What Is Error 204 for a PC?

By Travis DeLingua

Error 204 is common in Windows.
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There are a number of reasons why PCs give error messages: a virus, a deleted file, corrupted software and a host of other reasons too long to list. Error 204 is one of the most common errors a Windows user can encounter.

Error 204 Defined

Error 204 on a PC is a runtime error. Runtime is the actual execution of a computer program and "at runtime" means when the program is running.

Runtime Errors

A runtime error is an error occurring while a program is running. A runtime error will typically stop the program from running and shut it down. According to an IBM survey, up to two-thirds of program code is often devoted to error handling.

When Error 204 Appears

Runtime Errors are some of the most common error messages to pop up on a PC. Runtime Error 204 shows up due to several factors, but will often appear immediately after Windows starts up, causing programs to malfunction, programs to not open and occasionally crashing the entire system. Malware, software flaws and registry problems are the most common culprits of Runtime Error 204.

What Error 204 Does

Runtime Error 204 is an error in a corrupted registry. The registry is an integral part of a PC, containing operating system components and the application settings. If the registry is corrupted, the system could crash.

Fixing Error 204

If you are computer savvy and can detect the actual program that is the source of the error, you can go to the registry and manually resolve the problem. Fortunately, runtime errors are so common, programs have been created specifically to resolve runtime errors; the most widely used programs are registry cleaning tools.

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