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0xC0000374ApplicationCritical

Error 0xC0000374 — STATUS_HEAP_CORRUPTION | Application Error Fix

Windows 10Windows 11Windows Server 2016Windows Server 2019Windows Server 2022

What Does 0xC0000374 Mean?

A heap has been corrupted. The application or a loaded DLL has written data outside of an allocated memory block, corrupting the heap management structures.

Real-World Causes

  1. 1Buffer overflow in the application writing past allocated memory
  2. 2Use-after-free bug where freed memory is written to
  3. 3Double-free of memory causing heap metadata corruption
  4. 4Incompatible DLL or plugin corrupting shared heap memory
  5. 5Faulty RAM causing random bit flips in heap data

Symptoms

  • ⚠Application crashes with heap corruption error
  • ⚠Random crashes at different points during execution
  • ⚠Crash may occur long after the actual corruption happened
  • ⚠Windows Error Reporting attributes the crash to ntdll.dll or the heap manager

DIY Fix

Beginner-friendly steps you can try at home

  1. 1Update the application to the latest version
  2. 2Disable or remove recently added plugins or extensions
  3. 3Run Windows Memory Diagnostic (mdsched.exe) to test RAM
  4. 4Reinstall the application to replace any corrupted DLLs

Advanced Fix

For experienced users and IT professionals

  1. 1Enable Page Heap for the application: gflags.exe /p /enable <app.exe> /full
  2. 2Use Application Verifier to catch heap corruption at the point of occurrence
  3. 3Analyze crash dumps with WinDbg using !heap -p -a <address> to identify the corruption
  4. 4Run MemTest86 overnight for thorough RAM testing
  5. 5If developing the app, compile with Address Sanitizer (ASan) enabled

Frequently Asked Questions

Can bad RAM cause heap corruption?
Yes. Faulty RAM can flip bits randomly, including in heap metadata. If you see heap corruption across multiple unrelated applications, RAM is a likely culprit. Run MemTest86 to test thoroughly.
Why does the crash point to ntdll.dll instead of the real cause?
The heap manager in ntdll.dll detects the corruption when it tries to use the corrupted heap structures, but the actual corruption happened earlier in a different module. Use Page Heap (gflags) to catch the corruption at the exact moment it occurs.

Related Error Codes

0xC0000005STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION0xC0000409STATUS_STACK_BUFFER_OVERRUN0xC00000FDSTATUS_STACK_OVERFLOW

About the Author

Windows Troubleshooting Team

Verified against official Microsoft documentation and real-world diagnostic data. Error behavior confirmed across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server.