Applications created using Microsoft Visual Studio require the VCRUNTIME140.dll
library to function properly. This is why, if this DLL is corrupt or missing from your PC, you’ll encounter the “VCRUNTIME140.dll
Not Found” error message.
The DLL is usually corrupted or deleted because of malware, antivirus, or user errors. But in addition to these, a failed upgrade or installation could also be the reason for this error. We’ve discussed all such causes and how to resolve them in detail in the guide below.
Table of Contents
What causes the VCRUNTIME140.dll Not Found Error?
As stated, this error occurs because the VCRUNTIME140.dll
file is missing, and there are a couple of reasons for this. It’s possible that this DLL simply hasn’t been installed yet on your PC. For instance, a DLL file from 2022 won’t be present by default on an old system, and the opposite is possible as well.
But the more common scenario is that the DLL is installed but later on, deleted unintentionally by the user, or corrupted due to malware or antivirus.
Occasionally, an application will also display this error message due to a faulty or incomplete installation.
How to Fix the VCRUNTIME140.dll Not Found Error?
The best way to fix the VCRUNTIME140.dll
not found error is to manually download the DLL file and place it in the appropriate location. In case that doesn’t work, you should repair or reinstall Visual C++ Redistributable and the faulty program. You’ll find detailed instructions for each of these in the respective sections below.
Download VCRUNTIME140.dll
When downloading the DLL File, it’s important that you check the architecture section and get the correct version for your OS (32bit – x86 or 64bit – x64). And when installing the DLL this way, it’s necessary to manually register it as well. Here are the necessary steps to do so:
- Download the DLL. If the latest version doesn’t work, try the one before that.
- Locate and extract the downloaded zip file.
- Copy the extracted DLL file in the directory where the program you’re trying to run is installed.
E.g.C:\Program Files\Tor Browser\Browser\VCRUNTIME140.dll
- Press Win + R, type
cmd
, and press CTRL + Shift + Enter. - Type
regsvr32 VCRUNTIME140.dll
and press Enter. - Reboot your PC and check if the error persists.
- If it does, copy the extracted DLL file again and place it in the following directory according to your OS architecture:
32bit –C:\Windows\SysWOW64\
64bit –C:\Windows\System32\
- The directories’ purposes are the opposite of what their names would suggest. This confuses a lot of users into placing the file in the wrong directory, so please get this right.
- Repeat Steps 4 – 5 to register the DLL once more.
- Restart your PC once more and check if the error is resolved.
Repair/Reinstall Visual C++ Redistributable
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable is basically a standard collection of library files necessary for most applications. We recommend repairing the packages on your PC first, and if that doesn’t work, installing the latest versions. Here are the steps to do so:
- Press Win + R, type
appwiz.cpl
, and press Enter. - Select the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages and press Change/Repair for each.
- Restart your PC and test if you still get the
VCRUNTIME140.dll
Not Found error. - If you do, visit the official Microsoft Download Center.
- Download and install the 32bit and 64bit Visual C++ Redistributable packages as appropriate for your system.
- Restart your PC and check for the error once again.
Reinstall Faulty Program
If you’re still encountering the VCRUNTIME140.dll
Not Found error, the issue is likely the program you’re trying to run. There are a couple of possible scenarios here.
Either the installation got interrupted, so the program wasn’t installed properly. Or, it installed fine, but some of the program’s files are now missing or corrupt. This is usually due to malware, or in some cases, antivirus software mistaking certain files as malware and removing them.
Either way, reinstalling the program once more should resolve this issue. And while you’re at it, we recommend scanning your PC for malware and setting your antivirus to only delete files after you’ve confirmed them to be a threat. This should ensure that a similar issue doesn’t arise again in the future.
Related Questions
Why Does My PC Have So Many Visual C++ Redistributable Versions?
If a developer used Visual Studio 2012 to create their application, then the corresponding package (Visual C++ Redistributable 2012) will be installed on your system along with the application. This is because the Visual C++ Package contains library files necessary for the app to function.
In fact, there will usually be two versions of the same package for 32bit (x86) and 64bit (x64) architectures. As you install various applications, the number of Visual C++ Redistributable tends to rack up too.
Can I Uninstall The Visual C++ Redistributable Package?
This ties into the previous question. A Visual C++ Redistributable Package contains the library files required for a program to work. If you uninstall Visual C++ Redistributable 2013, for instance, any applications dependent on that package will stop working and display errors such as VCRUNTIME140.dll
Not Found.
If you know for sure that a certain Visual C++ Redistributable Package is unnecessary, uninstalling is not an issue. However, most users can’t figure out which specific package is redundant. And to be fair, the extra Visual C++ Packages aren’t doing any harm either; they occupy minimal space. So, it’s generally not recommended to uninstall the packages.
How to Unregister or Reregister the VCRUNTIME140.dll File?
You can register DLL files in the registry using the regsvr32
command. If you wish to unregister the file, you can use the /u switch. Here are the steps to perform either of these for the VCRUNTIME140.dll
file specifically:
- Press Win + R to launch the Run dialog box.
- Type
cmd
and press CTRL + Shift + Enter to open an Elevated Command Prompt window. - To register the DLL, type
regsvr32 VCRUNTIME140.dll
and press Enter. - To unregister the DLL, type
regsvr32 /u VCRUNTIME140.dll
and press Enter.
How to Fix MSVCP140.dll Is Missing?
You can fix the MSCVP140.dll Is Missing error by applying the same solutions as with the VCRUNTIME140.dll
Not Found error.
First, download the file from DLL Files and place it in the appropriate directory. Next, try repairing and reinstalling the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages and the faulty program. We’ve listed the step-by-step procedure for these solutions in the guide above.