vcomp90.dll Startup Failure: Repair the VC++ 2008 Dependency

vcomp90.dll is the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 OpenMP runtime, and Windows applications may stop at startup when it is missing or cannot be loaded. The correct repair is usually the Visual C++ 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable package that matches the application’s architecture, not a random DLL download.

Start with this diagnostic checklist

Before changing anything, record the details that determine the right repair:

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• Which application or game shows the error?
• Does it fail immediately at launch, during installation, or when opening a particular project?
• Does the message say “missing,” “not found,” “could not be loaded,” “side-by-side configuration is incorrect,” or “not designed to run on Windows”?
• Is the affected program 32-bit or 64-bit?
• Are you running 64-bit Windows?
• Did the problem begin after an update, application reinstall, antivirus action, or migration to another computer?
• Is the file present, and if so, where is it located?

Write down the exact error text and any code such as 0xc000007b. The wording often distinguishes an absent runtime from a bad architecture, corrupted file, or side-by-side configuration problem.

What vcomp90.dll is

vcomp90.dll is part of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 runtime. More specifically, it supplies OpenMP support for programs compiled with Microsoft Visual C++ and is associated with the Microsoft.VC90.OpenMP side-by-side assembly.

OpenMP allows a program to use multiple processor threads for parallel work. An older application may therefore require this DLL even though the application itself is not a developer tool.

The 90 in the runtime naming refers to the Visual Studio 2008 generation, also called VC9. It does not refer to the newer Visual C++ 2015–2022 runtime.

Microsoft documents Visual C++ runtime deployment through shared installations, the Windows side-by-side store, and application-local files placed beside the program executable. That means the file may appear in more than one location depending on how the original software was packaged.

vcomp90.dll is not normally an original Windows inbox component. It is not a DirectX file, a .NET component, or a graphics-driver DLL. It is supplied by the program’s installer or by a Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable package.

Microsoft’s Visual C++ redistribution documentation explains the supported ways applications deploy these runtime files.

The fastest safe fix: install the correct Visual C++ 2008 package

For a normal “vcomp90.dll is missing” or “was not found” message, install the official Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable package.

Use Microsoft’s Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable download page. The page provides separate packages for x86, x64, and IA64 systems. For ordinary Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers, the relevant desktop choices are x86 and x64.

Choose x86 or x64 correctly

The application’s architecture determines which package it needs.

• A 32-bit application needs the x86 redistributable.
• A native 64-bit application needs the x64 redistributable.
• A 64-bit Windows computer can still need x86 because many older programs and games are 32-bit.
• If you use both 32-bit and 64-bit legacy applications on 64-bit Windows, installing both x86 and x64 is reasonable.

Do not choose x64 merely because Windows is 64-bit. A 32-bit process cannot load a 64-bit DLL.

If the application’s documentation does not state its architecture, check the vendor’s system requirements or About screen. On some Windows versions, Task Manager identifies a 32-bit process with “32-bit” beside its name. You can also check the executable’s installation folder and documentation, but the application vendor’s information is more reliable than guessing from the filename.

Install the package

1. Open Microsoft’s Visual C++ 2008 download page.
2. Download vcredist_x86.exe for a 32-bit application.
3. Download vcredist_x64.exe for a 64-bit application.
4. If you run both types of software on 64-bit Windows, download and install both packages.
5. When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder.
6. Right-click the installer and choose Run as administrator.
7. Accept the license terms.
8. Allow the setup program to complete.
9. Restart Windows if the installer requests it.
10. Launch the affected application again.

If the installer says that the package is already installed, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and search for Microsoft Visual C++ 2008. If the package appears, use its available Modify, Change, Repair, or similar option. On some systems, the older Control Panel interface is clearer:

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type appwiz.cpl.
3. Press Enter.
4. Select the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 redistributable entry.
5. Choose Change.
6. Select Repair if that option is available.
7. Restart Windows and test the application.

Do not uninstall every Visual C++ package just because several entries are listed. Different applications may depend on different Visual C++ generations, and older redistributables are designed to remain installed side by side. Microsoft’s supported Visual C++ downloads and runtime guidance explains why one newer package does not automatically replace every older runtime.

How to tell whether this fix worked

The repair worked if the application starts normally and the original vcomp90.dll message does not return.

If the same application still fails, or if the message changes to a side-by-side or bad-image error, continue with the next sections. A file can be installed but still be unusable when the application requests a different architecture, manifest, or runtime assembly.

Repair the application that originally installed the file

If only one program fails, its own installer is often the most important repair source. The program may use a private copy of the runtime, a manifest, or companion files that a system-wide redistributable installation cannot restore.

