Fix "VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found" Error on Windows

The Error

You double-click an app — a game, a Python installer, a database tool, anything — and Windows throws this dialog:

The code execution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found.
Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.

The app refuses to open. Reinstalling it (as Windows suggests) usually does nothing. The DLL isn't bundled with the app itself — it lives in a separate Microsoft package that may or may not be on your machine.

Why This Happens

VCRUNTIME140.dll is part of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable. Any application compiled with MSVC depends on this runtime at launch.

The DLL goes missing for a handful of reasons:

• The app's installer skipped bundling the redistributable (or you clicked past that step)
• A system cleanup tool flagged it as unused and deleted it
• Another app's uninstaller removed the shared runtime on the way out
• A Windows upgrade or factory reset wiped it
• The DLL file got corrupted

You might also see VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found. Same root cause — just a slightly different DLL from the same package.

Quick Fix: Install the Visual C++ Redistributable

This clears the error in roughly 90% of cases. Grab the official installer straight from Microsoft:

• x64 (64-bit Windows): vc_redist.x64.exe
• x86 (32-bit app on 64-bit Windows): vc_redist.x86.exe

Run it, click through, reboot if prompted. That's the whole fix for most people.

Install Both Architectures

Not sure whether the broken app is 32-bit or 64-bit? Install both — they coexist fine on 64-bit Windows:

# Download and run both:
vc_redist.x64.exe /install /quiet /norestart
vc_redist.x86.exe /install /quiet /norestart

Verify the Fix

Once installed, confirm the DLL is actually present:

# Check in PowerShell:
Get-Item "C:\Windows\System32\VCRUNTIME140.dll"
Get-Item "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\VCRUNTIME140.dll"

Both paths should return file info. System32 holds the 64-bit version; SysWOW64 holds the 32-bit one. Try launching the app again.

Still Failing? Check Which Version You Need

Some older apps were compiled with Visual C++ 2013 or earlier — those use a completely different DLL name. If your error message mentions something other than VCRUNTIME140, you need a different package. For VCRUNTIME140.dll specifically, it's always the 2015–2022 redistributable.

To see what's already on your machine:

# List installed Visual C++ Redistributables:
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*Visual C++*" } | Select-Object Name, Version | Sort-Object Name

Look for Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64). Version below 14.30? It's outdated. Reinstall using the download link above.

Repair a Corrupt Installation

Already have the redistributable installed but the error keeps showing up? The DLL itself may be corrupted. Repair it through Settings:

• Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps
• Search for Visual C++ 2015
• Click the three-dot menu → Modify
• Select Repair and follow the prompts

Or run this from an elevated command prompt:

vc_redist.x64.exe /repair /quiet /norestart

SFC Scan (If the DLL Keeps Disappearing)

Error returns after every reinstall? Something is actively corrupting or removing system files. Run the System File Checker as Administrator:

sfc /scannow

If SFC reports it couldn't fix everything, follow up with DISM:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Reboot after both complete, then reinstall the redistributable one more time.

Edge Case: Python and Node.js

Hit this error right after installing Python or Node.js? Both runtimes ship their own copy of the redistributable. The catch: in CI environments or stripped-down Windows setups, that bundled install step sometimes gets skipped entirely.

Reinstalling Python or Node via the official installer (not a package manager like winget or scoop) usually pulls the correct DLL along with it. That said, installing the Visual C++ Redistributable directly is faster — and you won't need to touch your runtime versions at all.

Summary

• VCRUNTIME140.dll is missing from your system — that's the whole error
• Fix: install Microsoft Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable (x64, x86, or both)
• Verify: check System32 and SysWOW64 for the DLL after installing
• If it keeps coming back: run sfc /scannow to catch underlying file corruption