our Windows 11 system with an RTX 4060 NVIDIA GPU, but we’ll show you how to check and toggle acceleration next.

How To Turn Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling On or Off

Turning this feature on or off is pretty simple, but you’ll likely need a reboot every time you toggle the option. Here’s how to do it in Windows:

1. Navigate to the Windows Settings, then System, and select Display.

2. Scroll down and click on Graphics

3. Under Default Settings select Change default graphics settings

4. Look for the Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling option and toggle it on or off.

After flipping the toggle and rebooting your computer, your settings will take effect, and either you’ll get the advantages of having this feature on or resolve any problems it may have been causing.

Should You Enable Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling?

In our experience, hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is a stable feature that rarely causes any problems. If you have inexplicable stability problems in games or 3D graphics apps, it only takes a few minutes to disable it in order to rule it out as the issue.
You can benchmark your favorite games and apps with the feature switched off and on, to see if it makes a substantial difference and then base your decision on that. However, current and future games will benefit more from this feature than older titles, as they become more CPU reliant with complex systems and simulations within the game. While this feature won’t make a huge difference by itself, it all adds up when combined with other modern GPU features such as asynchronous computing, mesh shading, variable rate shaders, and frame generation.

Frame generation is the big one, and this feature is most impactful on lower-end GPUs such as the RTX 4060. You want access to this feature in newer games, and if you turn hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling off, you’ll lose the option altogether.

In short, we recommend leaving this feature on unless it’s causing problems.

The post What Is Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling in Windows (And Should You Turn It On)? first appeared on Help Desk Geek.

When you import data into Microsoft Excel or have more than one person working on a sheet, you can easily end up with messy data. This data can have extra spaces at the beginning, end, or middle of a cell’s content.

We’ll show you how to remove spaces from an Excel cell so you can clean up your data. With a few different methods to do so, you can use whichever is most appropriate at the time.

Remove Leading, Trailing, and Extra Spaces

One method for removing spaces in Excel is using the TRIM function. With it, you can eliminate leading, trailing, and spaces in the middle of text with a single formula.

The syntax for the formula is TRIM(text) where you can enter the cell reference or actual text for the argument. Keep in mind that this function only removes extra spaces, not single spaces between text, and uses a separate cell for the result.

Choose the cell where you want to enter the formula and receive the result. For example, we pick cell B1 to trim the text in cell A1.

Enter the following formula replacing the cell reference with your own. For our example, we type the following:

=TRIM(A1)

Use Enter or Return to apply the formula and see your result.

As you can see, the TRIM function removed the extra spaces at the beginning, in the middle, and then at the end of the text in cell A1.

Substitute Spaces

Another way to eliminate extra spaces in Excel is to use the SUBSTITUTE function. This function lets you substitute existing spaces with a different number of spaces or an empty string, but also requires the results in a separate location.

The syntax is SUBSTITUTE(text, old, new, instance) where only the first three arguments are required, and you can use a cell reference or actual text for the first argument. Optionally, you can use the instance argument if you only want to substitute certain occurrences.

Choose the cell to enter the formula and receive the result. As an example, we pick cell B1 to substitute spaces in cell A1’s content.

Using this formula, you can substitute two spaces for one space. Within the first set of quotes, enter two spaces. In the second set of quotes, enter one space.

=SUBSTITUTE(A1,” “,” “)

When you use Enter or Return to apply the formula, you’ll see your updated content.

If you want to replace spaces with a blank string instead, simply leave the second set of quotes empty as follows:

=SUBSTITUTE(A1,” “,”“)

Find and Replace Spaces

While the above functions do a great job at eliminating extra spaces, you may not want to use separate cells for your updated content. In this case, you can use the Find and Replace feature in Excel.

With Find and Replace, you’ll enter the number of spaces you want to both remove and replace, can apply it to selected cells or the whole sheet, and receive the results directly in the data-filled cells.

