Fix ERROR_SXS_VERSION_CONFLICT (0x000036B8) Fast

Yeah, this one's annoying. You try to launch an app and it just sits there or gives a generic crash. The culprit is almost always a corrupted or mismatched side-by-side assembly in the WinSxS store. Here's how to kill it fast.

First: The Direct Fix (Works 90% of the time)

Close all running instances of the app. Then run these commands in an Admin Command Prompt (right-click Start, choose Command Prompt (Admin) or Terminal (Admin)):

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
SFC /SCANNOW

DISM will take a while — it's rebuilding the component store from scratch using Windows Update. Let it finish. Then SFC checks system files and replaces bad ones. After both complete, restart the machine.

Now uninstall the problem app completely. Run appwiz.cpl, find the app, uninstall. Reboot again. Then re-download the latest version from the official source and install fresh. This wipes the stale assembly and replaces it with a clean one.

Why This Works

The WinSxS folder is Windows' giant library of component versions — DLLs, manifests, the works. When an app installs, it registers a specific version of a component. If another app (or a Windows update) installed a different version of the same component, the app sees a conflict. The error code 0x000036B8 literally means the version numbers don't match.

DISM restores the component store to a known-good state. SFC fixes any botched system files. Reinstalling the app ensures it picks up the correct, clean component version. You're basically resetting the component database.

Less Common Variations of This Issue

Sometimes the fix above doesn't cut it. Here's what else you'll see:

• The app is a Microsoft Store app. Don't bother with manual uninstall. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, find the app, click Advanced options, then Reset. This clears the app's local cache and re-registers its components. Still failing? Use wsreset.exe to reset the entire Store.
• Windows Update corruption shows this error during a feature update. The error appears during the update process, not when launching an app. Here, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. If DISM fails because Windows Update is broken, do an in-place upgrade using the Media Creation Tool. It reinstalls the OS while keeping your apps and files. Fixes 99% of update-induced SxS errors.
• Multiple apps installed by the same vendor conflict. Example: Adobe Creative Cloud apps often share version of VC++ redistributables. Uninstall all of the vendor's apps, run the DISM and SFC commands, then reinstall the apps one at a time. Reboot between each install. This prevents the apps from fighting over shared components.
• Custom app that's 32-bit on a 64-bit system. The app might be looking for a 32-bit component in the SysWOW64 folder while a 64-bit version exists in System32. Check the app's event logs (Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application) for a side-by-side error. The manifest path in the error will tell you which component is missing or mismatched. Install the correct redistributable for that architecture.

Prevention: Keep Your Component Store Clean

This error almost always comes back if you let the component store get messy. Here's how to avoid it:

• Run DISM and SFC monthly — schedule it with Task Scheduler if you can. The commands are lightweight after the first run.
• Don't install every VC++ redistributable you find. Stick to the official Microsoft ones from the Visual Studio downloads page. Avoid third-party repackaged bundles — they often include outdated versions that conflict.
• When you uninstall an app, use the official uninstaller. Don't delete folders manually — you'll leave orphaned component registrations that confuse the SxS system.
• Keep Windows and your apps updated. Old versions of components accumulate, and newer apps may require newer versions. Regular updates flush stale ones.

One last thing: if the error persists after all this, check the application event log for the exact component name. Sometimes it's a third-party driver that's locking a version. Updating the driver usually fixes it. But that's a separate rabbit hole — start with the steps above.