Repair a Windows application

If the application provides a Windows repair option:

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

The exact options vary by program. Microsoft’s application repair guidance covers the general repair and reinstall path.

If Repair is unavailable or does not help, run the application’s original installer and look for Repair, Modify, or Install runtime components. If that fails, uninstall and reinstall the application from its original vendor, store, or installation media.

A clean reinstall is especially important when:

• The application was copied from another computer.
• Its installation was interrupted.
• The program was moved to another drive.
• An update failed halfway through.
• The application ships its own Visual C++ files.
• The file is present beside the program but the manifest is missing.

Repair a game installation

For a game, use the launcher’s file verification feature before removing the entire game.

In Steam:

1. Open Library.
2. Right-click the game.
3. Select Properties.
4. Open Installed Files.
5. Select Verify integrity of game files.
6. Wait for the check to finish.
7. Launch the game again.

In Epic Games Launcher:

1. Open Library.
2. Select the three dots beside the game.
3. Choose Manage.
4. Select Verify.
5. Wait for the process to complete.
6. Start the game again.

Verification may restore an application-bundled copy of vcomp90.dll. It does not necessarily install a shared Visual C++ runtime if the program expects one, so install the Microsoft package as well when the error remains.

Older Autodesk Navisworks releases and some older Blender or Blender Game Engine runtimes have documented dependencies on the Visual C++ 2008 OpenMP runtime. Other legacy programs may require it too, but there is no complete public list of every affected application. The dependency can vary between builds and installation methods.

If vcomp90.dll exists but Windows still says it is missing

This is a common point of confusion. Windows does not decide that a DLL is valid merely because a file with the right name exists somewhere on the drive.

The application may be requesting:

• A 32-bit DLL while only a 64-bit copy is present.
• A 64-bit DLL while only a 32-bit copy is present.
• A particular Microsoft.VC90.OpenMP assembly version.
• A side-by-side manifest that is missing or damaged.
• A companion runtime file that was not installed.
• A file in the application’s private directory rather than a shared Windows location.

Do not replace a working-looking file with another copy from the Internet. First identify what the application is requesting.

Trace a side-by-side failure with sxstrace

Use this procedure when the error mentions a side-by-side configuration, assembly, manifest, or an application that cannot start even though the DLL appears to exist.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type Command Prompt.
3. Right-click Command Prompt.
4. Choose Run as administrator.
5. Enter:

sxstrace.exe trace -logfile:C:\sxstrace.etl

1. Leave that Command Prompt window open.
2. Launch the affected application and reproduce the error.
3. Return to the Command Prompt window.
4. Press Enter to stop the trace.
5. Run:

sxstrace.exe parse -logfile:C:\sxstrace.etl -outfile:C:\sxstrace.txt

1. Open C:\sxstrace.txt in Notepad.
2. Search for Microsoft.VC90.OpenMP.
3. Note the requested processor architecture, assembly version, and any error describing a missing manifest or dependency.

Microsoft’s sxstrace documentation describes the tracing and parsing commands.

If the trace requests x86, install or repair the x86 redistributable. If it requests x64, use x64. If the trace points to an application-local manifest, repair or reinstall the application rather than copying a system DLL into its folder.

Handle “not designed to run on Windows” and 0xc000007b

A message such as:

vcomp90.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error

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usually points toward a corrupted file, invalid image, wrong architecture, or an incompatible copy. It does not by itself prove that the file is malware.

The code 0xc000007b is associated with an invalid image format. It commonly appears when 32-bit and 64-bit components are mixed, although the error may involve another dependency rather than vcomp90.dll itself.

Use this order:

1. Note the exact path shown in the error.
2. Check whether the file belongs to the affected application or to a Microsoft runtime installation.
3. Right-click the file, choose Properties, and inspect the Digital Signatures tab when present.
4. Remove the suspect copy through the application’s repair or reinstall process.
5. Install the correct Visual C++ 2008 package from Microsoft.
6. Restart Windows.
7. Test the application again.

Avoid copying an x86 DLL into a 64-bit program folder or an x64 DLL into a 32-bit program folder. The filename alone does not identify the architecture.

Check Windows Security if the file was quarantined

If the application worked previously and stopped after antivirus activity, inspect Windows Security before downloading anything.

1. Open Start.
2. Type Windows Security.
3. Open the app.
4. Select Virus & threat protection.
5. Select Protection history.
6. Review entries from the time the application stopped working.
7. Expand the relevant detection.
8. Confirm the file path and the application that owned it.