To apply the change to a particular cell or range, be sure to select it. Otherwise, the tool finds and replaces all spaces in the spreadsheet.

1. Go to the Home tab, open the Find & Select menu in the Editing section, and pick Replace.
   

2. When the box opens, enter the number of spaces you want to remove in the Find what field.
   

3. Next, enter the number of spaces to replace those with in the Replace with field. To completely remove the spaces, leave the Replace with field blank as shown below.
   

4. Choose one of the following:
   
5. To replace all spaces without seeing the cells first, select Replace All.
   
6. To review the cells before replacing the spaces, select Find All and then Replace All when you’re ready.
   

7. You’ll see the number of replacements made, can select Close in the Find and Replace box, and should then see your data without the spaces you entered.
   

Eliminate Spaces Using Power Query

One more way to remove spaces in Excel is with Power Query. This is ideal if you’re already using Power Query to import or transform your data or just want to remove beginning and ending spaces.

Note: Different from the TRIM function mentioned earlier, this Trim feature only removes leading and trailing spaces, not those in the middle.

If you don’t have Power Query open yet, select your data and go to the Data tab.

1. Choose From Table/Range in the Get & Transform Data group.
   

2. Confirm your data range for the table in the pop-up box, optionally mark the box if your data has headers, and select OK.
   

3. With your data in Power Query, select the columns to update if you have more than one. You can do this by holding Ctrl as you choose each one.
   

4. Go to the Transform tab, open the Format menu in the Text Column group, and pick Trim.
   

5. You’ll see your data update to remove all leading and trailing spaces.
   

6. To use the data immediately, head to the Home tab, open the Close & Load menu, and pick one of the following:
   
7. Close & Load To: Choose the location for the updated data.
   
8. Close & Load: Place the data in a new tab in your existing sheet.
   

You can then format, move, and convert the data from a table to a cell range depending on your needs.

With various ways to get rid of spaces that you don’t need in Excel, you can quickly and easily clean up your data regardless of where the spaces are located.

Now that you know how to remove spaces from an Excel cell, look at how to eliminate duplicate rows in Excel too.

The post How to Remove Unwanted Spaces from Excel Spreadsheets first appeared on Help Desk Geek.

If you’ve received a 0x80070002 error while installing a Windows update, there are ways to get around this problem. This issue occurs for various reasons, including incorrect date and time settings and a faulty Windows Update feature. We’ll show you how to resolve the problem on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.

Other reasons you get the above error are that your internet connection isn’t working, the downloaded update files are corrupted, Windows’ system files are damaged, a third-party app is causing interference, and more.

Check Your PC’s Date and Time Settings

Sometimes, Windows fails to install an update because your PC’s date and time settings are incorrect. In this case, make your PC use the automatic date and time settings. Here’s how.

1. Right-click the clock in the bottom-right corner and select Adjust date and time (Windows 11) or Adjust date/time (Windows 10).
   
2. Turn on both Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically options.

Restart the Windows Update Services

It’s possible a background service related to Windows Update feature isn’t running as expected, causing the updates to fail to install. In this case, restart the services related to Windows Update and see if that resolves your problem.

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R.
   
2. Type the following command in the box and press Enter:
   services.msc
   
3. Find and right-click the service named Windows Update and select Restart.

4. Right-click the Background Intelligent Transfer Service service and choose Restart.
   
5. Close the Services window and update your PC.
   

Restart Your Windows PC

If restarting services didn’t fix your issue, give your Windows PC a reboot and see if that resolves the problem. Turning your system off and back on helps fix many minor glitches.

1. Open the Start menu by selecting the menu icon or pressing the Windows key.
   
2. Select the Power icon in the menu.
   
3. Choose Restart.

Run the Network Troubleshooter

If your internet connection isn’t working, that might be why Windows can’t install the available updates. In this case, restart your router and see if that fixes the issue. If the issue persists, use your PC’s built-in Network Adapter troubleshooter to find and fix network issues on your PC.

