Fix the Bad Image 0xc000012f Error in Windows 10 & 11

Summary: The bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows indicates a missing system file. This article will show you five easy ways to fix the bad image error. The most common solution is to install the C++ redistributable. In the event that you lose data while trying to fix the bad image error, we have you covered. Here you should use professional tools such as Stellar Data Recovery For Windows.

If you are looking for an easy fix to the bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows, then you are in the right place.

This article will tell you everything you need to know about the bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows, and how to fix it.

We also tell you how to recover data in the event of data loss after a bad image error.

Table Of Content:

• What Is The Bad Image Error (Windows 10)?
• 5 Ways To Fix The Bad Image 0xc000012f Error In Windows
• Data Recovery After Bad Image 0xc000012f Error In Windows
• Things To Remember

What Is The Bad Image Error (Windows 10)?

The bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows indicates that an “executable file” is missing. This could be at the program level, or at the system level.

The bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows is what is known as a DLL file error. DLL stands for “Dynamic Link Library” and is a key building block of the Windows operating system.

Windows has certain common “blocks” that can be reused by programs. That way, these programs do not have to contain these commonplace files, greatly increasing efficiency.

When one of these files is missing, you get the bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows. The bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows is often simply called a “bad image error”.

Also Read: How to Fix Windows Boot Error 0xc0000098?

5 Ways To Fix The Bad Image 0xc000012f Error In Windows

We recommend trying the fixes in the order that we have listed them.

1. Run An Image And A System Scan

• Open the command prompt as an administrator.

• Type in “SFC /scannow” without the quotes and hit enter.

• Type in “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” without the quotes and hit enter.

Depending on your system configuration these scans may take up to fifteen minutes or more, though most get done quicker.

Once the DISM tool is done running, restart your computer and attempt to run the program you were trying to again.

2. Install The Latest C++ Redistributable

This refers to the Visual Studio C++ Redistributable. These are core components of Windows, needed by most programs.

• Click the Windows button. Type in “system information”.

• Here, make a note of what your system is based on. There are three main versions: ARM64, x86 and x64. Make a note of this. We are running an x64 machine.
• Navigate to this link. It will take you to the official Microsoft page for the Visual Studio C++ Redistributable download.

• Select the corresponding download. If you are on an x86 system, choose the x32 link. In this case, we will be choosing the x64 download option.

• Navigate to where the file got downloaded, and run it.

• Accept the terms and conditions, and then hit “install”. Follow the instructions that the installer gives you.

When finished, restart your computer. This is the most common way to fix the bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows.

3. Use The DirectX End-User Installer

DirectX is an application programming interface developed by Microsoft for Windows. It allows the video and audio components of your system to work with each other.

Missing DirectX files are also (according to Microsoft forums) a leading cause of the bad image error messages.

Luckily, you can update your DirectX file pack with a few simple steps, and fix the bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows.

• Navigate to this link. It will lead you to the official Microsoft DirectX End-User Web Interface Installer page.

• Click the download button. A file named dxwebsetup.exe will begin to download.

• Navigate to where the dxwebsetup.exe file got saved, and run it.

• Accept the terms of the license agreement, and click “next”.

• Uncheck the “bing bar” install option, if you do not want it on your system.

• Click “Next”. This wizard will then install any missing DirectX components onto your machine.

• Finish the Install process by clicking “Finish”. We were already up to date, which is why we got this blurb instead of a “installed successfully” message.

When done, restart your computer and check to see if the bad image message has gone away.

4. Re-Register The Missing DLL File

The regsvr32 (MS registry server) being re-registered with the missing DLL file can also often fix the bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows.

The error message will specify something like “XYZ.dll could not be located” or “XYZ.dll is not working”.

Here is how to re-register it.

• Open the command prompt as an administrator.

• Type in “regsvr32 DLL XYZ” without the quotes and hit enter. Here, replace “XYZ” with the name of the DLL file that was in the error messages. Remember that capitalization matters here.

Restart your computer and attempt to run your program again. It is very likely that the bad image message will now have gone away.

Also Read: Fix Windows Update Error Code 0x80245006

5. Reinstall The Problematic Program

If none of the fixes have managed to fix the bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows for you so far, then you should reinstall the program.

Reason: Either a program-specific DLL file is missing, or you are dealing with corruption on your machine.

Re-installing the program or game that is giving you trouble will fix the problem in most cases.

And those were five ways to fix the bad image 0xc000012f error in Windows. Note that these fixes are common across both Windows 10 and 11.

Also Read: How to Fix Error Code 0x80072f8f Windows 11/10?

Data Recovery After Bad Image 0xc000012f Error In Windows

It is not uncommon to lose data because of the 0xc000012f error in Windows.

If you do find yourself on the receiving end of data loss, you can use professional tools to recover your data.

Stellar Data Recovery for Windows has been years in the making, and has everything needed to get your data back.

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We prefer to let our numbers do the talking.

• 14: The number of major Indian cities we have branches in.
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Things To Remember

• DLL files overwrite old versions, so installing a new one will not cause a conflict with an outdated version of the file.
• Thus, there is no need to go hunting around in the registry trying to delete the old files.
• The different installers for the C++ redistributable are not cross-platform. That means that an x86 installer will not work for an x64 system.
• Every new release of the C++ redistributable pack has everything that previous versions did. This means that you only need to install the latest redistributable package to get up to date.
• Unlike the C++ Redistributable pack, the DirectX installer is not platform-specific. That means that there is just one installer for all types of machines and system types.
• If nothing seems to be working for you, using the system restore functionality in Windows will definitely fix the error. However, you will only be able to do this if you have created a system restore point in the past.

And with that, we come to the end of this article. We hope that you found it useful, and learned how to fix the bad image errors in Windows 10 and 11. Until the next time, goodbye.

Also Read: Top Data Recovery Software Available in India