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STATUS_IMAGE_MACHINE_TYPE_MISMATCH_EXE
The executable architecture is incompatible with process creation
This variant applies to the primary executable rather than an auxiliary DLL. The PE header is readable, but the image machine type does not match a native or supported emulated execution mode available for the attempted launch. Typical examples include selecting an ARM64 build on an x64-only system or invoking an architecture-specific helper from the wrong deployment package.
The diagnosis must separate CPU architecture from operating-system bitness and application packaging. A 32-bit executable can run on many 64-bit Windows installations through WOW, while a driver or unsupported architecture image cannot use the same compatibility path.
What to inspect
- Inspect the executable Machine field and optional-header magic instead of relying on the filename or download label.
- Record OS architecture, process-creation API, package selection, and whether the relevant emulation feature is installed.
- Verify that launchers choose the correct per-architecture executable rather than reusing the parent process architecture blindly.
- Do not attempt to repair the mismatch by editing PE header fields; the contained instructions and relocation types remain wrong.
References
- Microsoft Open Specifications: NTSTATUS values
- Microsoft: PE and COFF format
- LLVM: llvm-readobj COFF inspection
- Wine source: PE module loader
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