Seeing “vcruntime140.dll was not found” or “msvcp140.dll is missing” means an app can’t find the Visual C++ runtime it was built against. This package supplies those files.
Games trigger it most often. If a title also complains about graphics components, the DirectX End-User Runtime is the other installer to check.
Developers hit the same wall with .NET apps, where the .NET Desktop Runtime plays the same role for managed code.
Many installers bundle the runtime quietly, which is why a fresh Windows install sometimes needs nothing extra. Portable apps and some game launchers skip it, and that’s where the errors show up.
The name is a little stale. Microsoft now documents this as the v14 Redistributable for Visual Studio 2017 through 2026, and one package covers apps built with the 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2026 toolsets. Your Programs list still shows it as 2015-2022.
Microsoft’s lifecycle table lists v14.50 (build 14.50.35710) as shipping in November 2025, with support running to November 2028. Newer builds have followed, so grab the current installer instead of hunting for a specific number.
Microsoft recommends the latest build for apps made with the 2015 through 2022 toolsets, because they’re binary compatible. Older builds age out fast: 14.40 lost support in January 2026 and 14.42 followed in July 2026.
People also ask which one they need. Use x64 for 64-bit apps and x86 for 32-bit apps. On 64-bit Windows, I’d install both, since plenty of older programs are still 32-bit.
Snapdragon laptops get a small extra: the x64 package also carries the ARM64 binaries.
To see what’s already installed, open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps, and search “Visual C++”. You’ll find one entry per architecture, and newer builds usually replace older ones in place.
You may also spot entries for 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013. Those are separate packages for older apps, and Microsoft no longer supports them. Leave them alone, because some programs still ask for one by name.
Error 0xc000007b (“the application was unable to start correctly”) often points to an x86 and x64 mismatch. Installing both packages is the usual first fix.
Key features
- Installs the C runtime, Standard C++ library, MFC, C++ AMP, and OpenMP
- Provides
vcruntime140.dll,msvcp140.dll, andvcruntime140_1.dllfor x64 apps - One package covers apps built with Visual Studio 2015 through 2026 toolsets
- Lets apps run on a PC that doesn’t have Visual Studio installed
- The x64 installer also carries ARM64 binaries
- Repair option when you re-run the installer on an existing install
- Silent install through winget:
winget install Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x64 - The 32-bit version installs the same way with
Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x86 - Free, Microsoft-signed installer
ScreenShots
System requirements
- A supported 64-bit version of Windows (the newest builds list a narrower set of supported releases, so check Microsoft’s page)
- Administrator access during installation
- A small installer, roughly 18 MB at last check
- A restart, if the installer asks for one
Why I recommend
Install the package and skip single DLL files. “DLL fixer” sites hand out files of unknown origin, and dropping one into System32 can break more than it fixes.
It won’t cure everything. A missing DLL can come from a damaged app install, an antivirus quarantine, or a program that wants the x86 package instead. If the error survives a reinstall, copy the exact message and search for it.
To fix a broken install, run the installer again and pick Repair. If you’d rather script the job, use the winget command above.
If the installer says a newer version is already installed, you’re covered. Pick Repair if the app still fails, then restart.
Verify before you run it. Right-click the downloaded file, open Properties, and check the Digital Signatures tab for Microsoft Corporation.
The installer runs with administrator rights, so only download it from aka.ms or microsoft.com. A look-alike site is the quickest way to hand a stranger control of your PC.
My order of attack: install the x64 and x86 packages, restart, run Repair, then reinstall the app itself. That covers a lot of cases, though I can’t promise it covers yours.
If an app’s own installer includes this runtime, let it. Installing the package separately only pays off when something fails.
More fixes for Windows problems live in our System Tools category.
You may also like
- .NET Framework, the older runtime many legacy Windows apps still ask for
- Windows Terminal, handy for running winget commands
Technical details
- Package: Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64)
- Family: v14, covering Visual Studio 2015 through 2026 toolsets
- Latest in Microsoft’s lifecycle table: 14.50.35710 (November 2025), with newer builds released since
- Developer: Microsoft Corporation
- License: Microsoft software license terms, free to download
Download information
64Bit
Download | Size: 17.86 MB
32Bit
Download | Size: 6.67 MB
