concrt140.dll Not Found: Track Down the Runtime Failure

The exact messages include “The program can’t start because CONCRT140.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem,” “The code execution cannot proceed because CONCRT140.dll was not found,” and “There was a problem starting concrt140.dll.”

concrt140.dll is the Microsoft Concurrency Runtime library used by some Visual C++ applications and games. If the file is missing, damaged, blocked, or the wrong architecture, repair the official Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable before downloading anything else.

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The 60-second fix

1. Open Microsoft’s latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads.
2. Download the package matching the failed application:
3. Latest x86 package for 32-bit programs.
4. Latest x64 package for 64-bit programs.
5. On 64-bit Windows, install both x86 and x64 if you are unsure which type the application uses.
6. Run each installer and choose Repair if that option appears. Otherwise, install it normally.
7. Restart Windows and launch the program again.

A 64-bit copy of Windows can run 32-bit software, but that software still needs the x86 Visual C++ runtime. Installing only x64 is a common reason the error remains.

What is concrt140.dll?

concrt140.dll is the Microsoft Concurrency Runtime, a component of the Visual C++ runtime libraries. It supports Microsoft’s parallel programming facilities, including parallel containers and algorithms such as concurrency::parallel_for.

Microsoft separated the Concurrency Runtime from the older C runtime during the Visual Studio 2015 runtime refactoring. The file is therefore associated with applications built with the Visual Studio C++ runtime family, but it is not required by every C++ application.

An application may use the runtime in either of two ways:

• It may rely on the system-wide Visual C++ Redistributable installed in Windows runtime directories.
• It may include an application-local copy installed beside the program’s executable.

The program that installed the file may be the application itself, a game launcher, or a prerequisite installer bundled with that program. A copy located in System32 or SysWOW64 does not mean that concrt140.dll originally shipped as an independent Windows component.

Microsoft describes the file’s runtime role in its documentation for CRT library features and the Concurrency Runtime.

Is concrt140.dll a legitimate Microsoft file?

Yes. concrt140.dll is a legitimate Microsoft library when it comes from an official Visual C++ Redistributable installation or a trusted application installation.

The filename alone does not prove that every copy is safe. Malware can use familiar names, and a damaged or modified copy can cause the same loader errors as a missing file. Check the file’s location, origin, digital signature when available, and the result of a Windows Security scan.

Do not treat the following as proof of malware by themselves:

• The file is named concrt140.dll.
• The file is located in System32.
• A game or application installed it.
• Windows reports a missing or invalid copy.

Be more cautious when the file appeared after installing pirated software, a crack, an unknown installer, or an unofficial DLL package. In that situation, scan the system and reinstall the affected application from its trusted source.

Is concrt140.dll included with Windows?

Not as a universal standalone Windows component. It is normally delivered through a Visual C++ Redistributable package, although that package can place the runtime in Windows runtime directories.

On 64-bit Windows:

• System32 normally contains 64-bit system files.
• SysWOW64 normally contains 32-bit system files.

Those names are counterintuitive. SysWOW64 does not mean “64-bit files.” It is the directory used for many 32-bit system components on 64-bit Windows. Microsoft explains this behavior in its File System Redirector documentation.

Do not copy a DLL into either directory simply because an error mentions it. The correct architecture, related runtime files, installer registration, and dependencies all matter.

What does the “140” mean?

The 140 identifies the Visual Studio 2015-era v14 runtime family. It does not mean that every copy of the file must come from the original Visual Studio 2015 installer.

Microsoft documents these runtime generations:

• Visual Studio 2015: v140
• Visual Studio 2017: v141
• Visual Studio 2019: v142
• Visual Studio 2022: v143
• Later v14 releases: part of the same broader runtime family

Visual Studio 2017, 2019, 2022, and newer releases use a binary-compatible v14 runtime family within Microsoft’s documented compatibility rules. That is why the current supported Visual C++ Redistributable is generally the right starting point for an application that asks for concrt140.dll.