On Windows 11

1. Launch Settings by pressing Windows + I.
   
2. Select System in the left sidebar and Troubleshoot on the right pane.
   
3. Choose Other troubleshooters on the following page.
   
4. Select Run next to Network and Internet to launch the troubleshooting tool.

5. Wait for the tool to find and fix network problems.
   

On Windows 10

1. Open Settings using Windows + I.
   
2. Select Update & Security > Troubleshoot in Settings.
   
3. Select Additional troubleshooters on the right pane.
   
4. Choose Network Adapter and select Run the troubleshooter.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to fix your network issues.
   

Use the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Both Windows 11 and Windows 10 include a Windows Update troubleshooter that you can use to find and fix any issues related to your system updates. This tool finds the issues on its own and helps you fix those problems.

On Windows 11

1. Right-click the Start menu icon and select Settings.
   
2. Navigate to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters in Settings.
   
3. Select Run next to Windows Update to launch the troubleshooter.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions in the tool.
   

On Windows 10

1. Access Settings by right-clicking the Start menu icon and choosing Settings.
   
2. Navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters in Settings.
   
3. Select Windows Update and choose Run the troubleshooter.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions in the troubleshooter.
   

Delete the Windows Update Cache

Windows downloads the update files and then installs those files on your system. The downloaded update files may be corrupted, causing the updates to fail to install. In this case, clear that download cache and allow Windows to re-download the available updates.

1. Open Run by pressing Windows + R.
   
2. Type the following command in Run and press Enter:
   services.msc
   
3. Find Windows Update on the list, right-click the service, and select Stop. Keep the Services window open.
   
4. Open Run again using Windows + R, type the following path, and press Enter:
   C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\
   
5. Press Ctrl + A to select all files in the folder.
   
6. Right-click a selected file and choose Delete (a trash can icon).

7. Empty the Recycle Bin so the files are gone for good.
   
8. Return to the Services window, right-click Windows Update, and select Start.
   
9. Try to update your PC.
   

Repair Windows’ System Files

When Windows’ system files become damaged, you experience issues using various system features, including Windows Update. In this case, use the System File Checker (SFC) tool to find and fix the corrupted core files on your computer.

The SFC tool automatically finds the faulty files and replaces those files with working ones.

1. Open Run by pressing Windows + R, type CMD, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
   
2. Select Yes in the User Account Control Prompt.
   
3. Type the following command on the CMD window and press Enter:
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. Run the following command to start fixing your system’s damaged files:
   sfc /scannow
   
5. Update your PC.
   

Clean Boot Windows and Install the Update

If a third-party app is causing interference, clean boot your Windows PC and then install the update. Clean booting your system isolates any third-party items, allowing you to check if those items are the culprit.

1. Open Run by pressing Windows + R, type the following command, and press Enter:
   msconfig
   
2. Access the Services tab on the open window, enable the Hide all Microsoft services option, and choose Disable all.

3. Open the Startup tab and select Open Task Manager.
   
4. Right-click each app whose Status column displays Enabled and choose Disable. This prevents the installed apps from automatically running.

5. Close Task Manager, return to the System Configuration window, and select OK.
   
6. Restart your PC.
   
7. Try to update your system.
   

If your PC updates successfully in clean boot mode, you’ve likely installed malicious apps on your system. Remove those apps from Settings > Apps > Installed apps on Windows 11 and Settings > Apps on Windows 10.

Manually Download and Install the Update

If a specific update fails to install, you can manually download and install that update on your system. Microsoft has an online update repository from where you can download any update you want for your machine.

1. Find the faulty update name from Settings > Windows Update on Windows 11 and Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update on Windows 10. The update name should start with KB.
   
