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ERROR_FATAL_APP_EXIT
A process deliberately reported a fatal application exit
ERROR_FATAL_APP_EXIT corresponds to Win32 error value documented as: {Fatal Application Exit} %hs This status is emitted when application code chooses a fatal-exit path rather than when Windows detects an arbitrary crash. The accompanying text often comes from the application itself and may identify the failed invariant or startup stage.
Where the result appears in real systems
- Native applications using FatalAppExit or an equivalent runtime termination path.
- Service startup code that cannot continue after configuration validation.
- Compatibility layers that surface an application-supplied fatal message.
What to collect before making changes
Capture the complete message text, executable version, command line, current user, and the last application log records; check whether Windows Error Reporting produced a dump even though the termination was deliberate; reproduce with the same configuration and environment variables.
Handling and recovery
Do not retry the same launch indefinitely. Correct the input, dependency, or configuration named by the fatal message, then start a fresh process. A supervisor should preserve the original exit context instead of replacing it with a generic service failure.
What not to infer from this code
Unlike an access violation, this result says that software intentionally entered a fatal termination path. The real defect may still be internal, but the immediate event is controlled and usually has a human-readable explanation.
References
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