diff --git a/client/app_start.cpp b/client/app_start.cpp
index d6b9073b35..3fc136b42e 100644
--- a/client/app_start.cpp
+++ b/client/app_start.cpp
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::start(bool test) {
     } else {
         prio_mask = get_priority(high_priority);
     }
-
+ 
     for (i=0; i<5; i++) {
         last_error = 0;
         if (sandbox_account_service_token != NULL) {
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::start(bool test) {
                 break;
             } else {
                 last_error = GetLastError();
-                windows_format_error_string(last_error, error_msg, sizeof(error_msg));
+                windows_format_error_string(last_error, error_msg, sizeof(error_msg), exec_path);
                 msg_printf(wup->project, MSG_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                     "Process creation failed: %s - error code %d (0x%x)",
                     error_msg, last_error, last_error
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::start(bool test) {
                 break;
             } else {
                 last_error = GetLastError();
-                windows_format_error_string(last_error, error_msg, sizeof(error_msg));
+                windows_format_error_string(last_error, error_msg, sizeof(error_msg), exec_path);
                 msg_printf(wup->project, MSG_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                     "Process creation failed: %s - error code %d (0x%x)",
                     error_msg, last_error, last_error
diff --git a/lib/win_util.cpp b/lib/win_util.cpp
index 82b17f4425..6124fe641b 100644
--- a/lib/win_util.cpp
+++ b/lib/win_util.cpp
@@ -137,23 +137,24 @@ std::string boinc_wide_to_ascii(const std::wstring& str) {
 // get message for given error
 //
 char* windows_format_error_string(
-    unsigned long dwError, char* pszBuf, int iSize
+    unsigned long dwError, char* pszBuf, int iSize ...
 ) {
     DWORD dwRet;
-    LPWSTR lpszTemp = NULL;
+    LPSTR lpszTemp = NULL;
 
-    dwRet = FormatMessageW(
-        FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS |
+    va_list args;
+    va_start(args, iSize);
+    dwRet = FormatMessage(
         FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER |
-        FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM |
-        FORMAT_MESSAGE_ARGUMENT_ARRAY,
+        FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM ,
         NULL,
         dwError,
         LANG_NEUTRAL,
-        (LPWSTR)&lpszTemp,
+        (LPSTR)&lpszTemp,
         0,
-        NULL
+        &args
     );
+    va_end(args);
 
     if (dwRet != 0) {
         // include the hex error code as well
diff --git a/lib/win_util.h b/lib/win_util.h
index 6b76779bf8..35345e70e4 100644
--- a/lib/win_util.h
+++ b/lib/win_util.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ extern std::wstring boinc_ascii_to_wide(const std::string& str);
 extern std::string boinc_wide_to_ascii(const std::wstring& str);
 
 extern char* windows_format_error_string(
-    unsigned long dwError, char* pszBuf, int iSize
+    unsigned long dwError, char* pszBuf, int iSize ...
 );
 
 #endif
diff --git a/win_build/vboxwrapper.vcxproj b/win_build/vboxwrapper.vcxproj
index 56ce484f49..e78510cf08 100644
--- a/win_build/vboxwrapper.vcxproj
+++ b/win_build/vboxwrapper.vcxproj
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@
     <CodeAnalysisRuleAssemblies Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'" />
     <CodeAnalysisRuleAssemblies Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|ARM64'" />
     <TargetName Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|x64'">vboxwrapper_26207_windows_x86_64</TargetName>
-    <TargetName Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|ARM64'">vboxwrapper_26206_windows_arm64</TargetName>
-    <TargetName Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">vboxwrapper_26206_windows_x86_64</TargetName>
-    <TargetName Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|ARM64'">vboxwrapper_26206_windows_arm64</TargetName>
+    <TargetName Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|ARM64'">vboxwrapper_26207_windows_arm64</TargetName>
+    <TargetName Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">vboxwrapper_26207_windows_x86_64</TargetName>
+    <TargetName Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|ARM64'">vboxwrapper_26207_windows_arm64</TargetName>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|x64'">
     <Midl>