0x000007b error screen, at any start of any app

Hey everyone,

I've been having trouble starting any portable app for a while now. Whenever I try, I get an error code 0x000007b with a message saying the application can't start. That's pretty much all the info I get.

The weird thing is, this isn't a "it never worked" situation. I've always loved using portable apps. But for some time now, I just can't get them to launch. It doesn't matter if I try to start them through the PortableApps.com launcher or if I go directly into the app's folder and run the .exe myself – they simply refuse to start.

Here's what I've already tried, just to save you some time:

# I've reinstalled all the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables. I even went to GitHub to get an all-in-one package to update every framework and
runtime I could think of.
# I've made sure the PortableApps.com Platform itself is updated to the latest version.
# I even enlisted the help of an AI assistant (DeepSeek – nice tool, by the way!) to troubleshoot this. We had a good laugh when it suggested I
should "ask on the forum"... which is why I'm here now. Talk about irony!

So, with all that said... does anyone have a genius idea or a lightbulb moment about what could be causing this?
My system: Windows 10 Pro, 32GB RAM. The portable apps are on a USB stick that still has about 90GB of free space.

Any pointers would be hugely appreciated

Greetings, Joeysfalsa