{"id":871,"date":"2018-10-29T07:02:09","date_gmt":"2018-10-29T11:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=871"},"modified":"2018-10-29T11:08:01","modified_gmt":"2018-10-29T15:08:01","slug":"a-reader-asks-how-do-i-fix-a-application-starter-parameter-is-incorrect-error","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/29\/a-reader-asks-how-do-i-fix-a-application-starter-parameter-is-incorrect-error\/","title":{"rendered":"A reader asks: How do I fix an “Application Starter\/Parameter is Incorrect\u201d error?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Writing from the Netherlands, reader Maarten Woerlee asks (via the CONTACT<\/a> link)<\/small><\/small>:<\/p>\n

Q: In Windows, sometimes there’s a pop-up window named \u201cApplication Starter\u201d with the message \u201cThe parameter is incorrect.\u201d What’s going on, and how do I fix this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: We can figure this out by looking at the two clues in your question: (1) the “Application Starter” generating the message, and (2) its \u201cIncorrect parameter.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

What’s the “application starter?<\/strong>\u00a0 My Windows reference systems have no native software called \u201capplication starter\u201d (or anything similar) on their hard drives. So, my guess is your system has some kind of third-party<\/em><\/span><\/strong> \u201capplication starter\u201d software (there are many such) that\u2019s having trouble. We’ll have to track it down.<\/p>\n

What’s an \u201cIncorrect parameter?\u201d<\/strong> This is a fairly vanilla, generic error message meaning that the software received an unexpected input — something outside of an allowable range, or of the wrong type, etc. It doesn’t provide any detail as to what, exactly, went wrong; just that the software was asked to handle something unexpected. Rather than crashing or going in a loop or failing some other way, the software reports \u201cThe parameter is incorrect\u201d and exits.<\/p>\n

What could be doing this?<\/strong> There are a number of add-on, third-party \u201capplication starter\u201d tools available (scripting tools; game launchers; logon helpers; etc.) that can launch (start) other apps. The script automatically supplies the information — the parameters — that the apps need to work.<\/p>\n

If one of these application starters is on your system, and it calls for (say) launching a nonexistent or bad app, or tries to use a software function that isn’t allowed, then you might well see an \u201cApplication Starter\u201d window with the \u201cIncorrect parameter\u201d message.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t know which application starter you have on your system, but you might try looking in Control Panel\\Programs\\Programs and Features<\/strong> to see if you have anything with a name something like that; and\/or searching your hard drive (e.g. via File Explorer\u2019s Search<\/em><\/span><\/strong> box) for any app with \u201capplication\u201d or \u201claunch\u201d in its name.<\/p>\n

If that doesn’t work, try to notice exactly what you and your system are doing when the message appears; a likely culprit is one of the tasks\/apps\/actions that was started or launched immediately before you see the message. You also can use tools such as Windows’ Task Manager<\/a> to see what’s running at the time of the error; or Windows’ Event Viewer<\/a> to explore the error logs to see what might have been involved with the error.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve tracked down the app, you can visit its publisher\u2019s site to see how it\u2019s supposed to be set up, and how to correct the \u201cIncorrect parameter\u201d problem.<\/p>\n

Permalink: https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-e3<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/small><\/small><\/p>\n

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Reply to this item via the Comment box below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Writing from the Netherlands, reader Maarten Woerlee asks (via the CONTACT link): Q: In Windows, sometimes there’s a pop-up window named \u201cApplication Starter\u201d with the message \u201cThe parameter is incorrect.\u201d What’s going on, and how do I fix this? A: We can figure this out by looking at the two clues in your question: (1)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-reader-asks","category-windows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-e3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":336,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/11\/a-reader-asks-who-is-the-genius-who-invented-windows-registry\/","url_meta":{"origin":871,"position":0},"title":"A reader asks: Who is the “genius” who invented Windows Registry?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-09-11","format":false,"excerpt":"Q. Who is the \"genius\" who invented Windows registry? (via Quora) A. It was a group, not a single person. But from your snark, I assume you\u2019re unhappy with the Windows Registry \u2014 you\u2019re having some problem with it, yes? Here's the thing: The Registry is just a special-purpose hierarchical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":472,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/24\/a-reader-asks-how-do-i-fix-an-operating-system-not-found-message\/","url_meta":{"origin":871,"position":1},"title":"A reader asks: How do I fix an ‘operating system not found’ message?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-09-24","format":false,"excerpt":"Q: How do I fix the \"an operating system wasn't found\" screen, with all the words are mixed up and the screen is white and twitching?\u00a0 (via Quora) A: An \"Operating System Not Found\" or \"Missing Operating System\" or similar message will occur when you boot\/start\/restart a PC, but something\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2602,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/04\/16\/a-reader-asks-why-am-i-not-able-to-reset-my-pc-or-reinstall-windows\/","url_meta":{"origin":871,"position":2},"title":"A reader asks: “Why am I not able to reset my PC or reinstall Windows?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-04-16","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by\u00a0Reese Lynn.) The most common problems include obsolete drivers (check your PC vendor site for updates); too-aggressive third-party software (e.g. anti-rootkits\/anti-malware); and disk errors (run chkdsk ). For some general how-to fixes, see this text; it mentions Win7, but the general fixes discussed there work on any Windows\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":660,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/09\/a-reader-asks-is-ad-aware-web-companion-for-windows-10-third-party-software\/","url_meta":{"origin":871,"position":3},"title":"A reader asks: Is Ad-Aware Web Companion for Windows 10 third-party software?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-10-09","format":false,"excerpt":"Ever wonder who's really behind a certain website or online product? So did this reader --- and you can apply the answer to almost any online site or product: Q: Is 'Ad-Aware Web Companion for Windows 10' third-party software? (via Quora) A:\u00a0Yes. \u2018Ad-Aware Web Companion\u2019 is not a Microsoft product.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":219,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/01\/a-reader-asks-why-does-my-lenovo-pc-now-think-its-an-acer\/","url_meta":{"origin":871,"position":4},"title":"A reader asks: Why does my Lenovo PC now think it’s an Acer?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-09-01","format":false,"excerpt":"Q: My Lenovo (windows 8.1, later 10) used a recovery drive from an Acer laptop with Windows 8 which it updated to 10. Len now thinks it's an Acer? What changed? (Question sent via Quora) A: OEM recovery drives usually contain drivers and add-on software specific to that brand of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2169,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/26\/a-reader-asks-whats-up-with-malwarebytes\/","url_meta":{"origin":871,"position":5},"title":"A reader asks: “What’s up with Malwarebytes?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-02-26","format":false,"excerpt":"Reader Sheldon Doskie asks: \"Hi Fred, Great to see you back! Are you aware of a problem when trying to update the latest virus signatures of the Malwarebytes free version? 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