msvcp120.dll Is Missing: Safe Fixes for Windows 10 and 11

Start with this diagnostic checklist

msvcp120.dll is a Microsoft Visual C++ runtime file, and an error naming msvcp120.dll usually means an older Windows application cannot load the Visual C++ 2013 runtime it needs. Before changing anything, note which program reports the error, whether it started after an installation or update, and whether that program is 32-bit or 64-bit.

Check these details first:

• Does the error appear when Windows starts, or only when one game or application opens?
• Did you recently reinstall, move, update, or restore the affected program?
• Does the message say the file is missing, was not found, could not be loaded, or is not designed to run on Windows?
• Is Windows 10 or Windows 11 64-bit?
• Do other applications fail with similar *120.dll errors?
• Did Windows Security or another antivirus product recently quarantine a file?

If only one application fails, start with the application and its launcher files. If several unrelated applications fail, prioritize the shared Visual C++ installation and Windows health checks.

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What msvcp120.dll is

msvcp120.dll belongs to the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 runtime, also called VC++ 12.0. It supplies part of the C++ standard-library runtime used by applications compiled with Visual Studio 2013. Microsoft lists it among the Microsoft.VC120.CRT runtime files in its Visual Studio 2013 redistribution documentation.

It is not a DirectX file, .NET file, graphics-driver file, or ordinary built-in Windows component. An application may receive it from the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package, or the application’s installer may place a private copy beside the program executable. The program that installed the file is therefore not necessarily the file’s developer.

Many unrelated games and desktop applications can use the same runtime. The filename does not identify one particular game or vendor.

Microsoft’s Visual C++ Redistributable download page describes the package as a prerequisite for applications built with Visual Studio 2013 on computers that do not have Visual Studio installed. Visual Studio 2013 and its redistributable are legacy software, but older applications can still require them.

The newer Visual C++ packages do not automatically replace every older generation. VC++ 2015 and later use filenames such as msvcp140.dll, while VC++ 2013 uses msvcp120.dll. Microsoft documents these generations as separate runtimes that can coexist side by side in its C++ deployment guidance.

What the error message means

The wording varies by Windows version and by the application that displays the message. Common examples include:

• “The program can’t start because MSVCP120.dll is missing from your computer.”
• “The code execution cannot proceed because MSVCP120.dll was not found.”
• “The application was unable to start correctly.”
• "[path]\MSVCP120.dll" is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error.
• An error involving status code 0xc000012f.
• An error involving 0xc000007b.

A missing or not-found message generally means Windows could not find a usable copy in the locations searched for that application.

A “not designed to run on Windows” message usually points to a damaged file, an invalid architecture, or a bad application-local copy. It does not mean that registering the DLL will repair it.

The 0xc000007b error often provides an architecture or invalid-image clue, but it does not prove that msvcp120.dll alone is responsible. The application may also depend on another incompatible or damaged DLL.

The correct Visual C++ package

For msvcp120.dll, install or repair the Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable from Microsoft.

Use these official installers:

• Visual C++ 2013 x86 installer
• Visual C++ 2013 x64 installer
• Microsoft’s Visual C++ 2013 download page

The correct package depends on the application, not simply on the edition of Windows.

Failing application	Required runtime
32-bit application on 32-bit Windows	VC++ 2013 x86
32-bit application on 64-bit Windows	VC++ 2013 x86
64-bit application on 64-bit Windows	VC++ 2013 x64

On 64-bit Windows, installing both packages is a practical choice when you do not know the application’s architecture. It is not a requirement for every individual program.

Microsoft’s file information places the x86 runtime under %WinDir%\SysWOW64 and the x64 runtime under %WinDir%\System32. Those directory names are counterintuitive: on 64-bit Windows, SysWOW64 contains many 32-bit system files, while System32 contains 64-bit system files. Microsoft’s WOW64 file-system documentation explains the distinction.