2. Launch a web browser and head to the Microsoft Update Catalog site.
   
3. Select the search box on the site, type the faulty update’s name, and press Enter.
   
4. Select Download next to your update and save the update to your PC.

5. Run the downloaded file to install the update.
   
6. Restart your PC after installing the update.
   

Fix the Error Preventing You From Installing Windows Updates

It’s crucial to keep your Windows PC up to date. If your updates fail to install and you get an error 0x80070002, the guide above is all you need to fix the problem. The guide covers solutions to fix the very items that can cause your update problem, allowing you to install all the available updates without a hiccup on your PC. Enjoy!

The post How to Resolve a Windows Update Install Error – 0x80070002 first appeared on Help Desk Geek.

Like any other application on Windows, Logitech G HUB can encounter issues such as random software bugs, malfunctioning background services, or corrupt installation files. Some of them can be severe enough to prevent it from opening.

This tutorial will show various techniques to troubleshoot and fix Logitech G HUB, allowing you to return to customizing your Logitech gaming hardware as you normally would.

Force-Quit Logitech G-HUB

It’s not unusual for Logitech G HUB to crash or hang randomly while launching. To fix that, you must fully quit any stuck background processes before reopening it.

The Windows Task Manager should help you forcibly shut down all Logitech G HUB processes quickly. Here’s how:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
   
2. Locate the LGHUB, G HUB, LGHUB Agent, and LGHUB Updater processes under the default Processes tab.
   
3. Highlight these processes and select End task.
   

4. Exit the Task Manager.
   
5. Re-open Logitech G HUB to see if it launches correctly.

Configure Logitech G HUB

If it’s only a matter of Logitech G HUB not opening alongside Windows at startup, just:

1. Open Logitech G HUB, select the icon with three stacked lines on the top left corner and choose Settings.
   
2. Switch to the App Settings tab (if it isn’t selected already).
   
3. Check the box next to Always Start After Logging In.
   

Restart Your Computer

If Logitech G HUB continues to fail to open, it’s a good idea to reboot Windows before moving on with the rest of the fixes. To do that, open the Start menu and select Power > Restart—if you see an Update and restart option, choose that instead.

Clear Temporary Files in Windows

Windows creates various forms of temporary data to speed things up, but these can corrupt and prevent applications from opening. Deleting all temp data could make a difference. Just:

1. Press Windows + R, type %temp% into the Run box, and select OK.
   
2. On the File Explorer window that shows up, delete every file and folder inside and restart Windows.
   

3. Open another Run box, visit the temp directory (type the command without the percent signs), and delete the items within.

Run Logitech G-HUB as Administrator

Running Logitech G HUB as an administrator, even temporarily, often resolves launch issues caused by insufficient permissions to files and system areas. To fix that:

1. Right-click the Logitech G HUB shortcut on the desktop or search for the app on the Start menu.
   
2. Select the Run as administrator option.
   
3. Select Yes on the User Account Control (UAC) dialog.
   

Configure the LGHUB Updater Service

Logitech G HUB relies on the LGHUB Updater Service to manage its application and driver updates. If it isn’t configured to run automatically in the background, it might cause issues with Logitech G HUB, potentially preventing it from opening. To fix that:

1. Open the Services app—press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   
2. Scroll down the list of services and right-click LGHUB Updater Service.
   
3. Select the option labeled Properties.
   
4. In the Startup type dropdown, select Automatic.
   
5. Select Apply, then OK.
   

Update Logitech G HUB

An outdated version of Logitech G HUB leads to compatibility issues in Windows, so it’s a good idea to update the application. To do that, you must be able to open Logitech G HUB, even briefly, since the only way to install updates is through the program’s user interface. If that’s possible:

1. Select the icon with three stacked lines on Logitech G HUB’s top-left corner and choose Settings.
   
2. Select the Check for Update option.
   
3. Select Install if there’s a pending update.
   

Update Windows to Its Latest Version

Keeping Windows up-to-date ensures compatibility with applications like Logitech G HUB. To update Windows:

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings.
   
2. Go to Windows Update and select Check for updates.
   
3. Select Download and install to apply all available updates.
   

Additionally, go to Advanced options > Optional updates and install all pending hardware driver updates from Microsoft.

