VCRUNTIME140.dll or MSVCP140.dll was not found: how to fix it

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These DLLs belong to the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime, which many programs and games need but do not always install. Installing or repairing the latest Visual C++ Redistributable from Microsoft, both the x64 and the x86 package on 64-bit Windows, fixes the error in almost every case.

Applies to:Windows 11Windows 10Programs built with Visual Studio 2015–2026
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What it means

VCRUNTIME140.dll, MSVCP140.dll, VCRUNTIME140_1.dll and their relatives are the Microsoft C and C++ runtime libraries. Programs written in C++ with Visual Studio load them at start, and they are installed on a PC by a package called the Visual C++ Redistributable. When the package is missing, too old or damaged, Windows cannot start the program and shows a message such as The code execution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found.

Two details explain most cases. First, the package has to match the program, not Windows: a 32-bit game needs the x86 package even on 64-bit Windows. Second, programs built with a newer Visual Studio need a runtime at least as new as the one they were built with, so an old installed version can produce the same error.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • A program or game refuses to start with The code execution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.
  • The same message names MSVCP140.dll, VCRUNTIME140_1.dll, MSVCP140_1.dll or CONCRT140.dll.
  • The error appeared after a clean Windows install, after copying a program from another PC, or after uninstalling software.

The usual causes, most common first:

The runtime was never installed
Portable programs and some installers assume the runtime is already on the PC.
Only one architecture is installed
A 32-bit program needs the x86 runtime; having only the x64 one is not enough.
The installed version is too old
A program built with a recent Visual Studio may need functions that an older runtime does not have.
The runtime files are damaged
Disk errors, cleanup tools or a failed update can corrupt the installed files.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Install the latest Visual C++ Redistributable (x64 and x86)

Easy

This puts the current, Microsoft-signed versions of all these DLLs in the right system folders. Installing both architectures on 64-bit Windows is normal and safe.

  1. Download both packages from Microsoft: vc_redist.x64.exe and vc_redist.x86.exe. On a PC with an Arm processor, the x64 package already includes the Arm64 files. More details are on our Visual C++ Redistributable download page.
  2. Run each file, accept the licence terms and select Install. Allow the User Account Control prompt.
  3. Restart the PC if the installer asks, then start the program again.

2.Repair the installed runtime

Easy

If the latest version is already installed, the installer offers Repair instead of Install, which replaces damaged files.

  1. Run vc_redist.x64.exe again and choose Repair. Do the same with vc_redist.x86.exe.
  2. Alternatively open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable (older installs are named Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable), select ... > Modify and then Repair.
  3. Restart and try the program again.

3.Reinstall or repair the program itself

Easy

Some programs ship their own copy of the runtime next to the program files. A damaged copy there is fixed by the program's own repair or reinstall, not by the system package.

  1. In Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the program, then ... > Modify or Repair if offered. Otherwise uninstall it and install it again from its official source.
  2. For Steam games, right-click the game, choose Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. Steam also reinstalls the game's required runtimes on the next start.

4.If the Redistributable installer itself fails

ModerateChanges settings

Microsoft's troubleshooting guide lists the common installer errors: 1603 (generic failure), 5 (access denied), 32 (file locked), 1620 (corrupt package) and 1714 (an older version cannot be removed).

Before you start: If you pause a third-party antivirus for the installation, turn it back on right after.

  1. Right-click the installer and choose Run as administrator.
  2. Install pending updates in Settings > Windows Update, restart, and try again.
  3. Close all other programs (code 32 means a file is in use) and try again after a restart.
  4. For code 1714, uninstall the old Visual C++ v14 / 2015-2022 entries in Installed apps first, then install the latest packages.
  5. To see the exact error, run Microsoft's log collection tool (Collect.exe), open %TEMP%\vscollect.zip and search the files starting with dd_vcredist_ for Error.

5.Check Windows system files

Moderate

If the runtime installs but programs still cannot load it, Windows itself may have damaged files.

  1. In an administrator Command Prompt, repair the component store and then check system files:
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
  2. Restart and install the Redistributable again.

Check that it worked

  • The program starts without the DLL message.
  • Settings > Apps > Installed apps lists Microsoft Visual C++ v14 (or 2015-2022) Redistributable entries for both x64 and x86.

If it still fails

  • Check the program's requirements: a few older programs need the 2013 or 2012 runtime (MSVCR120.dll, MSVCR110.dll); Microsoft lists those packages on its latest supported Visual C++ downloads page.
  • If the message names a DLL that is not part of the Visual C++ runtime (for example d3dx9_43.dll), it comes from another package, such as the DirectX End-User Runtime.
  • Contact the program's developer: Microsoft's own guidance for fixing a specific app is to ask its vendor which runtime it needs.

Questions

Can I just download the missing DLL file?

Don't. DLL download sites are not affiliated with Microsoft, their files cannot be verified, and a single copied DLL often has the wrong version or architecture. Microsoft's own warning is to install only Microsoft-signed Visual C++ packages downloaded from a Microsoft site.

Do I need every old Visual C++ version listed in Installed apps?

Usually yes, if programs installed them: versions from 2013 and earlier sit side by side and are used by older software. The 2015 to 2026 versions share one package, so only the newest of those is needed.

Sources

  1. Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloadsOfficial · Microsoft Learn
  2. Troubleshoot Visual C++ Redistributable installation problemsOfficial · Microsoft Learn

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