Code::Blocks Forums
User forums => Help => Topic started by: JoeH on October 10, 2025, 05:58:47 am
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I want to install Code::Blocks on my old laptop computer. It is a 32 bit machine using Windows XP Pro version 2002 with Service Pack 3. I have attempted to install Code::Blocks 25.03. The install file is Code::Blocks-25.03mingw-setup.exe downloaded from SourceForge. The program installs successfully using all the defaults, but fails to execute. I get a error message stating the "api-ms-win-crt-convert-l1-1-0.dll" could not be found. I tried to use a copy of the dll from a couple of other sources that I found, but had no success. I got a different error message stating that the "ucrtbase.mbrtowc" entry point could not be found in the dll when using either of the two files.
Moved on to plan B. I downloaded a copy Code::Blocks-20.03mingw-setup.exe. This version also installed successfully but would not execute correctly. The error message stated that the program "was not a valid Win32 application".
Plan C. I searched this forum for similar problems. I found a topic with very similar issues. The poster had finally installed Code::Blocks 17.12 and could successfully run Code::Blocks. The best recommendations he received to get a later version of Code::Blocks operational was to copy pieces of version 17.12 over to a newer installation. The poster said he could live with version 17.12. I downloaded a copy of version 17.12 and have successfully installed and used it to build a "Hello World" test project.
My question is: Since the above topic has there been a better solution to this issue identified? I really would like to get Code::Blocks 25.03 to work.
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Maybe, this link has the 32bit Windows builds, see here: Re: The 04 October 2025 build (13739) is out. (https://forums.codeblocks.org/index.php/topic,26137.msg177818.html#msg177818)
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I suggest trying the link above and if it does not work install the UCRT
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-for-universal-c-runtime-in-windows-c0514201-7fe6-95a3-b0a5-287930f3560c (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-for-universal-c-runtime-in-windows-c0514201-7fe6-95a3-b0a5-287930f3560c)
Oops, I do not see UCRT for Windows XP
I found this comment on a github site; so, maybe installing the MS Visual C Redist will install the UCRT for you.
On Windows XP, the VCRedist will deploy the UCRT itself.