Fixes / Windows · Checked September 30, 2026

VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found on Windows: how to fix it

Short answer

The program needs the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime (VCRUNTIME140.dll), and Windows cannot find it. The usual fix is to download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable from Microsoft (aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x64.exe and aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x86.exe), install both, restart, and open the program again. Do not download the DLL from third-party DLL sites.

What this message means

VCRUNTIME140.dll is part of the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, a shared set of runtime files used by programs built with Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 or later. Games, Adobe tools, Python, OBS, and many other apps depend on it. When a program starts, Windows looks for this file in C:\Windows\System32 (64-bit programs) or C:\Windows\SysWOW64 (32-bit programs on 64-bit Windows). This message means the matching file is not there, is damaged, or is the wrong architecture. Windows stops the program before it opens. Your files and the program itself are usually fine. Only the shared runtime has to be installed or repaired.

Common causes

Cause	How to tell
The Visual C++ Redistributable was never installed. This is common on a fresh Windows install, or when a program was copied or extracted from a zip instead of installed with its setup.	In Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 11) or Apps & features (Windows 10), no entry named "Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable" or "Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable" is listed.
Only one architecture is installed. A 32-bit program needs the x86 package even on 64-bit Windows, and a 64-bit program needs the x64 package.	You see an (x64) redistributable in the app list but no (x86) one, or the reverse. Programs installed under C:\Program Files (x86) are usually 32-bit and need x86.
The installed redistributable is damaged or partly removed, for example by a cleanup tool, antivirus quarantine, or a failed update.	The redistributable is listed in Installed apps, but the error still appears. Other programs that used to work may now show the same message or a similar one for MSVCP140.dll or VCRUNTIME140_1.dll.
The redistributable is older than the program needs, so it is missing newer files such as VCRUNTIME140_1.dll.	The error names VCRUNTIME140_1.dll, or it started right after you installed or updated a program. The installed redistributable version (shown in Installed apps) is several years old.
The program's own installation is incomplete, so it never ran the redistributable installer it ships with.	Only this one program shows the error. Other apps open normally, and the redistributables are installed and up to date.

How to fix it

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

Windows 10 and Windows 11. The current package no longer supports Windows 7 or 8.1.

Download the x64 installer from Microsoft: https://aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x64.exe
Download the x86 installer from Microsoft: https://aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x86.exe (a 32-bit program needs this one even on 64-bit Windows)
On an ARM-based Windows PC (such as a Snapdragon laptop), the x64 package also installs the ARM64 files. Install x64 and x86.
Right-click each file, select Run as administrator, tick the license box, and select Install.
Restart the PC, then open the program again.

2. Repair the existing redistributable

Windows 11: Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Windows 10: Settings > Apps > Apps & features.

Open Settings and go to Apps > Installed apps (Windows 11) or Apps > Apps & features (Windows 10).
Search for "Visual C++".
Find "Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64)" or "Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable (x64)". On Windows 11 select the three dots (...) and choose Modify. On Windows 10 select it and choose Modify.
In the window that opens, select Repair and confirm the prompt.
Do the same for the (x86) entry, then restart the PC.
If the installer from Fix 1 says "Another version of this product is already installed" (0x80070666), a newer version is already there. Use Repair instead.

3. Install with winget from the command line

Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and Windows 11 with App Installer (winget) present. Useful for IT and for scripting across several PCs.

Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin) on Windows 11, or Windows PowerShell (Admin) on Windows 10.
Run: winget install --id Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x64 -e
Run: winget install --id Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x86 -e
Restart the PC and open the program.

4. Reinstall the program that shows the error

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 11) or Apps & features (Windows 10), find the program, and select Uninstall.
Download a fresh installer from the vendor's official site or store (Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store and so on).
Run the installer and allow any "Microsoft Visual C++" prerequisite step it offers. Do not skip it.
For Steam games, you can also right-click the game > Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. This reruns missing prerequisites.
Restart and open the program.

5. Fix installer failures, then check Windows system files

Use this when the redistributable installer itself fails, for example with error 1603, 5, 32 or 1714.

Install all pending updates in Settings > Windows Update, then restart.
Close all other programs, temporarily turn off third-party antivirus, and run the redistributable installer again as administrator. Turn protection back on afterwards.
If it still fails, open Terminal (Admin) and run: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
When that finishes, run: sfc /scannow
Restart and run the x64 and x86 installers from Fix 1 again.

Next time, skip the search

Crade is an AI assistant for Mac and Windows that sees your screen. When a message like this pops up, ask “what does this mean?” and it explains the exact error in front of you, step by step.

Download Crade

Still not fixed?

If the error continues after you install and repair both the x64 and x86 redistributables, the program may need a specific older runtime or may be damaged. Contact the program's vendor, give them the exact error text and your Windows version, and ask which Visual C++ package they require. Microsoft's own guidance says that app-specific runtime issues should go to the app vendor. If the redistributable installer itself fails, run Microsoft's log collector (aka.ms/vscollect) and search the dd_vcredist logs for "Error". On a work PC, ask IT, because group policy or endpoint protection may be blocking the install. Do not copy VCRUNTIME140.dll from DLL download sites. Those files can be outdated, the wrong architecture, or malware.

Questions people ask

Is it safe to download VCRUNTIME140.dll from a DLL website?

No. Microsoft advises installing Visual C++ runtime files only from Microsoft and only when they are signed by Microsoft. A single loose DLL is often the wrong version or architecture and can contain malware. The official redistributable installs the correct files in the correct folders.

Do I need the x86 or the x64 version?

Install both. A 64-bit program needs the x64 package, and a 32-bit program needs the x86 package even on 64-bit Windows. Many PCs run a mix of both.

Should I run regsvr32 vcruntime140.dll?

No. VCRUNTIME140.dll is not a COM component, so regsvr32 fails with a "DllRegisterServer was not found" message and fixes nothing. Install or repair the redistributable instead.

What is the difference between VCRUNTIME140.dll and VCRUNTIME140_1.dll?

Both come from the same Visual C++ 2015 and later redistributable. VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was added in the 2019 version and exists only in 64-bit form. If the error names it, install the latest x64 package.

I already have Visual C++ 2015-2022 installed. Why does the error still appear?

Usually only one architecture is installed, the installed copy is damaged, or it is older than the program needs. Install the latest x64 and x86 packages, or use Modify > Repair on both entries, then restart.

Sources

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