How-To

How to Fix VCRUNTIME140.dll is Missing Error on Windows

By Brian Burgess

Published March 13, 2022

A VCRUNTIME140.dll is missing error is a problem with your Visual C++ Redistributable files on Windows. You can fix the problem with this guide.

Windows apps and software require DLL files to run—without them, they can stop working altogether.

If you see a VCRUNTIME140.dll is missing error, for example, it’s a sign that your PC is missing this file, preventing an app from launching. It could be due to an app installing unsuccessfully. It could even show up after running Windows Update.

Thankfully, you can fix this error on Windows pretty easily. The VCRUNTIME140.dll file is used by Microsoft C++ Redistributable for Microsoft Studio and is part of the C++ package of files.

There are several reasons why you may see this error, but you can use the following steps to fix it.

Repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Installation Files

One of the first things you can attempt is a repair of the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable. This is a package that helps many Windows apps to run properly.

You can repair it by using the following steps:

1. Click the Start button and select Settings.
2. When Settings opens, click Apps from the list on the left and Apps & features on the right.
3. Scroll down the Apps & features section and type visual C++ in the Search field. There may be several results, but you want to find Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x64).
4. Click the three-dot menu button next to it and select Modify from the menu.
5. The Microsoft Visual screen will appear – click the Repair button.
6. After the setup process completes, click the Close button, and see if you still get the error.

Reinstall Visual C++ Redistributable

If the repair doesn’t resolve the error, you can reinstall Microsoft Visual C++. The VCRUNTIME140.dll is rooted in the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio.

To uninstall Visual C++ Redistributable and reinstall it, use the following steps:

1. First, download Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update 3 RC from Microsoft’s official site.
2. Make sure to download the correct version, i.e., x86 or x64.
3. Open Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features and search visual C++ in the search field.
4. Click the three-dot button and select Uninstall from the menu.
5. The Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable window will appear – click Uninstall.
6. After setup is complete, close out of the window.
7. Now, open the folder containing the Microsoft Visual C++ file you download and double-click to run it.
8. Agree to the EULA and install the program following the on-screen wizard. When it completes, click the Close button to exit the installer.

Once the reinstall is complete, restart Windows 11 and see if the error message goes away.

Run System File Checker and DISM Scans

This error can also appear when your Windows files have become corrupted.

Running a System File Checker (SFC) scan will detect corrupt system files and replace them with working ones. A Deployment Image Servicing Management (DISM) scan will check for corrupt files, but also replace any corrupt files with known working system files it gets from Microsoft servers.

To run an SFC and DISM scan, do the following:

1. Press the Windows key and search for PowerShell.
2. When the top result appears, click the Run as Administrator option on the right.
3. Next, run the following command in the terminal and hit Enter.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. After the SFC scan completes, run a DISM scan by running the following command.

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

These scans can take a while to run. So don’t close out of the terminal until the scans are complete.

Check for Windows Updates

It’s vital to keep your system updated for security and system stability. Windows Update might have a bug fix you can employ to eliminate the VCRUNTIME140.dll error. Windows updates itself in the background, but you may need to check for updates manually.

To check for updates, open Start > Settings > Windows Update and click the Check for updates button to update Windows.

Hopefully, after applying the latest updates, the error will go away. However, a Windows Update could be buggy and cause the problem.

So, if you notice the error starts after a specific update, you can roll back the update. After doing that, restart your PC and see if the error is gone.

Reinstall the Troublesome App

If you’re still getting an error when running a specific app, uninstall the app and reinstall it. The app may have been an issue with the app download and installation. Also, most apps tend to have their own copy of VCRUNTIME140.dll, fixing the error.

Fixing Error on Windows

Using the troubleshooting steps above should get your system and apps up and running. However, there are plenty of errors you can experience while using Windows. For example, Blue Screen of Death or BSOD errors can be more frustrating.

For more, take a look at fixing a Windows 11 stop code memory management error or fixing a Ntoskrnl.exe BSOD. If your hard drive is running out of space, you can fix 100 percent disk usage on Windows 11. If your system constantly gives you problems, read these fixes for Windows 11 crashing.