Only restore or allow a quarantined file when its source is trusted, its path is expected, and its signature or installer provenance supports that decision. A DLL downloaded from an unknown site should not be restored merely because its filename matches the error.

If the file came from the original application installer or an official Microsoft package, reinstalling that package is usually safer than manually restoring the quarantined copy. Run a full security scan if the detection was unexpected or the file came from an untrusted source.

Microsoft explains Protection History in its Windows Security documentation.

Do not download a bare DLL from a random website

A search for vcomp90.dll will produce websites offering individual DLL downloads. Do not use those files as the normal repair.

A random DLL can have:

• The wrong architecture.
• An incompatible runtime build.
• A damaged or tampered binary.
• No matching side-by-side manifest.
• Missing companion libraries.
• An uncertain security history.

It may make the original message disappear while leaving the application unable to load correctly. It can also create a second problem when Windows or the application later tries to service the runtime.

The safe sources are:

• The official Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable download.
• The original application’s installer.
• The application’s official repair or file-verification process.
• Trusted installation media supplied by the software vendor.

Microsoft’s Visual C++ redistribution guidance describes application-local deployment, but that does not mean a downloaded standalone DLL is interchangeable with the files supplied by the original installer.

Do not place an unknown copy in C:\Windows\System32. On 64-bit Windows, that directory is also not a universal destination for every application architecture.

Do not use regsvr32 for this runtime DLL

regsvr32 is not the normal repair for vcomp90.dll.

That command is used for DLLs that expose a COM registration entry point called DllRegisterServer. Visual C++ OpenMP runtime files are runtime libraries, not ordinary COM or ActiveX components that need registration.

Running:

regsvr32 vcomp90.dll

may produce an error stating that the module was loaded but the entry point DllRegisterServer was not found. That result does not mean the DLL needs a different registration command. It means registration is the wrong operation.

Use the Microsoft redistributable installer and the application’s repair process instead. Microsoft’s regsvr32 documentation explains the command’s purpose and requirements.

Repair corrupted Windows components with DISM and SFC

DISM and SFC are useful when several unrelated programs fail, Windows has broader corruption symptoms, or the component store itself appears damaged. They are not guaranteed to replace a missing Visual C++ 2008 runtime because vcomp90.dll is not normally a protected Windows inbox file.

Install or repair the correct Visual C++ package and repair the affected application first. Then use these tools if the evidence points to broader Windows corruption.

1. Open Start.
2. Type Command Prompt.
3. Right-click it.
4. Select Run as administrator.
5. Run:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

1. Wait for DISM to finish.
2. Then run:

sfc /scannow

1. Wait until the verification reaches 100 percent.
2. Restart Windows.
3. Test the affected application again.

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

If DISM or SFC reports that it repaired files, restart and test. If both complete without finding a problem but vcomp90.dll is still missing, return to the Visual C++ redistributable and application repair steps. SFC does not replace every third-party runtime DLL.

If you are repeatedly hunting through SFC and DISM output without knowing which Windows components changed, Outbyte PC Repair can scan for reported issues and identify what needs attention; its repair action is provided by the full version, and reinstalling the affected application remains the definitive fix when that program owns the missing runtime.

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When a driver update is and is not relevant

vcomp90.dll is not a graphics-driver file. Reinstalling a display driver is not a general solution for a missing Visual C++ 2008 OpenMP runtime.

Consider a driver repair only when:

• The application vendor specifically identifies a driver dependency.
• The error began with broader graphics failures.
• Games crash with display-driver errors as well as the DLL message.
• Device Manager reports a device problem.
• The failure started immediately after a driver update.

To inspect drivers:

1. Press Windows + X.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand Display adapters or the device category named by the application vendor.
4. Right-click the affected device.
5. Choose Properties.
6. Open the Driver tab.
7. Check the provider, date, and status.
8. Use Update Driver only when an appropriate driver source is available.
9. If the problem began immediately after an update and Roll Back Driver is enabled, consider rolling back.
10. Restart Windows and test the application.

Do not uninstall an important device driver merely because vcomp90.dll is missing. If a driver must be removed, use the hardware vendor’s documented installer and recovery procedure.

If you are tired of identifying which of many device drivers is stale and repeating manual update checks, Outbyte Driver Updater can scan and show the reported driver issues; driver installation is handled by the full version, and it is not a substitute for the Microsoft runtime or the application’s own reinstall.

DirectX, .NET, Windows Features, and Windows Update

Do not enable random Windows Features in the hope that they will install vcomp90.dll.

To inspect optional Windows components:

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type:

optionalfeatures

1. Press Enter.
2. Review the listed components.
3. Close the window without changing anything unless the application’s documentation specifically requires a feature.