An old application can still have a vendor-specific prerequisite requirement. If its documentation specifically requires the Visual Studio 2015 runtime, use Microsoft’s Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015.

There is no single permanent file size or version for concrt140.dll. The version varies by redistributable build and architecture. Microsoft recommends checking the installer’s Properties dialog for the current package version rather than relying on a filename database.

Which package should you install?

The package must match the application, not just the operating system.

Failed application	Install
32-bit application	x86 Redistributable
64-bit application	x64 Redistributable
Native ARM64 application	ARM64 Redistributable
Mixed library of older games and desktop programs on 64-bit Windows	Usually both x86 and x64

Most ordinary Intel or AMD 64-bit Windows systems should install both x86 and x64 when the failing program’s architecture is unknown. Installing x86 does not replace x64, and installing x64 does not replace x86.

A 32-bit game may run perfectly on 64-bit Windows while still requiring concrt140.dll from the x86 package. Windows uses its compatibility layer to run the game, but the game’s own runtime dependencies remain 32-bit.

How to determine which architecture you need

If the program’s publisher lists system requirements, check whether it identifies the application as 32-bit or 64-bit.

You can also inspect the application’s installation folder. This is not always conclusive, but folders named Program Files (x86) commonly contain 32-bit applications, while Program Files commonly contains 64-bit applications. Some installers use different layouts, so use the runtime error and application documentation as stronger evidence.

If a game launcher installs prerequisites automatically, allow that prerequisite installation to complete. If it does not, install both current packages from Microsoft.

Fix 1: Install or repair the Visual C++ Redistributable

This is the primary repair for a missing concrt140.dll.

Install the current packages

1. Open the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable downloads page.
2. Download the x86 installer if the program is 32-bit.
3. Download the x64 installer if the program is 64-bit.
4. On 64-bit Windows, download both when the architecture is unclear.
5. Open the downloaded installer.
6. Accept the Microsoft license terms.
7. Select Install.
8. If the installer reports that a newer version is already installed, close it and use the repair procedure below.
9. Restart Windows.
10. Start the affected program.

If the application opens normally, the runtime was missing or incomplete. Do not delete other Visual C++ Redistributable entries after the repair. Older runtime families can be required by different programs and are designed to remain installed side by side.

Repair from Installed apps

1. Press Windows + I.
2. Select Apps.
3. Select Installed apps.
4. Search for Microsoft Visual C++.
5. Find the relevant x86 or x64 Redistributable entry.
6. Select the three-dot menu beside it.
7. Choose Modify, Change, or Repair, depending on the Windows version.
8. Approve the repair.
9. Repeat for the other architecture if both are installed.
10. Restart Windows and test the application.

Repair both architectures when you do not know whether the failing program is 32-bit. Repairing x64 cannot repair a broken x86 runtime.

Repair from the command line

If the graphical installer does not expose a repair option, run the official installer with its supported repair switch.

Open the folder containing the downloaded installers, then open Terminal or Command Prompt in that folder. Run:

vc_redist.x64.exe /repair /norestart /log "%TEMP%\vc_redist_x64.log"
vc_redist.x86.exe /repair /norestart /log "%TEMP%\vc_redist_x86.log"

The installer names must match the files you downloaded. If you saved them with different names, substitute those names in the commands.

A successful repair normally ends without a missing-runtime message and creates the log file in your temporary folder. If the repair fails, open the log and look for an error code or a prerequisite failure. Microsoft documents these switches and runtime deployment behavior in its Visual C++ redistribution documentation.

Fix 2: Repair or reinstall the affected program

Reinstalling the game or application can repair an application-local copy of concrt140.dll, but it does not reliably repair a system-wide Visual C++ installation. Repair the Redistributable first, then repair the application if the error continues.

Use the application’s repair option

1. Press Windows + I.
2. Select Apps.
3. Select Installed apps.
4. Find the affected program.
5. Select its three-dot menu.
6. Choose Advanced options if available.
7. Select Repair.
8. Launch the program again.

