Fix ERROR_SXS_XML_E_MULTIPLE_COLONS (0X000036DE) Manifest Parse Error

Quick answer for advanced users: The manifest file has a name attribute with two colons (like attr:value:extra). Use Procmon to find which manifest is failing, then open it in a text editor and remove or fix the extra colon. Reboot or restart the app.

You're seeing 0X000036DE because Windows can't parse an XML manifest for a side-by-side assembly or an application. The root cause: somewhere in a manifest file—usually inside %ProgramData%, %WinDir%\WinSxS, or the app's install folder—there's a name attribute that contains two colons. XML doesn't allow that. The parser throws this error. I've seen it most often after a botched update or a registry cleaner that mangled a manifest. Last month, a client's accounting software failed to launch after a Windows update; the manifest had name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls:6.0.0.0:extra". One colon too many.

Step-by-Step Fix

First, figure out which manifest is the problem. Don't guess—use Process Monitor (Procmon) from Microsoft Sysinternals. It's free and it'll show you exactly which file Windows is choking on.

1. Download and run Procmon from Microsoft's site.
2. Set a filter: Click Filter → Filter. Set Process Name is your_app.exe (or svchost.exe if it's a system service). Click Add, then OK.
3. Reproduce the error: Launch the app that fails. Procmon will record every file it touches.
4. Look for the error: In Procmon, look for entries with Result = NAME NOT FOUND or BUFFER OVERFLOW. But more directly, search for the string manifest in the Path column. You'll see a path ending in .manifest. That's your culprit.
5. Open the manifest: Navigate to that file in Explorer. Right-click → Open with → Notepad. Don't use Word or any rich editor—it'll add formatting.
6. Find the double colons: Press Ctrl+F and search for ::. If you don't find it, look for name= attributes. The broken ones will have something like name="MyComponent:Version:Extra". The first colon after the namespace is fine—like xmlns:myNs—but a second colon in a name is illegal.
7. Fix it: Change name="MyComponent:Version:Extra" to name="MyComponent:Version" or remove the :Extra part. Save the file. You might need admin permissions—if so, copy the file to your desktop, edit it, then copy back.
8. Reboot or restart the app.

Nine times out of ten, that's it. If the error persists, you might have multiple manifests with the same issue. Check the Event Viewer under Windows Logs → Application for Event ID 33—it'll point to the failing manifest.

Alternative Fixes

If you can't find the manifest or editing doesn't work, try these in order:

• Reinstall the app: Uninstall cleanly, reboot, then reinstall the latest version. This replaces any corrupted manifests.
• Run SFC and DISM: Open an admin command prompt and run sfc /scannow, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. This fixes corrupted system files that might include manifests in WinSxS.
• Roll back the latest update: Go to Settings → Windows Update → Update history → Uninstall updates. Remove the most recent update and reboot. I've seen KB5034441 cause this exact error on older software.
• Use System Restore: If the error started recently, restore to a point before it happened. Not ideal, but it's a get-out-of-jail card.

Prevention Tip

Don't run registry cleaners or system optimizers that claim to “fix” manifests. They don't understand XML namespaces. And always test Windows updates on a non-critical machine first. I keep a spare laptop specifically for update testing—saved me more than once. If you're a developer, validate your manifests with mt.exe -validate_manifest from the Windows SDK before deployment.