Fix 1: Install or repair Visual C++ 2013

This is the fastest and most likely fix for a straightforward missing-file error.

1. Close the affected program and its launcher.
2. Download the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 x86 installer.
3. If Windows is 64-bit and the program’s architecture is unknown, download the x64 installer as well.
4. Open the downloaded installer.
5. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
6. If the installer shows Repair, select it. If it shows an installation option, complete the installation.
7. Repeat the process for the other architecture when both packages are needed.
8. Restart Windows.
9. Open the affected application again.

A successful repair normally means the application starts without the msvcp120.dll message. If the error changes to another *120.dll file, such as msvcr120.dll or vccorlib120.dll, that still points to the same VC++ 2013 runtime family. Repair both architectures rather than downloading the newly named DLL separately.

If the installer refuses to repair, reports that setup failed, or immediately returns the same error, continue with the application repair steps below. The installed runtime may be incomplete, or a private DLL in the application’s folder may be taking precedence.

Confirm which package is installed

You can check the installed runtime entries before repairing them.

1. Press Win+R.
2. Enter appwiz.cpl.
3. Press Enter.
4. In Programs and Features, look for entries beginning with Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable.
5. Check whether x86, x64, or both are present.
6. Select an entry and choose Change.
7. Choose Repair when available.
8. Restart Windows after repairing.

Do not remove every Visual C++ entry from the list. Different applications can require different generations, and several Visual C++ redistributables can legitimately coexist.

If the x86 package is absent, install it even when Windows is 64-bit. A 32-bit game or desktop application requires the x86 runtime.

Check whether Windows can see the file

The file’s presence does not prove that an application can load it. A copy may have the wrong architecture, may be damaged, may be blocked by security software, or may be overridden by a copy in the application directory. Still, checking the expected locations can show whether the runtime installation is incomplete.

On 64-bit Windows:

1. Open Start.
2. Type Command Prompt.
3. Choose Run as administrator.
4. Run:

dir "%windir%\System32\msvcp120.dll"
dir "%windir%\SysWOW64\msvcp120.dll"

On 32-bit Windows, the relevant system location is normally %windir%\System32.

PowerShell can display the file version and size information recorded by Windows:

Get-Item "$env:windir\System32\msvcp120.dll","$env:windir\SysWOW64\msvcp120.dll" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
  Select-Object FullName, Length, @{Name="FileVersion"; Expression={$_.VersionInfo.FileVersion}}

If one command reports that the file cannot be found, repair or reinstall the matching official Visual C++ package. Do not copy a file from another computer to fill the gap.

If the file exists but the application still fails, check the application’s own installation folder. Windows can search the application directory before system directories. A stale or damaged local copy can therefore override the correctly installed system runtime. Microsoft’s DLL search-order documentation describes this behavior.

Do not delete a local DLL merely because it exists. First confirm that it is unofficial, stale, damaged, or part of an incomplete installation. Repairing or reinstalling the affected application is the safer way to replace application-local files.

Fix 2: Repair the affected application

If only one program fails, its installation is a stronger suspect than Windows itself.

Repair from Windows Settings

On Windows 11:

1. Open Start > Settings.
2. Select Apps > Installed apps.
3. Find the affected program.
4. Select the three-dot menu beside it.
5. Choose Advanced options, when available.
6. Select Repair.
7. Start the program again.

The repair option is not available for every desktop application. Microsoft’s application repair instructions describe the available Windows paths.

Repair from Control Panel

For a traditional desktop application:

1. Press Win+R.
2. Enter appwiz.cpl.
3. Press Enter.
4. Select the affected program.
5. Choose Repair or Change.
6. Follow the program’s installer.
7. Restart Windows if requested.
8. Test the application again.

If repair is unavailable or fails, reinstall the application from its official installer or store. Watch carefully for a secondary installer for Microsoft Visual C++ components. Some older programs bundle their prerequisites and may ask for permission to install them separately.

