New article
Recently updated
Troubleshooting the “Cannot Start Application” error when installing via ClickOnce
Who is this article for?
Users who see this error when installing the client or when clicking on hyperlinks in documents.
No special access or permissions are required.
This article explains how to resolve the ClickOnce installation error.
1. Issue
When you click a ClickOnce link, you may see an error box with the title “Cannot Start Application”, for example:
There are several possible causes, and the exact wording of the error message is the key to identifying which one applies to you.
2. Resolution
Find the message that matches your error in the table below and follow the link to the dedicated troubleshooting article for that case.
| Scenario | Article |
|---|---|
| You use Google Chrome and get the message “Application cannot be started. Contact the application vendor” | Troubleshooting the error “Application cannot be started. Contact the application vendor” |
| You see the error message “Cannot continue. The application is improperly formatted” | Troubleshooting the message “Cannot continue. The application is improperly formatted” |
| You see the error message “You cannot start application [application name] from this location because it is already installed from a different location” | Troubleshooting the message ‘You cannot start application [application name] from this location because it is already installed from a different location’ |
| You use Microsoft Edge for the ClickOnce link, but get the error “Application cannot be started. Contact the application vendor” | Understanding why ClickOnce might not work in Microsoft Edge |