Some desktop applications provide their own Repair button in Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features. Select the program, choose Change, and follow its repair wizard.

Reinstall from the publisher’s installer

If there is no repair option:

1. Uninstall the affected program from Installed apps.
2. Restart Windows.
3. Download the program’s current installer from its trusted publisher or launcher.
4. Install it again.
5. Allow all prerequisite packages to finish.
6. Restart Windows if the installer requests it.
7. Launch the program.

This is particularly relevant when the error points to a file beside the program rather than to a Windows runtime directory. Application-local copies can be stale, incomplete, or incompatible with the program’s other libraries.

Fix 3: Verify game files

If a Steam or Epic game reports concrt140.dll, verify the game files after repairing Visual C++.

Steam

1. Open Steam.
2. Open Library.
3. Right-click the game.
4. Select Properties.
5. Select Installed Files.
6. Choose Verify integrity of game files.
7. Wait for the verification to finish.
8. Restart Steam and launch the game.

Epic Games Launcher

1. Open Epic Games Launcher.
2. Open Library.
3. Select the three-dot menu beside the game.
4. Choose Manage.
5. Select Verify.
6. Wait for the process to finish.
7. Restart the launcher and test the game.

File verification repairs files belonging to the game. It may not repair a separate system-wide Visual C++ installation, which is why installing or repairing the Microsoft packages remains important.

Fix 4: Check Windows Security quarantine

Antivirus software can quarantine an application-local runtime file or block a prerequisite installer. This can happen after an update, a game repair, or an interrupted installation.

1. Open Windows Security.
2. Select Virus & threat protection.
3. Select Protection history.
4. Review recent detections.
5. Look for concrt140.dll, the affected program, or the Visual C++ installer.
6. Open the detection details.
7. Confirm the file’s path and origin.
8. If the file came from an official Microsoft installer or a trusted application installation, reinstall the official package instead of restoring an isolated DLL.
9. Run a full scan if the file came from an unknown source.

Restoring a quarantined file can cause Windows Defender to detect it again unless the user deliberately allows it. Microsoft explains these actions in its Protection History documentation.

Do not create a broad antivirus exclusion for an entire downloads folder or game directory just to make the error disappear. First establish which file was quarantined and whether the installation source is trustworthy.

Fix 5: Repair Windows components with DISM and SFC

DISM and SFC are secondary repairs for this problem. Use them when multiple unrelated programs fail, Windows reports other Bad Image errors, Windows Update is malfunctioning, or system files appear damaged.

They are not the first-line solution for a normal missing third-party Visual C++ runtime.

Run DISM

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type Command Prompt.
3. Right-click Command Prompt.
4. Select Run as administrator.
5. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
6. Run:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

1. Wait for the command to complete.
2. Restart Windows if it requests a restart.

DISM repairs the Windows component store. It can take time and may appear to pause while it works.

Run SFC

After DISM finishes, run:

sfc /scannow

Wait until the scan reaches 100 percent. Then restart Windows and test the application.

Microsoft recommends running DISM before SFC in its System File Checker repair instructions.

SFC may not repair every application-local or third-party runtime copy. If the failing path is inside a game or application folder, repair that application as well.

Manually running DISM and SFC can mean hunting through logs and repeating repairs without knowing what changed. Outbyte PC Repair offers a free scan that shows detected issues, while the full version performs the repair; it is optional, and Microsoft’s commands remain the direct path for Windows component repair.

Fix 6: Install pending Windows updates

A failed update or interrupted system maintenance can leave related components in an inconsistent state.

1. Press Windows + I.
2. Select Windows Update.
3. Select Check for updates.
4. Select Download & install when updates are offered.
5. Restart Windows.
6. Check Windows Update again until no additional restart is pending.
7. Test the affected program.

Use Microsoft’s Windows Update instructions if the update process itself reports an error.