A complete application reinstall is particularly important when the error began after copying the program folder, moving it between drives, restoring a backup, or canceling setup. Application-local runtime files may not have moved with the executable, or the application may have recorded paths that no longer exist.

Fix 3: Verify files in a game launcher

Game launchers often include prerequisite installers and file-repair features.

Steam documents that games can include installers for Visual C++ components and that canceling a prerequisite installation can prevent a game from launching. If the game is installed through Steam:

1. Open Steam.
2. Select Library.
3. Right-click the game.
4. Choose Properties.
5. Select Installed Files.
6. Choose Verify integrity of game files.
7. Wait for the process to complete.
8. Restart Steam.
9. Launch the game again.

The same principle applies to other launchers: open the game’s settings or manage-installation menu and look for Repair, Verify, Scan, or Validate.

If the launcher has a separate redistributable or prerequisite folder, run the official installer stored there. If it reports that Visual C++ 2013 is already installed, use the repair option instead.

File verification can replace a damaged application-local copy, but it does not always install the shared runtime. If the error remains, repair VC++ 2013 from Microsoft’s installer as well.

Fix 4: Check antivirus quarantine

Antivirus software can quarantine a runtime file or an application-local copy. Quarantine is not proof of a false positive, so restore a file only when its origin is trustworthy.

In Windows Security:

1. Open Start.
2. Type Windows Security.
3. Open the app.
4. Select Virus & threat protection.
5. Choose Protection history.
6. Look for an entry involving the affected application or Visual C++ runtime.
7. Open the entry and review its location, detection, and action.
8. If the file came from Microsoft’s installer or the application’s official installer and you have confirmed the detection, use the available restore or allow option.
9. If the file came from an unofficial DLL site, leave it quarantined.
10. Run a full scan before retrying the application.

Microsoft explains the risks and controls in its Protection History guidance.

If the same file is quarantined again, do not repeatedly restore it. Reinstall the official redistributable or application, update the security product, and investigate the detection. A runtime that disappears after every installation attempt may indicate a damaged installer, a policy rule, or malware.

Fix 5: Repair Windows components with DISM and SFC

Use Windows repair commands when several applications fail, the runtime installation appears corrupted, or the problem began alongside broader system instability. These commands repair Windows components. They do not install the Visual C++ 2013 redistributable.

Open an elevated Command Prompt:

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

Run DISM first:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Wait for it to finish. Then run System File Checker:

sfc /scannow

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

Restart Windows after both commands complete and test the application.

If DISM reports that the operation completed successfully and SFC reports that it found and repaired files, retry the program. If SFC reports that it could not repair some files, restart and run it again. If the same error remains after successful Windows repairs, return to the VC++ 2013 installer and the application’s repair process.

If repeating SFC and DISM leaves you unsure which component changed, Outbyte PC Repair can provide a free scan showing what it identifies; repair is performed by the full version, and it is not required for every msvcp120.dll case.

Fix 6: Install pending Windows updates

Windows Update should not be treated as the normal way to obtain msvcp120.dll. Microsoft states that the Visual C++ 2013 update is download-only rather than distributed through Windows Update.

Windows updates can still repair related operating-system problems:

1. Open Start > Settings.
2. Select Windows Update.
3. Choose Check for updates.
4. Install available updates.
5. Restart Windows.
6. Test the application again.

Use Microsoft’s Windows Update instructions if the update process itself fails.

After updating, install or repair VC++ 2013 separately. Do not assume that installing the newest Visual C++ package supplies msvcp120.dll.

Fix 7: Check optional Windows features

Windows Features are not a replacement for Visual C++ 2013. They are relevant only when the application also requires a separate legacy Windows component, such as DirectPlay.

To inspect optional legacy features:

1. Press Win+R.
2. Enter:

optionalfeatures.exe

1. Press Enter.
2. Review Legacy Components.
3. If the application’s documentation specifically requires DirectPlay, expand Legacy Components and select DirectPlay.
4. Select OK.
5. Restart Windows if requested.
6. Try the application again.

