Every time you launch Valorant, you receive an error message saying Valorant is unable to start correctly. The full error message could read as either
“The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000005). Click OK to close the application.”
Or
“The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142). Click OK to close the application.”
To fix the error, you can try these methods:
Method 1: Run Valorant as administrator
Method 2: Run Valorant in Compatibility mode
Method 3: Run the System File Checker tool
Method 4: Add Valorant to Windows Security Exclusion list
Method 5: Temporarily disable your antivirus software
Method 6: Turn off DEP for Valorant
Method 7: Uninstall and then reinstall Valorant
Method 1: Run Valorant as administrator
To run Valorant without the error, you can try running Valorant as administrator. Here’s how:
1) Open your Valorant installation folder. The default directory is C:\Riot Games\VALORANT.
2) Right-click on the Valorant executable (.exe) file and then select Properties.
3) Go to the Compatibility tab and tick Run as Administrator.
4) Click Apply -> OK to save the changes.
Check to see if you can start Valorant. If the error persists, you can try running Valorant in Compatibility mode. See Method 2.
Method 2: Run Valorant in Compatibility mode
To run Valorant in Compatibility mode, you can follow these steps:
1) Open your Valorant installation folder. The default directory is C:\Riot Games\VALORANT.
2) Right-click on the Valorant executable (.exe) file and then select Properties.
3) Go to the Compatibility tab, tick Run this program in compatibility mode and then select Windows 8 or 7.
4) Click Apply -> OK to save the changes.
Method 3: Run the System File Checker tool
The problem can be caused by corrupted system files, which are required to run Valorant. You can run the System File Checker tool. The tool will scan all system files and replace corrupted files if any corrupted files are detected.
Here’s how to run the System File Checker tool:
1) Press Win+R keys to invoke the Run box.
2) Type “cmd” into the Run box and then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter keys. After that, the Command Prompt window will open as administrator.
3) At Command Prompt, type command “sfc /scannow” and press Enter. Then the command will scan your system files.
Note: The scanning process will take some time. Do not exit until the verification is 100% complete. You’ll know if there are any corrupted system files once the verification is complete.
Method 4: Add Valorant to Windows Security Exclusion list
Windows Security could prevent Valorant from starting correctly. You can try to add Valorant to Windows Security Exclusion list and see if it helps with the problem. To do so:
1) Press the Windows logo key, type “windows security” and then select Windows Security from the search result.
2) Select Virus & threat protection.
3) Scroll down, and under the Virus & threat protection settings section, click on the link Manage settings.
If you haven’t seen the link Manage settings, it’s probably hidden. Click on Windows Defender Antivirus options and then turn off the setting. After that, the link Manage settings should show up.
4) Scroll down, in the Exclusions section, click on the link Add or remove exclusions.
5) Click the Add an exclusion button and then select Folder.
6) Navigate to the drive where you installed Valorant to (the default drive is C:). Select the Valorant installation folder and click on Select Folder.
7) Restart your computer and check to see if the problem is resolved.
Method 5: Temporarily disable your antivirus software
If you have antivirus software installed, Valorant could be blocked by your antivirus software and won’t start correctly. To troubleshoot, you can temporarily disable your antivirus software.
After disabling your antivirus software, check to see if you can start Valorant correctly. If yes, it means your antivirus software is the cause. In that case, you can add Valorant to the software’s exception list.
Remember to re-enable your antivirus software after troubleshooting, so your system won’t be exposed to threats.
Method 6: Turn off DEP for Valorant
To fix the problem, you can try turning off DEP (Data Execution Prevention) for Valorant. DEP is a system level memory protection feature that is built into the operating system. It can prevent your system from being damaged by various viruses and other security threats.
However, this feature could prevent some programs like Valorant from starting correctly. To fix the Valorant not launching problem, you can try turning off DEP for Valorant. Here’s how:
1) Press Win+R keys to invoke Run box.
2) Type “sysdm.cpl” into the Run box and click OK. Then the System Properties window will open.
3) Go to the Advanced tab, and in the Performance section, click the Settings… button.
4) Go to the Data Execution Prevention tab, select Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select and click the Add… button. Navigate to the Valorant installation folder and then locate the Valorant executable (.exe) file.
5) Click Apply -> OK to save the changes.
6) Reboot your system and try launching Valorant again.
Method 7: Uninstall and then reinstall Valorant
If none of the above methods works, the last method you can try is to uninstall and then reinstall Valorant.
First, uninstall Valorant:
1) Right-click on the Start menu button and select Settings.
2) At the Windows Settings window, select Apps.
3) In the Apps & Features section, search “valorant” and then select Valorant from the search result.
4) Click Uninstall and then follow the on-screen instructions to finish the uninstallation.
Next, install Valorant again. After installing Valorant, launch it and it should start correctly.
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below.