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Anonymous's avatar
Anonymous
9 years ago

0xc0000142 Error - Cant start any game

The first time I ever installed Origin was back a few months ago when I did the Battlefield 4 7-day Free Trial. This week (May 17 to be exact) I bought Origin access and downloaded Battlefield 4 Premium Edition (on a new account as well). I installed the game and when I went to run it, it gives me this error... 


ActivationUI.exe - Application Error

The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000142). Click OK to close the application.


I have installed new graphics card drivers, clean booted PC, un-installed + re-installed Origin, the game itself, DirectX and Visual C++, clean registries with CCleaner, ran as admin, sfc /scannow test, chdsk scan, repaired the game, updated game, added exceptions to my firewall and anti-virus, and recently I installed Depends and put ActivationUI.exe in it and it said I was missing some .DLL files (which I downloaded and placed in System32 and still got the error). 

I have tried almost everything and nothing is working. I ran the trial just fine back a few months ago and now it wont even run... I've talked to about 5 or 6 EA Support Desk advisors and none of them have got it fixed. One of them told me to talk to Microsoft, which I did, and they said this was on the app's part, not theirs. 

I honestly don't know what to do... I believe it might be something to do with .DLL files or something to do with my trial account from months ago...

Please help if you can, I am getting very annoyed by this as I still haven't been able to play Battlefield 4 or Hardline since I've purchased Origin Access.


I've looked at these thread's and seen that they have not received any help whatsoever... 

http://answers.ea.com/t5/Battlefield-4/The-application-was-unable-to-start-correctly-0xc0000142/m-p/4977209#M199167

http://answers.ea.com/t5/Battlefield-4/Error-0xc0000142-whenever-I-try-to-open-BF4/m-p/1923131#M58700

and the EA advisors keep linking me to this thread but none of the suggestions ever work...

http://answers.ea.com/t5/Battlefield-4/ActivationUI-exe-0xc0000142/m-p/4914002#M197715

4 Replies

  • @AsideGaming Have you fully removed the trial game even from the my documents folder as the old game could be making the conflict. As well as I know you ran the windows scan but give this a try again please....

    Test your windows for errors as a clean windows install does not always make a stable windows.

    NOTE: Running SFC does not guarantee the crash will not happen, but it will ensure it is not because a windows Dll or file is corrupted in windows.

    This works in all windows O/S vista Win7, Win8 , Win8.1 and win 10 windows system file checker :] Copy and past this to note pad and put it on your desktop. As open programs can give you errors when you run this.

    sfc /scannow, ever hear of it if not your going to love this, it will inspect all the important windows files as well as the windows DLL files. If windows system file checker finds any issues with the windows files and windows DLL files it will replace them / try to fix them. This little tool as well as the event viewer on a PC saved me and fully helped me fix my BF4 issues as well as saved me many a format since I found it. This is the best toy they ever put in windows :womanvery-happy:

    -For win7 go to start/ bottom left screen / windows globe .. Right click in search type cmd and right click cmd pick run as administrator.
    -For win 8.1 right mouse click start bottom left of screen / windows box and pick command prompt administrator.

    1-Open administrator command prompt and close web pages and programs like Origin, Steam etc.

    2-Type or copy and paste in sfc /scannow and hit enter, This takes 5 min to 15 min SSD vs HD

    3-This can go one of a few ways ..... no errors ... it fixed some errors ..... could not fix all errors...... does not finish checking and errors out ....... and the last one could not fix errors at all :/

    4-After its done REBOOT PC and Run sfc /scannow again even if you had no errors the first time or had errors, could not fix run sfc /scannow again and when its done a second time reboot. You need to do this a and get no errors 2 x in a row ...

    5-So if you ran it 2x and no errors your safe you can stop. If you had errors first time but not the second then run sfc /scannow again and when its done reboot. You need to get could not find any errors 2 x to be safe. If it still finds errors try and run it a few more times until it finds no errors 2x AND ALWAYS REBOOT BETWEEN RUNNING sfc /scannow

    6-If you get a message indicating that it can not be repaired and you ran sfc /scannow more then 3x in a row on win vista or 7 mm you need a format or try repair win 7 :/ But after format or repair and all updates are done run sfc /scannow to make sure your windows is stable same deal 2x error free reboot between them.

    NOTE-If your O/S is Win8 or Win 8,1 or win10 then you can run the next few command lines in administrator command prompt. Sadly this does not work for win vista or 7 :/ Note: After you run each command line Reboot PC.

    This next part of windows scans is only for windows 8 & windows 8.1 and win 10

    Reboot PC after you run each command line and close programs and web pages.

    And same deal as above run command prompt administrator.

    1-This command line will scan the health of your PC:
    dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth

    2-This command line will restore the health of your PC and you don't lose anything on your PC :
    dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

    Note: If you get errors with the two command lines above and it cant be fixed with second command line and if you are on windows 8.1. Then use third command line but be warned it could take up to two hrs to fix your PC but it will save you a format. I had a friend test this on a PC with errors when it could not be fixed with second command line. :womanvery-happy:

    This next part of windows scans is only for windows 8.1 and win 10

    And same deal as above run command prompt administrator.

    1-If restore heath gave you errors then you can always try this command line:

    dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

    2-If you get Error 0x800F081F with the restore health scan then run this command line. After you reboot your PC then run third command line to be sure your windows is fully stable.

    Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    Hi, I have just upgraded to Windows 10 so I am now going to try your solutions and see if it works. *fingers crossed*

    Do you have the file locations of where everything would be stored at so I can delete it?

    UPDATE: Just followed this YouTube tutorial, as well as deleted everything from hidden files that I knew of. Installing it again and trying this one last time.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVrFD05cN3A

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    @2042isNotBF Hey, I tried your suggestions and none of them worked ☹️

  • @AsideGaming Did the windows scan find any errors at all? Edit ... sorry no with windows 10 I have done way to much homework on it to allow it to touch my PC's but it should be more or less in the same areas if win10 will allow you access :/ 

    Edit.... Give this a read it is old but has some good info in it ....  http://techfaqs.net/computer/how-to-fix-application-error-0xc0000142/

    And make sure all this is up to date on your PC please....

    Make sure all this is up to date on your PC as well as do this for settings ....

    Latest version of DirectX see this page
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/confirmation.aspx?id=35

    Reinstall Microsoft C++ For my game PC's I install both x64 and x86 as it does not hurt the PC

    NOTE>>> you need to select the x64 or the x86 file depending on what architecture your computer has. To find this out, Click Start, right click on "Computer" and select "Properties". Under system type is should say "32-Bit Operating System" or "64-bit Operating System". If 32-bit operating system, download the x86 file, and if 64-bit download the x64 file.
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=40784

    Update your Microsoft .NET framework.
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=30653

    Adobe Flash Player update
    http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

    Go to Punk Buster site
    http://www.punkbuster.com/index.php?page=pbsetup.php

    1- Download PB then extract files to your desktop.
    2- Open Punk Buster folder.
    3- Click on the PB setup and it will open.
    4-Add your BF4 game to punk buster its at the top of Punk Buster.
    5-Then update punk buster again at the top of Punk Buster.

    Do this for settings please...


    Disable Origin in game:
    In Origin - Application settings - Origin in Game - disable Origin in game

    Origin Cloud Storage turn it off
    Origin, settings, General

    Make Sure BF4 is set to 64bit if your windows is 64bit
    1- open origin and go to My Games
    2-Right click BF4 and go to Game Properties
    3-Under when launching this game set it to x64 and check off disable origin in game.
    4- Hit apply REBOOT your PC and then test your BF4

    Reboot PC test BF4

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