Do not enable unrelated features merely because msvcp120.dll is missing. If the program still reports the same runtime error, install or repair VC++ 2013.

Fix 8: Check drivers only when there is separate evidence

A missing Visual C++ runtime is not normally fixed by reinstalling a graphics, chipset, or audio driver. Driver work is appropriate when the application also shows graphics initialization failures, device errors, crashes after a driver update, or entries with warning symbols in Device Manager.

To inspect Device Manager:

1. Right-click Start.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand categories such as Display adapters, System devices, and Sound, video and game controllers.
4. Look for a yellow warning icon.
5. Right-click the relevant device.
6. Choose Properties.
7. Read the Device status message under the General tab.
8. Select the Driver tab.
9. Use Update Driver only when you have a legitimate driver source or Windows can locate an appropriate driver.
10. Restart Windows and retest the application.

If a recent driver update clearly caused the separate hardware problem, use Roll Back Driver when available. Otherwise, download the driver from the computer, motherboard, or device manufacturer’s official support channel.

If identifying which of many drivers is stale is the difficult part, Outbyte Driver Updater provides a free scan showing what it finds; driver installation is handled by the full version, and reinstalling the affected application remains the definitive fix when the DLL belongs to that program.

Fix 9: Use System Restore for a recent system change

System Restore is appropriate when the error began immediately after an application installation, driver installation, Windows change, or other identifiable system event.

1. Press Win+R.
2. Enter:

rstrui.exe

1. Press Enter.
2. Select Next.
3. Choose a restore point from before the problem began.
4. Select Scan for affected programs.
5. Review the changes.
6. Select Next, then Finish.
7. Allow Windows to restart.
8. Test the affected application.

System Restore changes system files, registry settings, and installed programs, but it does not normally remove personal files. Microsoft describes the process in its System Restore guidance.

A restore does not eliminate the need to reinstall a missing VC++ package if the runtime was never installed. It is most useful when a previously working installation became invalid after a specific system change.

Why regsvr32 does not fix msvcp120.dll

Do not run:

regsvr32 msvcp120.dll

regsvr32 is intended for self-registering COM and OLE DLLs, including ActiveX controls that expose a registration function such as DllRegisterServer. An ordinary Visual C++ runtime library is not repaired or installed through that mechanism. Microsoft documents the tool’s purpose and common errors in its Regsvr32 documentation.

Use regsvr32 only when the documentation for a specific COM or ActiveX component tells you to register that component. It is not a general DLL repair command and will not resolve a missing msvcp120.dll.

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Do not download the DLL by itself

Avoid random DLL archive websites and file-sharing pages. A standalone download can contain malware, the wrong architecture, an incompatible build, or an incomplete set of companion files. Even a genuine-looking file may be placed in the wrong directory or immediately replaced by a damaged application-local copy.

Do not copy msvcp120.dll from another computer. Different applications can require different architectures or runtime files, and manual copying does not repair the installer, security permissions, side-by-side runtime registration, or companion DLLs.

Use the complete Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 package, or repair the affected application through its official installer or launcher. Application-local deployment can be valid when provided by the application’s developer, but private copies are not automatically maintained like a centrally installed runtime.

Common causes and the strongest fix

Likely cause	Best next action
VC++ 2013 is not installed	Install the official x86 package, then add x64 on 64-bit Windows when needed
The wrong architecture is installed	Match the package to the failing executable
The runtime is damaged	Repair or reinstall the official x86 and x64 packages
Application installation is incomplete	Repair or reinstall the application
A bundled prerequisite was skipped	Run the application’s official prerequisite installer
A launcher file is damaged	Verify the application’s files
Antivirus quarantined the file	Review Protection History and reinstall from an official source
A bad local DLL overrides the system copy	Repair or reinstall the application
Windows components are damaged	Run DISM, then SFC
A separate hardware problem exists	Inspect Device Manager and address the driver issue independently
Malware, disk errors, or profile damage is suspected	Scan the system, check disk health, and test another Windows profile

If the error says “not designed to run on Windows”

Follow this order:

1. Repair VC++ 2013 x86.
2. Repair VC++ 2013 x64 if Windows is 64-bit.
3. Restart Windows.
4. Repair or verify the affected application.
5. Check whether the application’s folder contains a stale local copy.
6. Review antivirus quarantine.
7. Run DISM followed by SFC.
8. Investigate 0xc000007b as a possible architecture or invalid-image problem.