Windows updates do not replace the need for the correct Visual C++ architecture. They are useful when the runtime installation or system component store is failing more broadly.

Fix 7: Use System Restore after a major system change

System Restore is appropriate when the error began immediately after a driver installation, Windows update, cleanup utility, security change, or other major system modification and a restore point exists from before the failure.

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type:

rstrui.exe

1. Press Enter.
2. Select Next.
3. Choose a restore point dated before the problem began.
4. Select Scan for affected programs if available.
5. Review the programs and drivers that may be removed or rolled back.
6. Select Next, then Finish.
7. Allow Windows to restart.

System Restore rolls back system files, settings, drivers, and installed programs, but it normally does not remove personal files. It is not a substitute for installing the current runtime if the application simply lacks it. Microsoft describes the process in its System Restore documentation.

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Fix 8: Check the exact path and the DLL search problem

An error can name concrt140.dll even when the actual problem is a wrong copy or a missing dependency.

Windows may find the file in:

• The application directory.
• A directory specified by the application.
• Windows runtime directories.
• Other locations covered by the documented DLL search order.

If the application folder contains an old copy, Windows may load that copy before reaching the system runtime. A copy in System32 does not prove that the application used it.

Check the path shown in the error message:

• A path inside the application folder points toward an application-local installation problem.
• A path under System32 generally points toward the 64-bit runtime.
• A path under SysWOW64 generally points toward the 32-bit runtime.
• A path in a temporary or unknown directory deserves a malware and signature check.

Do not delete the file from a program folder as a first response. The program may need that exact copy, and deleting it can turn a version mismatch into a missing-file error.

Microsoft documents the relevant rules in Dynamic-link library search order.

Fix 9: Handle “Bad Image” and entry-point errors

A missing-file error and a Bad Image error point to different conditions.

Common Bad Image wording includes:

C:\Windows\System32\CONCRT140.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error.

The dialog may also show status 0xc000012f.

This generally indicates a corrupted, incompatible, or mismatched runtime file. Repair the correct Visual C++ package rather than copying another file over it.

Follow this order:

1. Note the exact path in the error.
2. Repair the matching x86 or x64 Redistributable.
3. Repair the other architecture if the application type is unclear.
4. Restart Windows.
5. Repair or reinstall the affected application.
6. Check Windows Security quarantine.
7. Run DISM followed by SFC if multiple programs show similar errors.

A message saying that a procedure entry point could not be located can indicate that the application found an incompatible local copy or that related runtime files come from different builds. Reinstall the complete runtime package and repair the application together.

Fix 10: Check for an older prerequisite

The current v14 runtime is generally compatible with applications built for the supported Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 family. Very old software may still require a vendor-specific prerequisite or an older installation method.

If the application explicitly requires Visual Studio 2015:

1. Open Microsoft’s Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 page.
2. Download the architecture required by the application.
3. Install it.
4. Restart Windows.
5. Launch the program again.

Do not uninstall every Visual C++ package before installing the replacement. Visual C++ 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013 runtime families are separate from the v14 family and can be required by older applications.

Fix 11: Update a driver only when the driver package is involved

A graphics, printer, chipset, or other driver reinstall is not a normal fix for concrt140.dll. It becomes relevant only when the named executable belongs to a driver package, the driver installer failed while installing its Visual C++ prerequisite, or the problem began immediately after a driver-package update.

To inspect the driver:

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand the relevant category, such as Display adapters, Printers, or Sound, video and game controllers.
4. Right-click the device.
5. Select Properties.
6. Open the Driver tab.
7. Note the provider, date, and version.
8. Use Update Driver only when the driver itself is implicated.
9. Restart Windows after a successful update.

For graphics drivers, the hardware manufacturer’s current installer is usually preferable to randomly replacing DLLs. If the error comes from an ordinary game or desktop program, repair Visual C++ and that program first.

Finding which of dozens of drivers is stale can be tedious. Outbyte Driver Updater provides a free scan to identify driver issues, while the full version installs the driver updates; it is optional and does not replace repairing the Visual C++ runtime when that is the actual cause.

