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Choose the package that matches the affected application’s architecture: x86 for a 32-bit app, x64 for a 64-bit app, or ARM64 for an ARM64 app. Run the installer, select Install or Repair, restart if requested, and then open the app again.
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What MSVCP140.dll is and why Windows needs it
MSVCP140.dll is part of Microsoft’s version-14 Microsoft Visual C++ runtime. It contains standard C++ library code that applications built with supported Microsoft Visual C++ toolsets can call instead of carrying a separate copy of the library.
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The Visual C++ Redistributable installs and registers the runtime libraries centrally. An application can therefore fail at launch when the runtime is absent, damaged, the wrong architecture is installed, or the application expects an older runtime generation. The message may appear as “MSVCP140.dll was not found,” “The code execution cannot proceed,” or a similar startup error.
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The filename identifies a runtime component, not a program that should be fetched and copied by itself. Installing the complete Redistributable lets Windows service the files as a package and keeps the runtime deployment model supported.
Use the official Microsoft download
Open Microsoft’s maintained Latest Supported Visual C++ Redistributable Downloads page. It provides permanent download links for vc_redist.x86.exe, vc_redist.x64.exe, and vc_redist.arm64.exe. Select the installer for the application that is failing, not simply the edition of Windows shown in Settings.
Microsoft’s rule is that the Redistributable architecture must match the app’s target architecture. A 64-bit edition of Windows can run both 32-bit and 64-bit programs, so Windows being “64-bit” does not automatically mean that x64 is the correct package.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Installer | Use it when | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
vc_redist.x86.exe |
The affected program is 32-bit (x86). | Install this for a 32-bit game or utility even when Windows itself is 64-bit. |
vc_redist.x64.exe |
The affected program is 64-bit (x64). | It does not supply the x86 runtime required by a 32-bit program. |
vc_redist.arm64.exe |
The application and device use ARM64. | Use the ARM64 build when the software vendor identifies the app as ARM64. |
How to identify the application’s architecture
- Check the application’s system requirements or support documentation. This is the most reliable method when the vendor states x86, x64, or ARM64 explicitly.
- On a running Windows program, open Task Manager and look at the Processes or Details view. Windows commonly marks a 32-bit process as “(32 bit).” If that marker is absent, confirm the architecture with the vendor rather than guessing.
- For a game installed through a launcher, inspect the game’s executable or the publisher’s requirements. The launcher itself may be 32-bit while the game is 64-bit, so identify the program that displays the error.
If you cannot establish the architecture and the computer is 64-bit, installing both x86 and x64 Redistributables is normally appropriate because each serves a different class of application. They are separate packages; installing x64 does not replace x86. On an ARM64 device, use the architecture specified for the application and device.
Install the runtime step by step
- Close the affected application and its launcher. Save work in other programs before running a system installer.
- Open Microsoft’s Latest Supported Visual C++ Redistributable Downloads page and select the matching
vc_redistfile. - Run the downloaded executable. If Windows requests administrator approval, approve the elevation only when you obtained the file from Microsoft’s page.
- Read the installer screen. Choose Install when that architecture is not installed. If the installer detects an existing package, choose Repair instead.
- Allow setup to finish. The package installs and registers the Visual C++ libraries; it does not require manually locating
MSVCP140.dll. - Restart Windows if the installer requests it. A restart releases files that may be locked by a running process and completes pending registration work.
- Launch the program that produced the error. Test the original operation, such as opening a game or loading a saved project, rather than testing only the installer.
Do not cancel setup merely because the progress bar pauses. If it remains unchanged for an unusually long time, note the message displayed by the installer before closing it; that message determines the next troubleshooting branch.
Repair an installation that is already present
A missing-file message does not always mean that no runtime exists. A failed update, interrupted installation, disk error, or damaged registration can leave the package present but unusable. In that situation, running the same architecture’s installer and selecting Repair is the supported first response.
Repair through the installer
- Download the x86, x64, or ARM64 installer that matches the application.
- Run it and select Repair when that option appears.
- Restart Windows if prompted, then retry the application.
Repair from an elevated command prompt
Microsoft documents the Redistributable command-line operations /install, /repair, and /uninstall. Open Command Prompt as an administrator, change to the folder containing the downloaded installer, and run the matching command, for example:
vc_redist.x86.exe /repairvc_redist.x64.exe /repairvc_redist.arm64.exe /repair
Use /install when you know the package is absent. Treat /uninstall as a removal operation, not a routine fix: removing a runtime can cause other applications to stop launching. If you uninstall one by mistake, reinstall the package required by each affected application.
When setup says a newer version is already installed
The installer checks for a newer package and may decline to replace it. That message does not prove that the files are healthy. Run the installer again and choose Repair for the installed architecture. If the installer offers neither repair nor installation, use Windows’ installed-apps controls to locate the corresponding Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable entry and select its Modify or Repair action when available.
