Reference number: CH001160

The xxxx.exe encountered a problem and needs to close Windows error.

Question:

The xxxx.exe encountered a problem and needs to close Windows error.

Where xxxx.exe is the name of your application.

Additional information:

When attempting to open a program, or while running a program, you may get an Windows error window similar to the example below that shows FahCore_7c.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

These types of errors can be caused by a several different reasons. In the section below, we have a general list of reasons and suggestions to help you resolve this issue. If you're actually encountering an error with "FahCore_7c.exe", this is caused by corrupt work data and can be resolved by removing all the files within the Work folder under Documents and Settings/Application Data.

Answer:

Update / Patch program

If happening when opening a program that is not part of Microsoft Windows, make sure you're running the latest version of the program and that any patches for the program have been downloaded. The latest software updates can be found either through the developers website.

Revert Windows back to an earlier copy

If this is a problem that recently started occurring, try restoring an earlier copy of Windows. In some situations a changed setting or other installation may have caused the computer to generate this error. Information about restoring your computer back to an earlier copy can be found on document CH000589.

If you're unable to get into Windows to revert back to an earlier copy, try booting the computer into Safe Mode.

Uninstall and re-install program

In some situations a program, or the data associated with the program can become corrupt. In these situations it's almost always easier to simply uninstall the program and then re-install it. Information and help with uninstalling a program can be found on document CH000347.

Note: When uninstalling some programs, we also recommend the application data associated with the program be deleted as well. In some situations this data is saved because it's personal information, and not associated with the program. To delete application data follow the steps below.

Windows Vista and 7 users

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Open the ProgramData folder. If you do not see this folder, it's likely because it's a hidden folder and you'll need to enable the option show hidden folders. Additional information about how to do this can be found on document CH000516.
3. Delete the folder associated with your program. If you do not see a folder with the same name of the program you're uninstalling, this step can be skipped.

Windows XP users

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Open the Documents and Settings folder.
3. Open the folder for the username you're logged into Windows as.
4. Open the Application Data folder. If you do not see this folder, it's likely because it's a hidden folder and you'll need to enable the option show hidden folders. Additional information about how to do this can be found on document CH000516.
5. Delete the folder associated with your program. If you do not see a folder with the same name of the program you're uninstalling, this step can be skipped.

Install Windows updates

Make sure your computer has all the latest Windows updates. Additional information about updating your version of Windows can be found on document CH000545.

Update associated drivers

Make sure you've got the latest driver updates for hardware in your computer. We suggest first starting with updating the video drivers in your computer. See our driver page for additional help and related driver pages.