Reinstall the Logitech Drivers

Corrupt Logitech hardware drivers are another reason preventing Logitech G HUB from working correctly. You can rule that out by reinstalling the relevant drivers.

Connect another mouse via Bluetooth or USB so you won’t encounter issues interfacing with the operating system, and then:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
   
2. Expand the Human Interface Devices, Keyboards, and Mice and other pointing devices sections.
   
3. Right-click a Logitech mouse or keyboard and select Uninstall device.
   

4. Check the box next to Attempt to remove the driver for this device and select Uninstall.
   
5. Remove the drivers for any other Logitech devices.
   
6. Exit the Device Manager, unplug all Logitech gaming devices from your PC, and restart Windows.
   
7. Reconnect the Logitech peripherals after logging back in.
   
8. Re-open the Device Manager and select Action > Scan for hardware changes on the menu bar—that prompts Windows to reinstall basic drivers for the Logitech devices.
   

9. Open the Logitech G HUB, and the application should auto-install additional Logitech drivers.
   

Remove and Reinstall Logitech G-HUB

If none of the above methods work, the Logitech G HUB installation is likely corrupt, so you must remove and reinstall the application on Windows. To do that:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Installed apps or Apps and Features.
   
2. Select Logitech G HUB within the list of programs and choose Uninstall.
   

3. Restart your PC.
   
4. Download the latest version of Logitech G HUB from the official Logitech website.
   
5. Visit your PC’s Downloads folder and double-click the lghub_installer.exe file.
   
6. Follow all onscreen instructions within the Logitech G HUB installer to install and set up the application.
   

Logitech G HUB Is Opening in Windows Again

We understand—it’s super-frustrating when Logitech G HUB stops opening, especially when you’re looking to quickly customize your Logitech gear before hopping into a gaming session. However, you stand a good chance of fixing the problem by following the troubleshooting steps above. From force-quitting Logitech G HUB to reinstalling drivers and the application itself, these instructions address many underlying problems.

If you’ve tried all the fixes and Logitech G HUB still isn’t working, it’s time to contact Logitech Support. They can provide additional solutions based on your PC’s hardware configuration.

The post Logitech G HUB Not Opening in Windows? How to Fix first appeared on Help Desk Geek.

When you get a Microsoft Visual C++ runtime error, you can’t launch your application or use your app’s features properly. Many items cause this issue on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC. We’ll show you how to fix the items causing this problem so you can resume your work with your installed apps.

Resolving a Visual C++ runtime error often requires following multiple troubleshooting methods. This is because the item causing the issue is often unclear; using multiple methods allows you to fix all the possible items causing the problem.

Update Your Graphics Card Drivers

If your graphics card drivers are outdated, that might be why you’re running into a runtime error. This usually happens when you launch a game on your PC.

You can fix that by updating your graphics card drivers using Windows Update on both Windows 11 and Windows 10 systems.

On Windows 11

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
   
2. Select Windows Update in the left sidebar.
   
3. Choose Advanced options on the right pane.
   
4. Select Optional updates.

5. Install all the available updates.
   

On Windows 10

1. Launch Settings using Windows + I.
   
2. Select Update & Security in Settings.
   
3. Choose Windows Update in the left sidebar.
   
4. Select View optional updates on the right pane.

5. Download and install the available updates.
   

If you still don’t have the latest drivers, manually download and install the latest drivers from your graphics card manufacturer’s website. For example, you can update Nvidia drivers as follows:

1. Launch a web browser on your PC and head to the Nvidia Driver Downloads site.
   
2. Select your specific graphics card model from the drop-down menus and choose Search.

3. Select Download on the following screen to download the latest drivers.
   
4. Run the downloaded file to install the latest drivers.
   

Turn Off the Compatibility Mode for Your App

If you use Windows’ compatibility mode to run your app, turn off the mode and see if that fixes your issue.