The .NET Framework, DirectX components, and Visual C++ redistributables are separate technologies. Installing or repairing one does not automatically install the others.

Windows Update is useful for normal system maintenance, but it is not the definitive source for this legacy VC++ runtime. Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 package or use the application’s installer when that is the dependency shown by the error.

Use System Restore when the timing is clear

System Restore can help when the failure began immediately after a known driver installation, application update, system change, or security cleanup and a suitable restore point exists.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Create a restore point.
3. Open the result.
4. Select System Restore.
5. Choose a restore point from before the failure began.
6. Review the affected programs and drivers.
7. Start the restore only if the consequences are acceptable.
8. Restart Windows and test the application.

System Restore does not identify the correct runtime and may remove applications or drivers installed after the selected restore point. Microsoft’s System Restore guidance explains what the process changes.

Several Visual C++ packages installed is normal

It is normal to see multiple Microsoft Visual C++ redistributables in Installed apps or Programs and Features. Different applications may require different runtime generations, and a 32-bit application may require x86 even on a 64-bit computer.

Do not remove older packages simply to make the list look cleaner. In particular, do not assume that installing the current Visual C++ package replaces the Visual C++ 2008 runtime. Microsoft states that older redistributables remain side by side because applications can depend on their specific runtime generation.

Visual C++ 2008 is legacy software and is no longer supported in the same way as current Visual Studio releases, but older programs can still require it. The practical goal is to install the required package for the application, keep unrelated runtimes intact, and repair the owning application when it uses private deployment.

Collect these details if the error remains

If the normal repair path fails, collect evidence before trying additional DLL downloads or registry cleaners.

Record:

• The application name and exact version.
• Whether it is a game, installer, utility, or professional application.
• The complete error message.
• Any error code.
• The Windows version and whether Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit.
• Whether the application is 32-bit or 64-bit.
• Every path where vcomp90.dll was found.
• The file’s digital-signature status.
• Whether the error began after an update, reinstall, antivirus event, or migration.
• The output from C:\sxstrace.txt for side-by-side failures.
• Any Visual C++ installer log requested by Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance.

Microsoft’s Visual C++ redistributable troubleshooting documentation explains what information to collect when the installer itself fails.

Frequently asked questions

Is vcomp90.dll a Windows system file?

No. It is a Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 OpenMP runtime file supplied through redistributable deployment or an application’s installer. It may appear in a Windows-managed runtime location, but that does not make it an original inbox Windows component.

Which Visual C++ package supplies vcomp90.dll?

The Visual C++ 2008 runtime supplies it, specifically the OpenMP portion associated with Microsoft.VC90.OpenMP. Install the official Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable package that matches the application architecture.

Why does a 64-bit Windows computer need x86?

Because Windows architecture and application architecture are separate. Many older applications are 32-bit and therefore require the x86 runtime, even when they run under 64-bit Windows.

Should I install both x86 and x64?

Install the package required by the affected application. On 64-bit Windows, installing both is reasonable if you run both 32-bit and 64-bit legacy programs.

Will the current Visual C++ package fix vcomp90.dll?

Not necessarily. The 90 runtime generation refers to Visual C++ 2008. Newer Visual C++ packages do not automatically replace every older runtime, so use the Microsoft 2008 package when the application depends on VC9.

Can I copy vcomp90.dll into System32?

Do not copy an unknown DLL into System32. A manually copied file can have the wrong architecture, lack the required manifest, bypass servicing, or be tampered with. Use the Microsoft redistributable or the original application’s installer.

Should I run regsvr32?

No. vcomp90.dll is a runtime library, not normally a self-registering COM component. Install or repair the runtime instead.

Why is the file present but still reported as missing?

The application may need the opposite architecture, a different side-by-side assembly version, a missing manifest, or another companion runtime file. Use sxstrace for side-by-side errors and repair the application’s deployment.

Does DirectX or .NET install this file?

No evidence identifies vcomp90.dll as a DirectX or .NET component. It belongs to the Visual C++ 2008 runtime.

What if antivirus quarantined it?

Check Windows Security’s Protection History. Restore a file only when its source, path, signature, and application provenance are trusted. Otherwise, reinstall the Microsoft package or the application from an official source.

What if the application still fails after installing the runtime?

Repair or reinstall the application, especially if only that program fails. If the error mentions side-by-side configuration, run sxstrace. If several unrelated programs fail, investigate Windows component corruption with DISM and SFC.

Is it safe to uninstall old Visual C++ packages after fixing the error?

Usually not. Other programs may depend on them. Leave the installed redistributables in place unless you know which applications use them and have a supported replacement path.

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