What is cl.exe?
The cl.exe file is a Microsoft C/C++ Compiler driver and is used to compile programs written in C++ language.
Common Cl.exe Error
Listed below is a common cl.exe error that you may receive while compiling programs in C++:
C1001: INTERNAL COMPILER ERROR
(compiler file ‘msc1.cpp’, line 1786)
Please choose the Technical Support command on the Visual C++
Help menu, or open the Technical Support help file for more information
Error executing cl.exe.
Creating browse info file…
BSCMAKE: error BK1506 : cannot open file ‘.\Debug\VCString.sbr’: No such
file or directory
Error executing bscmake.exe.”
Cause of the Error
This cl.exe error may occur due to any of the following reasons:
- Outdated Visual Studio Service Pack
- Corrupt Visual C++ installation
- Malware infection
- Registry issues
Resolution Steps
Depending upon the cause of the cl.exe error, perform either of the following steps to resolve the issue:
Step 1
Download and install the latest Visual Studio service pack on your computer.
Step 2
If the above step fails to fix the error, uninstall Visual C++ or entire Visual Studio package from your computer and reinstall it. To ensure complete removal of Visual C++ or Visual Studio, use either the built-in Add or Remove Programs utility or a reliable third party uninstaller tool for uninstallation.
After the un-installation process is complete, restart your PC and the reinstall Visual C++ or Visual Studio on your computer. Install all the available services packs before you start using it.
Step 3
Perform a malware scan of your entire system. Malware programs, such as virus, worms, and trojans are known to cause various exe errors by altering the reference points of exe files in the registry. Also, spyware and adware programs are known to add several infected programs on the PC that may interrupt with the normal functioning of your PC.
As a result, an exe error is generated whenever an application or program attempts to execute an infected exe file. To ensure the above cl.exe error is not caused by malware, perform a malware scan of your system using robust antimalware software, such as STOPzilla Antivirus and Spyware Cease.
These antimalware tools have the capability to identify and remove stubborn malware programs and efficiently restore the infected files to normal working state.
Step 4
If the above steps fail to resolve the cl.exe error, the problem is quite likely due to registry issues. Over time, your system registry gets filled up with huge amounts of invalid, corrupt and unwanted information. Unwarranted growth of the registry can cause various system errors, including fatal errors that may prevent your system from booting.
This is why it is imperative that you keep your registry clean and compact. To achieve this, regularly scan your registry using reliable third-party registry cleaning software, such as RegServe. It is a powerful but user-friendly tool that uses advanced algorithms to eliminate stubborn invalid entries with just few mouse clicks.