Fix ERROR_SXS_SETTING_NOT_REGISTERED 0X0000371A on Windows

What's This Error About?

You're staring at a dialog box saying something like "The application was unable to start correctly" or "A side-by-side configuration is incorrect" with error code 0X0000371A. The core message is "The setting is not registered."

This is a Windows Side-by-Side (SxS) assembly error. It happens when an app or Windows component expects a specific manifest or runtime DLL that isn't registered in the component store. I've seen this most often after a Windows Update fails mid-way, or when someone installs a program that conflicts with existing runtimes — like trying to install an older Visual C++ redistributable on top of a newer one.

Here's a real one: last month a client's accounting software wouldn't open after a forced restart during a cumulative update. This error popped up every time. The fix? Not reinstalling the software — it was the broken SxS store.

Fix 1: Re-register the SxS Setting (30 seconds)

Before you go nuking the system, try this quick registry check. The error says the setting isn't registered, so let's see if a simple reg key tweak brings it back.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, hit Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide\
3. Look for a key named PreferExternalManifest. If it exists, double-click it and set the value to 0. If it doesn't exist, right-click, create a new DWORD (32-bit) named PreferExternalManifest, set value to 0.
4. Close Regedit and restart the app that crashed.

This tells Windows to use the internal manifest instead of an external one. Worked for a printer driver issue last week — the setting was literally missing from the registry, and this fixed it instantly.

Fix 2: Repair the Component Store with DISM and SFC (5 minutes)

If the quick registry fix didn't do it, your component store is likely corrupt. This is the most common cause I see.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Right-click Start, choose "Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)".
2. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Wait — this can take 5-10 minutes on a spinning disk. Don't interrupt it.
3. Once done, run sfc /scannow. This checks system files and replaces corrupted ones.
4. Restart your PC.

Had a call last week where a client couldn't launch their CRM after a botched update. DISM found corrupted manifests and fixed them. App ran fine after reboot.

Fix 3: Repair or Reinstall the Affected Application (15+ minutes)

If the above doesn't work, the problem is likely tied to that one application's installation.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed Apps.
2. Find the app that's giving the error. Click the three dots and choose Modify or Repair. If that option isn't there, uninstall and reinstall.
3. If the app requires a specific Visual C++ Redistributable (common for business software), install the exact version it needs. Head to Microsoft's site, grab the 2015-2022 redist, both x86 and x64 versions.

I once wasted an hour on a client's medical billing software. Turns out they had the wrong VC++ redist — installing the 2015-2022 version right next to the old one fixed it.

When to Give Up and Go Nuclear

If none of these work, your Windows installation is busted. At that point:

• Run Windows Update troubleshooter from Settings > System > Troubleshoot.
• Consider an in-place upgrade using the Windows Media Creation Tool — it reinstalls Windows while keeping your files and apps. Takes about an hour but fixes the core SxS store.
• Last resort: fresh install. But I'd only do that if the error keeps coming back after a repair install.

Summing It Up

ERROR_SXS_SETTING_NOT_REGISTERED is a pain, but it's usually fixable without reinstalling Windows. Start with the registry tweak, hit DISM, then repair the app. In my experience, 8 out of 10 times it's a corrupt component store from a bad update. You don't need to be a sysadmin to fix this — just follow the steps in order.