TeXstudio 4.2.2 "application was unable to start correctly" on clean Windows 11

[rowatc]

I am configuring a new Windows 11 machine. I installed TeX Live 2021, and TeXstudio 4.2.2, both apparently without incident.

When I try to run TeXstudio, I am told: "application was unable to start correctly" and am given error code 0xc000007b.

I have uninstalled TeXstudio and reinstalled it. I have restarted the computer. I have run TeXstudio in 'compatibility' mode (which reinstalls it with Windows 8 compatibility - the most recent version of Windows offered). In all cases, TeXstudio just crashes again.

[sunderme]

can you try the portable version ?

[rowatc]

Thanks @sunderme .

Just to confirm: that's TeX Live portable (not a portable version of TeXstudio)? As far as I can tell, my TeX Live installation is fine: I've successfully compiled some minimal examples from the command line with latex, pdflatex and lualatex.

[sunderme]

Txs portable

[rowatc]

thanks! Downloaded TeX Studio portable (64 bit,Qt6) v. 4.2.2. Unzipped, tried to run texstudio.exe and got the same error.

Do I need to install it somehow?

[sunderme]

you don't have a security feature running that inhibits the start ? like #2170 ?

[rowatc]

re: #2170, I've got "Windows Security > App & browser control > Exploit protection > Force randomisation for images (Mandatory ASLR)" set to "Use default (off)", so seem to be OK there.

I don't know what other security settings might be causing a problem: I've got a clean install on this machine, and haven't done anything non-vanilla. I have a standard anti-virus tool with default settings.

[sunderme]

I don't run win11, so I can't test. However there have not been tons of reports that it does not work, so ...

[rowatc]

The only other idea I have at this point is to install TeX Live 2022, which has just come out. However: (1) it's newer, so may be more buggy (esp. in conjunction w a new Windows), and (2) I don't seem to have any problem with TeX Live 2021.

Are there any diagnostic( tool)s I can run?

[sunderme]

the version of texlive should not affect whether txs can start.

[thelocalsage]

having the same problem, my hard drive failed a couple weeks ago out of nowhere and I'm trying to reinstall on a new drive. would love to solve this problem.

[sunderme]

as I don't have win11 and the error message is non-descriptive, I can only give hints what you can try out.

1. check txs qt6 portable
2. check txs qt5 portable
3. try install MS redistributables (#2225)
4. try to compile txs on your own (see wiki)

All the steps above assume some kind of missing dependency. Usually the error message for that is more clear, so it may also be something else. Google says the same message comes up with 32bit OS trying to run 64bit software, though win11 should not be 32 bit. So misconfiguration, especially something which block executing software from the internet is a possibility.

[rowatc]

Thank you: txs qt5 portable is working! It threw an error, with MS Defender Smartscreen trying to block texstudio.exe; I overrode that. Do I need to do anything to properly install 'portable' (e.g. move it from Downloads...)?

[sunderme]

qt6 portable does not work ? qt5 installer works ? What about redistributable and txs/qt6 ?

[rowatc]

qt6 portable had given me the same error as the original download (see message above).

I've just tried qt5 installer: it seems to work. It gave the same MS Defender warning as above.

I've not tried redistributable anything. Happy to try if you recommend but it may take me a few days to get to.

[sunderme]

it would be interesting to know what fails for txs/qt6. So please give the redistributable a try.

[sunderme]

can someone with this problem and/or win11 check the current dev build (txs/qt6), see https://github.com/texstudio-org/texstudio/actions/runs/2271829641

I have changed the build system.

[rowatc]

can someone with this problem and/or win11 check the current dev build (txs/qt6), see https://github.com/texstudio-org/texstudio/actions/runs/2271829641

Thanks! I've downloaded texstudio-win-qt6-exe from the URL above. I extract it and install it. Windows Defender warns me that it's not safe; I override the warning to install it. It seems to install. When I try to run it, it gives me the same error message as above.

The exe I've installed is: texstudio-win-qt6-exe\texstudio-win-qt6-4.2.4-202205041943-git_794e984f2.exe

[sunderme]

I have no idea what happens. I don't have win11, so until there are some more hints, this will remain unsolved.

[atzhh]

It may be as simple as you forgot to install a TeX distribution (e.g., MikTeX) first. At least this is the case for me when I reinstall my Windows.