Windows is based on hundreds of small processes and programs that run in the background and work in tandem to make Windows work as we’ve come to see. That said, these small processes also run into issues from time to time and can cause problems.
In this article, we’re talking about Automation error 440, its causes and what you can do to fix the issue.
Also read: How to fix Incorrect Windows 11 Audio icons?
What causes this error?
The error generally is caused when accessing a corrupt automation object. The most common causes include the following.
- Error when executing a method or getting or setting a property of an object variable.
- The Office add-in that you’re trying to use has been disabled by the system administrator.
How to fix this error?
Here are eight fixes you can try out.
Update your PC
The first thing you should do is update your PC. Updating your PC will, in most cases, update your drivers and fix any issues in the process.
Check out this detailed guide to know how to update your PC here
Close or uninstall conflicting programs
Closing conflicting programs that may be hogging precious PC resources can also help resolve the error. Just go through the Processes tab on the Task Manager to see if you can fix the problem by closing any programs that might conflict with the target program or may be using a lot of resources.
Additionally, you can also go one step ahead and uninstall these programs if you don’t really need them to save yourself the hassle every time you encounter the error.
Repair Visual C++ Runtime
Repairing the Visual C++ Runtime library can fix any corrupt or damaged files triggering the error.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type appwiz.cpl and hit enter.
Step 2: Find the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime (2012 and onwards), select them and click the Change button. Follow along with the instructions to repair the library.
Once your computer restarts, try rerunning the program. This should fix the error.
Reinstall Visual C++ Runtime
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type appwiz.cpl and hit enter.
Step 2: Find the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime (2012 and onwards), select them and click the Uninstall button.
Head over to Microsoft’s support to download the latest Visual C++ Runtimes and install them.
Update your drivers
Updating or uninstalling a problematic GPU driver can also fix the problem.
Step 1: Right-click Start and select Device Manager from the menu.
Step 2: Expand the problematic GPU driver, right-click on it and click Update driver.
Step 3: Click on Search automatically for drivers. Windows will then automatically look for and download the latest drivers.
While this should help resolve the error, in case it doesn’t, click Uninstall device and restart your PC to force Windows to install the required drivers. You can then update them later.
Perform a Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup is an integral feature of Windows. It can help iron out many issues that may otherwise impact your system’s performance, including repairing any processes causing the error.
You can refer to this article for more information on Disk Cleanup
Run the Windows Memory Diagnostics tool
If your RAM is seated properly but is failing, it can trigger this error. To check if there’s an issue with your RAM, follow these steps.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Windows Memory Diagnostics. Then, click the corresponding search result.
Step 2: Run the tool and click the Restart now button to check for problems.
If you see some issues, try running the auto-troubleshoot to resolve the error.
Repair your system
If nothing else works, the best way to get rid of the error is by simply reinstalling or repairing your OS.
The Windows Media Creation tool is a great way to install Windows and repair the OS. Using this, you can perform a clean installation or repair your OS without affecting your data.
You can download the Media Creation Tool here
Also read: How to reassign any key on Windows, macOS and ChromeOS?