Is regsvr32 concrt140.dll a fix?

No. Do not routinely run:

regsvr32 concrt140.dll

regsvr32 is designed for DLLs that expose registration entry points such as DllRegisterServer. It is not a general repair command for runtime libraries.

A failed regsvr32 command can produce another error without changing the original problem. A successful registration would also not repair a missing dependency, wrong architecture, corrupted runtime installation, or incompatible application-local copy.

The correct remedy is to repair or reinstall the Visual C++ Redistributable. Microsoft explains the purpose of regsvr32 and DLL registration entry points in its documentation.

Should you enable something in Windows Features?

Usually not. concrt140.dll is installed through the Visual C++ Redistributable, not by checking a random item in Windows Features.

You can inspect the feature list with:

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type:

optionalfeatures

1. Press Enter.
2. Review the available Windows features.

Do not enable or disable features merely because concrt140.dll is missing. Features such as legacy .NET components or DirectPlay address different application requirements. Enable one only when the affected program explicitly requires it.

Should you manually download or copy the DLL?

No. Do not download concrt140.dll from a random DLL website or copy a loose file into System32, SysWOW64, or the application folder.

That approach can fail because:

• The file may be the wrong architecture.
• Its version may not match the other runtime files.
• Related dependencies may still be missing.
• The file may be unsigned, modified, or malicious.
• The application may continue loading a different local copy.
• The underlying Visual C++ installation remains broken.

Use Microsoft’s latest supported Redistributable downloads, the application’s official installer, or the vendor’s documented prerequisite package.

Why reinstalling the game did not help

A game reinstall can restore files inside the game directory, but it may not repair the system-wide Visual C++ runtime. It can also reinstall the same broken prerequisite if the launcher’s bundled installer is incomplete or blocked by antivirus software.

Use this order:

1. Repair or install the Microsoft x86 and x64 Redistributables.
2. Restart Windows.
3. Verify the game files.
4. Check Windows Security quarantine.
5. Repair or reinstall the game.
6. Run DISM and SFC only if other Windows components also appear damaged.

If the error path points directly into the game folder, the game’s own installer or file verification becomes more important. If the path points to a Windows runtime directory, focus first on the matching Redistributable architecture.

How to distinguish a runtime problem from an application problem

The error is probably a missing or damaged runtime when:

• Several applications report related Visual C++ errors.
• The message says the file was not found.
• Repairing the matching Redistributable changes the behavior.
• The file is absent from the expected runtime directory.
• The program was installed after a Windows reset or incomplete prerequisite setup.

The issue is more likely application-specific when:

• Only one program fails.
• The error names a copy inside that program’s folder.
• Reinstalling or repairing the application changes the error.
• The application’s own updater or prerequisite installer failed.
• The program is old and has a vendor-specific runtime requirement.

Treat the case as a possible security problem when:

• The file came from an unknown installer or cracked software.
• The file is in a strange temporary or user-writable location.
• It has no trusted signature when a signature is expected.
• Multiple security products flag it.
• The problem began immediately after installing untrusted software.

Final repair order

Use this sequence when you want the shortest reliable path:

1. Record the exact error and path.
2. Determine whether the failed program is 32-bit or 64-bit.
3. Install or repair the matching Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.
4. On 64-bit Windows, install both x86 and x64 when uncertain.
5. Restart Windows.
6. Check Windows Security Protection History.
7. Repair or reinstall the affected application.
8. Verify game files through Steam or Epic if applicable.
9. Install pending Windows updates.
10. Run DISM, then SFC, if multiple programs or Windows components are also failing.
11. Use System Restore only when the problem followed a major change and a suitable restore point exists.
12. Investigate drivers only when the failing executable belongs to a driver package.

The safest resolution is a complete, architecture-matched Visual C++ Redistributable installation from Microsoft, followed by application repair when the error points to an application-local copy.

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