The error mostly affects video games such as Arma 3 and is usually generated by missing components such as DirectX, .NET Framework, and Visual C++ Redistributables. Besides, it’s been oftentimes reported that some G-suite modules such as Word or Excel won’t run because of this issue. So in this article, we’ll try to shed some light on the matter and offer a few solutions.

How can I fix the status invalid image format error?

1. Make sure that your drivers are up to date

Sometimes the Status invalid image format message can appear when trying to run certain games, especially if your drivers aren’t up to date. So update all your important drivers, such as the chipset, sound, network, graphics, etc. Visit your device manufacturer’s website for each of these components and download the latest drivers for it. Updating drivers manually can be a bit tedious, especially since you need to know the model of each component you’re trying to update. However, you can use a third-party tool such as DriverFix that will update all your drivers automatically with just a couple of clicks. Besides, you’ll get recommendations of only the compatible drivers for your device. For sure, this is the safest and quickest solution to fulfill this job. In the future, whenever you suspect that the drivers’ updating process isn’t complete, you can use this tool.

2. Make sure that the application isn’t trying to load a 32-bit DLLs

Although a rare occurrence, the Status invalid image format message can appear when the application you’re trying to run tries to load a 32-bit to a 64-bit process. Users suggest using Dependency Walker in profile mode in order to find out which DLL is causing the problem. What you need to do is to download this tool to open the application that displays this error. This way, you’ll be able to see which DLL file is causing the issue. Keep in mind that this is an advanced solution, so if you’re a basic user that isn’t familiar with Dependency Walker, perhaps you should skip this solution.

3. Perform an SFC or DISM scan

After the scan is finished, check if the error message still appears. If the sfc/scannow stops out of the blue, see these easy solutions to fix the issue. If the issue remains unresolved, or if you couldn’t run SFC scan, be sure to use DISM scan instead. After the scan is finished, check if the error message is still there. If you were unable to run the SFC scan before, try running it again and check if the problem is still there.

5. Update or reinstall DirectX

According to users, sometimes your DirectX installation can cause the mentioned error . To fix this problem, it’s important to make sure that your antivirus isn’t blocking the application you’re trying to run. More specifically, add the application to the exclusions list. SPONSORED If that doesn’t help, perhaps you can try disabling certain antivirus features or disable your antivirus altogether. Another thing to try is to uninstall your antivirus, in which case you’ll be protected on Windows 10 by Windows Defender. On the other hand, we strongly recommend switching to an antivirus that doesn’t interfere with other processes. You can find Windows 10 compatible antivirus software that offer top-level protection without causing any errors. This usually happens when you’re trying to run certain games on your PC, and in order to fix the problem, it’s advised to update DirectX to the latest version. If DirectX is already up to date, you might want to try reinstalling it and check if that solves your problem.

6. Download/update .NET Framework and Visual C++ Redistributables

Sometimes the Status invalid image format error appears if you don’t have the necessary components installed. Namely, certain applications rely on .NET Framework and Visual C++ Redistributables in order to work properly, and if you don’t have them installed, you might encounter various issues. So just download or update both of them from Microsoft’s official sources and you’re good to go. After you update/install .NET Framework and Visual C++, the problem should be completely resolved.

7. Verify the integrity of game cache

Once the process is finished, check if the error message still appears. To conclude, the Status invalid image format message can prevent you from running certain applications on your PC. However, we hope that you managed to fix this problem using one of our solutions. Reinstalling the application could help. There are several methods that you can use to reinstall the application. At the same time, it’s very important to also completely uninstall the initial app using a dedicated tool such as IOBit Uninstaller. In case you aren’t familiar, uninstaller software will remove the selected application, but it will also remove all files and registry entries associated with it. By doing so, you’ll prevent any leftover files from interfering with your system and it will be as if the application had never been installed. If you have other suggestions on this topic, feel free to reach us in the comments below.

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