1. Right-click your app’s shortcut on your desktop and select Properties.
   
2. Access the Compatibility tab.
   
3. Turn off the Run this program in compatibility mode for option.

4. Select Apply followed by OK at the bottom.
   
5. Run your app.
   

If your app fails to launch because the app requires compatibility mode, use the app version compatible with your current operating system version. If this isn’t possible, use an alternate app on your PC.

Fix RAM Issues on Your Windows PC

Your PC’s RAM (Random Access Memory) sometimes causes issues with app launches. In this case, use a built-in Windows tool to find and fix memory issues.

1. Open the Start menu, find Windows Memory Diagnostic, and launch the tool.
   
2. Select Restart now and check for problems (recommended) to reboot your PC and run a memory issue scan.

3. Run your app when you’ve fixed the memory problems.
   

Clean Boot Your Windows PC

A third-party app installed on your system may be causing a runtime error. One way to verify that is to clean boot your Windows PC. Doing so only loads the essential files to run your system, allowing you to find if a third-party item is the culprit.

1. Open the Start menu, find System Configuration, and launch the tool.
   
2. Access the Services tab, enable the Hide all Microsoft services option, and select Disable all.

3. Open the Startup tab and select Open Task Manager.
   
4. Right-click each item whose Status column says Enabled and choose Disable. This ensures no apps automatically launch when you clean boot your PC.
   
5. Quit Task Manager and select OK on the System Configuration window.
   
6. Restart your PC.
   

If you don’t get a runtime error in clean boot mode, uninstall any suspicious apps on your PC.

Reinstall Your Application

Sometimes, an app fails to launch because the app itself is damaged. In this case, remove and reinstall the app to fix your problem.

On Windows 11

1. Launch Settings using Windows + I.
   
2. Select Apps > Installed apps in Settings.
   
3. Find your app on the list, select the three dots next to the app, and choose Uninstall.

4. Select Uninstall in the prompt.
   

On Windows 10

1. Open Settings with Windows + I.
   
2. Select Apps in Settings.
   
3. Select your app on the list, choose Uninstall, and select Uninstall.

After removing the app, re-download the app and run the installer to reinstall the app on your PC.

Repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

If your Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable packages are faulty, that might be why you have a runtime error. In this case, use the repair option to fix issues with your packages.

1. Access the Start menu, find Control Panel, and launch the utility.
   
2. Select Uninstall a program.
   
3. Find a Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package, select the package, and choose Change at the top.
   
4. Select Repair and follow the on-screen instructions.

Repeat the above steps for each package on the list to fix all your installed packages.

Uninstall and Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

If repairing the Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable packages didn’t fix your issue, remove and reinstall the packages to resolve the problem.

1. Open Control Panel on your PC.
   
2. Select Uninstall a program.
   
3. Select a Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package on the list and choose Uninstall at the top.
   
4. Select Uninstall on the window that opens.

5. Restart your PC.
   
6. Head to the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package site and download and install the latest packages on your system.
   

Repair Windows’ Corrupted System Files

If Windows’ core system files are corrupted, that might be why you’ve run into a runtime error. This is because your app can’t access the required files to run, resulting in an error.

In this case, use the built-in SFC (System File Checker) tool to find and fix the damaged system files.

1. Open the Start menu, locate Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
   
2. Choose Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
   
3. Type the following command on the CMD window and press Enter. This will download the required files to fix your system files.
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. Run the following command to begin repairing your system’s bad files:
   sfc /scannow
   
5. Restart your PC after fixing the bad files.
   

Resolve a Visual C++ Runtime Error and Launch Your Windows Apps Successfully

It’s frustrating when you can’t launch your favorite app and keep getting an error message. Luckily, your specific problem has various solutions, as outlined above. Once you follow these methods and resolve problems with the underlying items, your app will launch and let you perform all your intended tasks. Enjoy!

The post How to Fix a Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Error on Windows first appeared on Help Desk Geek.