How to troubleshoot faulting module ucrtbase.dll and/or exception code 0xc0000005 crashes

Official Microsoft Flight Simulator Tips & Troubleshooting
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Below, you will find troubleshooting steps for faulting module ucrtbase.dll and/or exception code 0xc0000005 crashes.
In most of the cases, ucrtbase.dll can be fixed by installing English Language pack and changing system locale.
Exception code 0xc0000005 crashes are usually caused by 3rd party programs on Windows (Corsair iCue, ASUS Armoury Crate, MSI Afterburner etc.) or 3rd party add-ons installed in the Sim.

After your Sim crashes, you can see the reason for crashing in 2 ways. Via Windows Event Viewer or creating MSinfo

How to find Crash Report from Event Viewer

  • Type “Event Viewer” to Windows Search > Open application
  • Go to “Windows Logs” > Application
  • Look for Date and Time when Simulator crashed > Level should be: Error and Source: Application Error
  • Click this event and on the bottom, General page you should have information about the issue, showing faulting module and exception code

How to generate MSinfo
How to generate DxDiag, Msinfo, Mountpoints and MSFS State Report.pdf (1.7 MB)
When you scroll down to the bottom of your report, you will find [Windows Error Reporting] that will give you the same information as Event Viewer.

All of these troubleshooting steps work with Windows 11 as well, even when the link/instruction says Windows 10.

MISSING MANDATORY LANGUAGE PACK

Microsoft Flight Simulator cannot run without the English (United States) Language Package installed on the system.

  • Select the Start button, then select Settings > Time & Language
  • Go to Speech > Manage Voice
  • Click on + Add voices
  • In the search bar, type “English”
  • Install the English (United States) Language Pack

SYSTEM LOCALE

If you’re using a non-English Windows 10 set-up, change the system locale.

  • In the “Type here to search” field, type “Control Panel”
  • Click on Change date, time, or number formats
  • Click on the “Administrative” tab, click on “Change system locale” and set up Current language for non-Unicode programs to “English US”

POSSIBLE ISSUE WITH AUDIO DRIVERS

To be sure your audio drivers are not causing any conflicts, you need to reinstall or update your audio drivers.

See instructions here: How To Reinstall Audio Driver In Windows

Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

ROLLBACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS DRIVERS

If the problem started after a driver update, the safest option is to roll back to the previous version. See your manufacturer’s instructions.

ROLLBACK WINDOWS UPDATES

If the issue appeared after installing a Windows 10/11 update, uninstall the update.

See instructions here: How to uninstall a Windows update

CONFLICTS

Disable all non-essential apps such as backup software, tune-up utilities, resources management on startup.

Disable programs such as VoIP, photo/video capture and editing apps from running in the background.

Samples of apps and programs preventing Microsoft Flight Simulator from launching:
Seagate Toolkit
Nahimic service
Asus Sonic Studio 2
Windows Audio Service
Garmin Express
WD Backup
Logitech G Hub
MSI Afterburner / Riva Tuner Statistics Server
EVGA Precision
OBS
Xsplit
Discord
MacType
Warsaw Banking App
Wallpaper Engine
A-Volute Sound studio
Capture One
Process Lasso

To disable apps on startup

  • In the Windows Search bar, type “Task Manager”
  • Select Open
  • Go to the Start-up tab
  • Disable all non-Microsoft applications and services
  • Reboot the computer
  • Try launching Microsoft Flight Simulator again

To disable apps from running in the background wasting system resources

  • Open Settings.
  • Click on Privacy.
  • Click on Background apps.
  • Under the “Choose which apps can run in the background” section, turn off the toggle switch for the apps you want to restrict.

If the sim stops crashing

To find out which application causes the sim to crash on start-up:

  • Enable one non-Microsoft application
  • Reboot the computer
  • Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator
  • Enable a second non-Microsoft application
  • Reboot the computer
  • Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator

Repeat this process until you find the application that is causing the crash. You can then disable this application or stop the process in the task manager before launching Microsoft Flight Simulator.

You can also try to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot 3rd party applications that might cause issues:

INCREASE VIRTUAL MEMORY

To make sure your memory isn’t causing any issues, it’s a good idea to increase your virtual memory:

SCAN FOR MALWARE

Use Windows Security to finds and removes malware from your PC, or run a malware scanner of your choice.

See: Remove malware from your PC in Windows 10

UPDATE YOUR BIOS AND CHIPSET DRIVERS

Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

REINSTALL MICROSOFT VISUAL C++ PROGRAMS

Uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Visual C++.

  • Press the Windows Key + R, type “appwiz.cpl” and then press Enter.

  • Locate the Microsoft Visual C++ programs in the list.

  • Select each entry and then click Uninstall.

  • Download the latest supported Visual C++ redistributable packages for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019:

REPAIR THE OPERATING SYSTEM

We recommend running cleanmgr.exe and System File Checker to repair the operating system without losing data.

For detailed instructions, visit

CLEAN INSTALL SIMULATOR

How to uninstall Microsoft Flight Simulator on Steam
How to install Microsoft Flight Simulator on Steam
How to repair or uninstall Microsoft Flight Simulator via the Xbox app

How to uninstall/install DVD version:

  • In the Windows search bar, search and open “Add or remove programs”

  • In the window that opens, search “Microsoft Flight Simulator - DVD Content” in the list of installed apps.

  • Click on “Microsoft Flight Simulator - DVD Content” and click “Uninstall”.

  • Repeat the same steps above, replacing “Microsoft Flight Simulator - DVD Content” with just “Microsoft Flight Simulator”.

  • Insert Disc 1 and proceed with the Disc installation.

  • After reaching DVD 10, you will be prompted for an activation code. As you have previously installed the simulator, you will not be able to redeem this code again. Instead, close the code redemption window and follow the steps below:

    1. Open the Microsoft Store app on your system
    2. Click on the 3 dots menu in the top right corner
    3. Go to My library > All Owned
    4. Select Microsoft Flight Simulator and click Install.

Finally, if none of the solutions above solved the issue, we advise Restoring or Resetting your PC.

To do so, follow the instructions detailed in this article: Recovery options in Windows 10/11

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