Troubleshoot installation failures
Install or repair is blocked by a pending update
- Open Settings > Windows Update.
- Install available updates and allow Windows to restart when requested.
- After the restart, run the matching Redistributable installer again.
Microsoft specifically recommends completing pending Windows updates when Redistributable setup fails. Do not repeatedly launch the installer while Windows is waiting for a restart.
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Files are locked by another process
Close the affected application, its launcher, game overlays, development tools, and any separate copy of the program running in the background. Restart Windows to release locked runtime files, then retry the installation or repair. A restart is preferable to deleting files by hand.
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For relevant installation failures, Microsoft recommends the Windows Installer Troubleshooter. Run it using Microsoft’s current instructions, let it diagnose installer registration problems, restart if it requests one, and then retry the official Redistributable package. Record the exact error number if the troubleshooter cannot correct the issue; it is useful to the application vendor or Microsoft support.
The installer completes but the application still will not start
- Recheck the application’s architecture. Installing x64 cannot satisfy a 32-bit application that needs x86, and installing x86 cannot satisfy a 64-bit application that needs x64.
- Repair the other architecture if the computer runs multiple programs with different targets. A 64-bit Windows installation can legitimately contain both packages.
- Confirm that the application is not an older build requiring a legacy Visual C++ runtime rather than the current version-14 family.
- Check whether the message now names a different missing component or an application-specific error. The Redistributable fixes runtime availability; it cannot correct every defect in the application itself.
- Contact the application’s vendor when the required runtime is installed and repaired but that particular program still fails. Microsoft directs application-specific troubleshooting to the software vendor because the vendor knows which toolset and architecture its build requires.
Understand version-14 compatibility and legacy runtimes
Microsoft’s lifecycle FAQ says applications built with the Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 MSVC toolsets are binary-compatible with the latest version-14 Redistributable. Microsoft’s current download page lists support for the newer Visual Studio 2017–2026 range. These statements describe the modern v14 family; they do not mean every application from every year uses the same runtime.
The FAQ records Visual Studio 2026 v14.50 runtime version 14.50.35710, released November 11, 2025. Runtime versions change, so use the latest package on Microsoft’s page instead of trying to locate that specific build unless an application vendor explicitly requires it.
Visual C++ 2013 and earlier runtimes are legacy, side-by-side packages. An older application may require one of those packages even when the current v14 Redistributable is installed. Microsoft’s download page lists the older downloads separately. Install the legacy runtime named by the application’s documentation; do not remove a current v14 package to make room for it.
| Choice | When it is correct | What it does not solve |
|---|---|---|
| Current v14 x86 | A 32-bit application built for the compatible v14 toolsets. | A 64-bit application or an app requiring a pre-v14 runtime. |
| Current v14 x64 | A 64-bit application built for the compatible v14 toolsets. | A 32-bit application that needs x86. |
| Current v14 ARM64 | An ARM64 application on an ARM64 device. | An x86 or x64 application whose vendor requires another architecture. |
| Legacy 2013 or earlier package | An older application explicitly built against that side-by-side runtime. | It is not a substitute for the current v14 package used by newer software. |
Why you should not download MSVCP140.dll by itself
Standalone DLL sites do not provide the supported Visual C++ deployment model. A file can be the wrong build, the wrong architecture, incomplete, modified, or missing the registration and servicing context supplied by the Redistributable. Replacing files in C:WindowsSystem32 or C:WindowsSysWOW64 by hand can also overwrite a component used by other programs and create harder-to-diagnose failures.
Do not rename a DLL, copy an x86 file into a 64-bit location, or download several versions until one happens to load. Those actions obscure which runtime the application needs and make future Windows servicing less predictable. The official package is the safe route because Microsoft distributes and services the runtime as a complete set of libraries.
Is the error a virus warning?
The filename alone does not establish that malware is present. It is a genuine Microsoft runtime filename, and a missing-file message usually means the application cannot find the runtime it was built to use. Obtain the package from Microsoft’s page and use your normal security software for any separate security concern; do not treat a random DLL download as a malware-removal method.
Verify the fix and prevent a repeat
- Restart Windows after installation or repair when prompted.
- Start the exact application that originally failed, using the same shortcut or launcher.
- Perform the action that triggered the message, such as loading a game, opening a project, or joining a session.
- If it works, leave both x86 and x64 packages installed when different applications depend on them. They are not duplicates in the sense of being interchangeable.
- If it fails, write down the complete message, application version, Windows architecture, and whether you used Install or Repair. Give those details to the application vendor rather than replacing another DLL at random.
Keeping Windows updated reduces the chance that an installer is blocked by pending servicing work, but it does not change the architecture rule. When a program is updated or replaced, check its new system requirements; a new build may switch from 32-bit to 64-bit or require a different legacy runtime.
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