Do not assume that the error identifies one exact cause. A damaged runtime, wrong-bitness DLL, invalid local copy, or another dependency can produce similar messages.

If only one program fails

Prioritize the failing application’s installation:

• Confirm that the program is installed completely.
• Use its repair or file-verification feature.
• Run its bundled prerequisite installer.
• Repair VC++ 2013 x86 and, when appropriate, x64.
• Check the application’s directory for a stale or quarantined local DLL.
• Reinstall the application if its files were copied, moved, or partially restored.
• Contact the application’s vendor if the official installer still produces the same error.

A driver reinstall is not the primary answer when every other program works normally.

If many programs fail

Several simultaneous failures suggest a shared dependency or Windows problem:

1. Repair both VC++ 2013 architectures that the affected programs may use.
2. Check Windows Security Protection History.
3. Run DISM and then SFC.
4. Install pending Windows updates.
5. Run a full security scan.
6. Check available disk space and storage health.
7. Test the applications in another Windows user profile.

A newly created profile can help distinguish a profile-specific permissions or configuration problem from a system-wide runtime failure. It is a diagnostic test, not a replacement for repairing the runtime.

Frequently asked questions

Does installing the latest Visual C++ runtime fix msvcp120.dll?

Not normally. msvcp120.dll belongs specifically to Visual C++ 2013. Newer packages use different runtime filenames and can coexist with the 2013 package.

Do I need x86 or x64?

Use x86 for a 32-bit application, including a 32-bit application running on 64-bit Windows. Use x64 for a 64-bit application. When the application architecture is unknown on 64-bit Windows, installing both official VC++ 2013 packages is practical.

Why does a 64-bit computer need the x86 package?

Windows architecture and application architecture are separate. A 64-bit Windows installation can run 32-bit applications, and those applications need the x86 runtime.

Can Windows Update install msvcp120.dll?

Windows Update may repair related operating-system components, but Microsoft distributes the Visual C++ 2013 runtime as a download rather than through Windows Update. Install it from Microsoft’s official page.

Should I use regsvr32?

No. regsvr32 is for self-registering COM and ActiveX components. It does not install or repair the Visual C++ runtime.

Can I copy the file from another computer?

No. The copied file may have the wrong architecture or version and may not include required companion files. Repair the complete redistributable or application instead.

Why is the file in SysWOW64?

On 64-bit Windows, SysWOW64 commonly contains 32-bit system files. The naming is counterintuitive but reflects Windows compatibility architecture. The x64 runtime is normally under System32.

Is antivirus software always wrong when it removes the DLL?

No. A quarantine event can be a false positive, but it can also identify a modified, unofficial, or malicious file. Check the file’s origin and reinstall it from Microsoft or the application’s official installer.

Why does msvcr120.dll produce a similar error?

msvcr120.dll, vccorlib120.dll, and other *120.dll files generally belong to the same Visual C++ 2013 runtime family. Repair the matching VC++ 2013 packages rather than downloading each file separately.

Will reinstalling the game always solve it?

Not always. Reinstalling can restore bundled files, but a missing shared runtime may remain absent. Repair or install VC++ 2013 separately, then verify the application’s files.

What should I do if the error returns after repair?

Identify the exact executable that fails, confirm its architecture, inspect its application directory, review antivirus quarantine, and verify the application’s files. If several programs fail, investigate Windows corruption, malware, and disk health as broader causes.

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