Windows – Can’t install some software due to “The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect”

installationvisual c++windows 10

So I can't install Samsung Kies 1 and SmartSwitch as I get this error message when running the installer:

The application has failed to start because its side-by-side
configuration is incorrect

Full, untranslated message

Diese Anwendung konnte nicht gestartet werden, da die
Side-by-Side-Konfiguration ungültig ist. Weitere informationen finden
sie im Anwendungsereignisprotokoll. Weitere Details können auch mit
dem Befehlszeilentool sxstrace.exe angezeigt werden.

I'm running a freshly-installed UEFI Windows 10 64Bit machine.

In the event log I see these errors (event id 33):

Activation context generation failed for "C:..\Smart_Switch_pc_setup.exe". Dependent Assembly
Microsoft.VC90.MFC,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",version="9.0.21022.8"
could not be found. Please use sxstrace.exe for detailed diagnosis.

SxsTrace doesn't give me more info. All other installers (except these 2) that I have run by now have been running just fine.

Some things I already tried:

  • Restart
  • Running sfc /scannow
  • Deinstalling all Visual C++ Redistributables for 64Bit (2005-2015), restarting, reinstalling them, restarting again
  • Just installing Visual C++ Redistributable 2008 64Bit
  • Installing Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package ATL Security
  • Running the installer as admin
  • The registry changes detailed here (I only have 1 version nr which also is properly set)
  • Cleaning and reinstalling .NET Framework
  • Checking for Windows updates

Please help.

Best Answer

Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",version="9.0.21022.8"

This message means the tool was compiled in Debug mode in Visual Studio 2008, so you need the VC++ 2008 Debug Runtime.

But this runtime is not allowed to be shared/redist via installer. So ask Samsung Support to release a new version of the software that is compiled in Release mode.

// Edit,

if it is MFC, install the 32Bit Visual C++ 2008 Runtime, because win32 = x86.

Related Question