Quite often, many users on the monitor screen when performing some operations to open files may receive the message "Error while running the server application." Let's try to consider several situations and understand what it is and how to get rid of such a scourge.
What is a “server application execution error”?
Among all the situations that lead to the appearance of problems of this type, the most common is the problem of playing multimedia files. In this case, most often an error when executing the server appears when trying to watch a video.
As you know, the standard Windows Media Player is far from ideal and does not always work correctly as a multimedia tool installed in the system by default. In addition, a different kind of situation may arise. This may be due, for example, to programs like “1C”, installing MS Link Server 2013, etc. Only in this case, the user receives a message such as "Error while executing the command."
For obvious reasons and because of the complexity of the latest programs, we will not consider them, but focus on the components responsible for the correct opening of multimedia files.
Viruses and System Restore
If the user receives a message stating that a server application execution error has occurred, the first thing to do is to start checking the computer system for viruses (some malicious programs can lead to such consequences).
If the check does not work even when using an independent portable anti-virus with fresh databases, it is worth looking at exactly when the error first appeared, and then try to roll back the system to its original state using recovery from any control point preceding this situation. It may very well be that this approach will help (especially if you recently installed multimedia updates).
Problems with drivers, codecs, and the DirectX platform
On the other hand, neither viruses nor updates can have anything to do with it. If the system suddenly informs that an error of this type occurred during the operation, it is very likely that, for example, video accelerator drivers require updating, or the codecs and decoders used in some video file have a higher version than those installed on this computer.
As already clear, these components just need to be updated. For video cards, you can use the Task Manager, download the file with the latest driver version from the official website of the manufacturer manually, or update it using specialized utilities for automatic search and update.
The same applies to the packet codec and decoders. It’s good today to find the latest distribution of the same K-Lite Codec Pack on the Internet. The only thing you need to pay attention to is a mandatory scan of antivirus software if it was not downloaded from an official source.
Often the problem, when an error occurs while executing the server application, may be due to the presence of an outdated version of DirectX. There is nothing easier than going to the official website of Microsoft Corporation, downloading the latest DirectX release from there and reinstalling all its components.
The simplest troubleshooting commands
If the above methods do not help, and an error occurs while running the server application again and again, you will have to use the command line. You can call it from the standard Run menu by writing cmd in the field.
After a black window opens like the old DOS system, you need to enter two regsvr32 jscript.dll and regsvr32 vbscript.dll commands one after the other, after each of them pressing the enter key (Enter).
After that, a system reboot will be required. True, in some cases this may not give the desired result. Then you need to enter an additional sfc / scannow command. In theory, in combination with the two previous ones, it should save the user from the further occurrence of errors and failures.
Problems with Windows Media Player
Now a few words about the "native" Windows player. As a rule, an error when executing a server application appears in it. And this concerns not even viewing streaming video online, but even the usual opening of a video file.
The simplest solution is to install any other player, well, say, VLC Media Player or something like that. If the file you are looking for opens with such a player without problems, then the problem really lies in Windows Media Player. You can refuse it.
But if you are a supporter of this program and do not want to change your preferences in any way, you can apply another radical method. Not to mention updating the player, you have to turn to the installed components of Windows.
To do this, use the "Control Panel" to use the program and component section (in older operating systems, this is the section for installing and uninstalling programs), where there is a special menu for enabling and disabling system components. In the list of installed software we find Windows Media Player and uncheck the box opposite it. We reboot the system, after which we again go to the same section and return the checkmark to its place. Reboot required again.
With a very high degree of probability it can be argued that this error will be eliminated, although, in principle, no one can say exactly how turning off and on again the “native” player affects the correctness of its operation. It may well be that the developers themselves are not aware of this.
Conclusion
So we examined the most likely situations of server application runtime errors, and indicated the main methods for fixing them. However, if an error occurred while executing the server application, this is far from all the ways, because sometimes in case of failures in the “OS” itself, it may be necessary to load from the installation disk or flash drive, update other components, etc. We have given only the simplest options.