Side by Side Configuration is Incorrect...For every program!

**Cic!cone** · 15-04-2009

I bought an Asus laptop about 4 months ago which was running with Windows XP earlier, but 3 days past I installed Windows Vista after clean formatting the entire hard drive. Well vista was running file for these days. But today morning I was trying to binding EXE's on XP and moving them to this Vista laptop. And since then am getting the following error message:

“This program has failed to start because its side by side configuration is incorrect.”

Tried searching for some help on web and found many places referring it to install the Visual C++ Redistributable. But when I double click the exe files I get the same error again. I tried restoring my system to earlier points but that dint helped. Even safe mode is unable to help me out getting rid of this side by side error.

**Pugsly** · 15-04-2009

Unfortunately there is no way left to fix this problem except re-installing the operating system again. I guess this is not the OEM version as you said the laptop came with XP pre-installed and you installed Vista just now. Otherwise you might have got it fixed by the server centers itself free of cost. Anyways, system restore should fix this problem but if it is not than you should reinstall the system again, as you already have enough knowledge about computers.

**prash_mate** · 16-04-2009

I think I got the cause of this error. If am not wrong I guess you are using Vista file system is NTFS + 64bit and your XP was Fat32 + 32bit, right ? In such cases you should not try out binding exe form xp to vista because obviously you will get the error that you are already facing. So I think you need to do some more research on the same.

**Nikki L** · 14-10-2010

First off I want to say - Malke - if you can't post something that helps - shut up than. To bash someone is completely unprofessional and ignorant. People look for help on this forums not insults and judgement for people who think they know it all.

Darklord1020 - I understand your dilemma and why you tried the steps that other poeple have posted to correct your problem. I had the same problem - it is a virus that corrupted part of your files. Unfortunately, you have to reinstall the OS and all programs. Sorry.