ErrorFindly
0xC0000602ApplicationCritical

Error 0xC0000602 — STATUS_FAIL_FAST_EXCEPTION | Application Error Fix

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

What Does 0xC0000602 Mean?

A fail-fast exception was raised. The application detected an unrecoverable internal error and intentionally terminated to prevent data corruption or security compromise.

Real-World Causes

  1. 1Application detected an internal state that should be impossible
  2. 2C++ runtime detected a corrupted exception handling chain
  3. 3Security check failure in the application code
  4. 4STL iterator corruption or other C++ runtime invariant violation
  5. 5Third-party library detected an unrecoverable error

Symptoms

  • ⚠Application terminates abruptly without a standard crash dialog
  • ⚠Exception code 0xC0000602 in Windows Error Reporting
  • ⚠No exception handler catches the error because it is intentionally uncatchable
  • ⚠Application log shows fail-fast with subcode indicating the specific failure

DIY Fix

Beginner-friendly steps you can try at home

  1. 1Update the application to the latest version
  2. 2Clear application cache and temporary files
  3. 3Reinstall the application
  4. 4Check for and install pending Windows updates

Advanced Fix

For experienced users and IT professionals

  1. 1Analyze the crash dump to find the fail-fast subcode which indicates the specific reason
  2. 2Check for corrupted C++ runtime: repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
  3. 3Use WinDbg with 'k' command on the crash dump to see the call stack leading to the fail-fast
  4. 4If the subcode is 7, it indicates a corrupted exception chain — reinstall the C++ runtime

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't exception handlers catch this?
Fail-fast exceptions are designed to be uncatchable. The application calls RaiseFailFastException specifically because continuing execution is dangerous. The error is so severe that no recovery is possible, and catching it could lead to data corruption.
What is the fail-fast subcode?
The subcode provides more detail about why the fail-fast was triggered. For example, subcode 7 means corrupted exception handling state, and subcode 2 means a security cookie check failed. Check the crash dump for the specific subcode.

Related Error Codes

0xC0000409STATUS_STACK_BUFFER_OVERRUN0xC0000374STATUS_HEAP_CORRUPTION0xC0000005STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION

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.