How to Fix Windows.UI.Xaml.dll Crash at Startup on Windows 10

Resolving Windows.UI.Xaml.dll Crashes and Failed App Launches in Windows 10

As a long-time Windows power user, I’ve seen my fair share of cryptic app crashes and error messages. Lately, many folks upgrading to Windows 10 have reported issues launching apps with errors pointing to Windows.UI.Xaml.dll. After digging into some enthusiast forums and piecing together various solutions, I’ve discovered several effective troubleshooting techniques to resolve these crashes. In this post, we’ll walk through why these crashes happen and actionable steps you can take to get your apps back up and running on Windows 10.

Understanding the Windows.UI.Xaml.dll Crash

First, let’s briefly demystify what this error actually means. Windows.UI.Xaml.dll is a core framework component responsible for rendering the Windows UI across various apps. When apps crash citing this DLL, it generally points to a problem loading the proper UI elements.

Potential culprits include:

• Missing platform prerequisites like .NET frameworks or C++ packages
• Problematic shell extensions hooking into Explorer
• Corrupted Win32 component registrations
• Issues with the app’s code itself

The most telling clue is whether the crashes persist across different apps or happen sporadically in just one. Sitewide crashes likely point to lower-level Windows issues, while isolated app failures could simply mean a bug in the latest update.

General Troubleshooting Steps

With the above context in mind, we can start methodically narrowing down the issue:

• Check event viewer details and look up the exception code for any hints
• Run the Windows App Troubleshooter to diagnose issues
• Re-register platform components and app packages
• Toggle problematic shell extensions like virus scanners
• Test in a new user profile to isolate configuration conflicts

I recommend creating a system restore point before making any changes so you can easily roll back.

Re-register Apps and Components

One quick fix I’ve had luck with is re-registering all Windows apps and UI components. Open an elevated PowerShell prompt and run:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

This essentially refreshes all the registrations which can resolve corrupted entries.

You can also try sfc /scannow to scan and restore overwritten system files.

Toggle Startup Programs and Extensions

Errant shell extensions from security software and utilities can sometimes cause conflicts. I’d recommend selectively disabling startup items and shell add-ons with Autoruns or ShellExView until you isolate any problematic extensions.

Test in a Fresh User Profile

Creating a new user profile is an easy way to determine if the crashes are isolated to your main account’s configuration. Apps launching fine for a new user point to software or settings conflicts rather than core OS issues.

App-Specific Troubleshooting

For crashes limited to one particular app, you’ll want to focus troubleshooting on possible application conflicts or bugs.

Update or Reinstall the Application

If the crashes started after a recent update, rolling back or reinstalling the app can often resolve it. For Microsoft Store apps, open the Store app > select Library > find the problematic app and choose Uninstall to cleanly remove it. Then search for the app again to reinstall it fresh.

Modify Application Code and Config

If you have access to the application’s source code, look for any UI inheritance issues that could be triggering crashes in Windows.UI.Xaml.dll. One common cause is controls derived from System.Windows.Control rather than Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls. Updating the namespaces and inheritance can help resolve this.

You can also try addingUseAppLocalCoreFrameworkto the app’s .csproj file to force loading the in-box UI framework.

Advanced Recovery Options

If you’ve exhausted the above steps, you might need to consider advanced recovery:

System Restore

Reverting to a restore point prior to when the crashes started can quickly get your apps back online. Though this means losing recent changes too.

In-place Upgrade

An in-place upgrade reinstalls Windows while preserving your files and settings. This is slightly more drastic but can fix OS issues.

Clean Install

Wiping everything and starting fresh with a clean install of Windows 10 is the definitive fix for persistent system-level problems. Just be absolutely sure to backup your data first!

Preventing Future App Crashes

To avoid similar app crashes down the road, I recommend:

• Delaying feature updates for at least a month to avoid potential bugs
• Maintaining good backup practices using File History
• Using a "Known Good" system restore point before major updates
• Monitoring event logs and app health telemetry via Reliability Monitor

Hopefully with a combination of the above steps, you should be able to swiftly resolve cryptic Windows.UI.Xaml.dll crashes. Let me know in the comments if any other tips or tricks have worked for you! I’m always looking to expand my troubleshooting knowledge.

References

1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/868473/faulting-module-microsoft-ui-xaml-dll
2. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/482977/faulting-application-name-explorer-exe-faulting-mo