error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol wmain referenced in function mainWCRTStartup

If you are a programmer for WIN32 API, following error would have given you lots of headaches. When you are compiling a simple application with either one of the following functions as your main() function, this error can be occured.

• WinMain
• wWinMain
• main
• wmain

When you are compiling such a program with Visual Studio, you may get the following 


error.error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol wmain referenced in function mainWCRTStartup  corelibc.lib

What this error reflects is that the wmain function cannot be found by the compiler. The CRT entrypoint for your application needs to match your "main" entrypoint.  Here is the mapping:

• WinMain       ->  WinMainCRTStartup
• wWinMain     ->  wWinMainCRTStartup
• main               ->  mainACRTStartup
• wmain            -> mainWCRTStartup

The entrypoint is specified on the linker command line after the /ENTRY option.  Sometimes the linker can guess which is the right entrypoint to use, but I would never trust it and just always specify.

Go to the properties->Configuration Properties->Linker->Command Line->       

In the Additional options section, just add the following line

/ENTRY:"WinMainCRTStartup" ( If you are using WinMain )

Like that you can add the relevant option for matching main function you are using.

THAT'S IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!