How to Fix Programs That Crash or Won’t Open on Windows

A program that closes straight after you open it, or never opens at all, can be caused by a corrupted install, a conflict with other software, a missing component or damaged Windows files. Instead of guessing, this guide shows you how to find evidence of the cause and then apply the matching fix.

What makes programs crash or refuse to open

• A damaged or incomplete installation.
• A bug fixed in a newer version of the program.
• A conflict with security software, overlays or other background programs.
• A faulty add-in, plugin or saved settings file.
• Outdated graphics drivers, for programs that use the graphics card.
• Corrupted Windows system files.

1. Restart and update

Restart Windows, then check for an update inside the program or from its publisher’s website. Also run Windows Update, since some programs depend on current system components. If Windows Update itself is stuck, see how to fix Windows Update stuck on checking for updates.

2. Try Run as administrator

Right-click the program’s icon and choose Run as administrator. If it works, a permissions problem is the cause. Only use this to test, and avoid running programs as administrator permanently unless the publisher says to.

3. Find out what failed

Open the Start menu, type reliability history and open View reliability history. Select the day the crash happened and look for a red Application failure entry for your program. Select View technical details to see the faulting module, which hints at the cause.

For more detail, open Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs > Application, and look for Error events with the source Application Error at the time of the crash. Note the “Faulting module name”, for example a graphics driver or a specific .dll file, and search for it together with the program name.

4. Repair or reset the app

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (in Windows 10, Apps & features), select the three dots beside the program, and choose Advanced options if it is shown. Use Repair first, because it keeps your data. Use Reset only if Repair fails.

Many desktop programs have a Modify or Repair option in the uninstall menu instead.

5. Start Microsoft Office in safe mode

For Word, Excel, Outlook or PowerPoint, hold the Ctrl key while you open the app and choose Yes when asked about safe mode. If it opens, a faulty add-in is the cause. Disable add-ins one by one under File > Options > Add-ins.

6. Update the graphics driver

Programs that draw 3D graphics, video or large images can crash on an outdated driver. Download the latest driver from the graphics card maker (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel) or from your PC maker’s support page, and restart afterwards.

7. Do a clean start to find a conflict

1. Press Win + R, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. On the Services tab, tick Hide all Microsoft services, then select Disable all.
3. On the Startup tab, open Task Manager and disable the startup items.
4. Restart and test the program.

If it now works, re-enable services and startup items a few at a time until the problem returns. Undo the clean start afterwards by selecting Normal startup in msconfig.

8. Repair Windows files and reinstall the program

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then sfc /scannow. If the program still fails, uninstall it, restart, download a fresh installer from the publisher and install it again.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a program crash only after a Windows update?

The update may have changed a component the program uses. Update the program, then check the publisher’s support page for known issues.

Will reinstalling delete my files?

Uninstalling a program does not usually delete documents you saved elsewhere, but it may remove its settings. Back up first.

When to contact support

If the same program crashes on a second PC, the problem is probably the program, so contact its publisher with the details from Reliability Monitor. If many programs crash, the PC may have a hardware or system problem. See our Windows troubleshooting overview.