The safest fix for the “code execution cannot proceed because MSVCP140.dll was not found” message is to install or repair the official Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable that matches the application’s architecture. Do not download a lone DLL file from an unofficial site. Install the current Microsoft package, repair the application if necessary, and use DISM followed by System File Checker only when the runtime or Windows components appear damaged.
What the MSVCP140.dll error means
MSVCP140.dll is a Microsoft Visual C++ runtime library. Programs compiled with Microsoft C++ toolsets call functions in this library while they start. If Windows cannot locate a compatible copy, the application loader stops before the program opens and displays the code-execution message.
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The message does not identify one single failure. The runtime may never have been installed, its files may be damaged, the application may need a different processor architecture, or the installed redistributable may be older than the toolset used to build the program. Microsoft states that the installed redistributable must be the same version as, or newer than, the MSVC Build Tools version used to create the application.
Microsoft’s current supported v14 redistributable is intended for applications built with the Visual Studio 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2026 toolsets. Microsoft describes the latest supported version as including the most recently implemented C++ features, security, reliability and performance improvements. The package is supplied separately for x86, x64 and ARM64 systems.
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Typical causes and the appropriate response
| What you observe | Likely explanation | First action |
|---|---|---|
| The error appears immediately after installing a program | The application prerequisite was skipped or its deployment failed | Install the matching Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, then run the application installer’s Repair or Modify option |
| A 32-bit program fails on 64-bit Windows | The program needs the x86 runtime; Windows’ x64 runtime is not a substitute | Install the x86 package |
| The error began after an update, cleanup or disk problem | Runtime files or Windows component-store files may be damaged | Repair the redistributable, then run DISM and SFC if required |
| The installer says a package is already present | The runtime is registered but one or more files may be corrupted | Choose Repair in the redistributable setup program |
| The message changes to another missing DLL | The application has another dependency or a separate installation problem | Record the exact new filename and repair the application rather than downloading individual DLLs |
Check the application and Windows architecture first
Architecture must match the program, not merely the edition of Windows. A 32-bit application can run on 64-bit Windows but still requires the x86 redistributable. A native ARM64 application requires the ARM64 package. Microsoft warns that an x64 package cannot be installed on an x86 system, and ARM64 is a separate package.
Find your Windows architecture
- Open Settings and select System.
- Choose About and locate System type. Note whether Windows is 32-bit, 64-bit or ARM-based.
- On older Windows editions, open Control Panel, choose System and Security, then System and read System type.
Do not infer the application’s architecture from Windows alone. A 64-bit Windows installation commonly runs both 64-bit and 32-bit programs.
Identify the application’s architecture and version
- Check the publisher’s system-requirements page or the application installer for x86, x64 or ARM64 wording.
- Right-click the program’s executable, select Properties, and inspect the Details tab for product and file-version information. The tab does not always state architecture, so use the publisher’s documentation when it is silent.
- Write down the exact application name and version. This information is useful if the redistributable installer or the application’s repair process reports a second error.
Install or repair the official Visual C++ Redistributable
Use Microsoft’s current Visual C++ Redistributable download page in Microsoft Learn. It provides permanent links for vc_redist.x86.exe, vc_redist.x64.exe and vc_redist.arm64.exe. Download only the architecture required by the application and your Windows installation.
- Close the affected application and any installer for it. Save open work.
- Open Microsoft Learn’s page for the latest supported Visual C++ v14 Redistributable and select the correct installer. Choose x86 for a 32-bit application, x64 for a native 64-bit application on x64 Windows, and ARM64 for a native ARM64 application.
- When the download finishes, right-click the executable and select Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
- If setup offers Install, select it and allow the process to finish. If it reports that the package is already installed, select Repair instead. Repair replaces damaged runtime components without requiring you to copy files manually.
- Read any setup error code before closing the window. Keep the code, the installer name and the Windows architecture together in your notes.
- Restart Windows. A restart ensures that applications do not retain a failed or partially loaded runtime in memory.
When both x86 and x64 are needed
On 64-bit Windows, install x86 as well as x64 when you use programs built for both architectures. The x86 package supplies the 32-bit runtime required by a 32-bit application; installing only x64 does not satisfy that dependency. Install ARM64 only for native ARM64 applications. Avoid installing unrelated architectures simply as a trial, because architecture matching is the meaningful test.
Confirm that Windows registered the runtime
- Open Settings and select Apps, then Installed apps.
- Search for an entry beginning with Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable. On older Windows versions, open Control Panel and select Programs and Features.
- Check that the entry corresponds to the architecture you installed. The exact display text and version format can differ between Windows releases.
- Launch the same application that produced the original dialog. Testing the original program is more useful than opening a different application, because each program can have different runtime dependencies.
If the application starts, the missing-runtime problem is resolved. Keep the installer error code and application version only if the problem remains; they will be needed for the next diagnostic branch.
Repair the application itself
An application can fail to deploy, register or preserve its prerequisite even when the redistributable is installed correctly. Use the application’s own maintenance option before deleting folders or replacing files.
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and select the affected application. Choose Advanced options when available, then select Repair.
- If Windows does not provide a Repair button, rerun the application’s original installer and choose Repair, Modify or an equivalent maintenance option.
- Allow the process to complete, restart Windows if requested, and test the application again.
- If the program has a separate launcher, game client or vendor updater, repair the main application through that launcher as well. A launcher may maintain files that the Windows Apps page does not expose.
Do not remove the application’s copy of a DLL to force Windows to use another one. The installer needs to manage its complete dependency set, including registration and side-by-side metadata.
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Use the built-in Windows repair sequence when the redistributable repair completes but the same message persists, or when other Windows files are also reporting corruption. DISM repairs the Windows component store; System File Checker then checks protected system files against that repaired store.
- Open the Start menu, type Command Prompt, right-click it and choose Run as administrator.
- At the elevated prompt, enter
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthand press Enter. - Wait for DISM to finish. Progress can pause for a period; do not close the window merely because the percentage appears unchanged.
- After DISM completes, run
sfc /scannowand press Enter. - Wait until SFC reaches 100 percent, note its final result, restart Windows and test the affected application.
Microsoft Support describes DISM followed by SFC as the supported sequence for missing or corrupted Windows system files. The commands do not replace the architecture-specific Visual C++ package; they address damage in Windows components that can interfere with a working runtime.
Interpret the command results
- If DISM reports that the restore operation completed successfully and SFC reports no integrity violations, test the application again. The remaining cause is more likely to be application-specific or architecture-related.
- If SFC says it found and repaired files, restart before testing. A repaired file may not be used by a process that was already running.
- If SFC cannot repair some files, preserve the CBS log information rather than copying DLLs from another computer.
- If DISM reports that source files could not be found, preserve the DISM log and the exact error. The application vendor or Microsoft Support may need that information to identify a repair-source problem.
Troubleshoot an installer that will not run
Check Windows Update and security history
Install pending Windows updates, restart, and retry the Microsoft installer. Also review your antivirus or Windows Security quarantine history. A security product can quarantine a runtime file or block an installer; restore or allow a file only when you recognize the official Microsoft installer and your security software confirms the event.
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Capture the facts before retrying
- Windows edition and architecture.
- Application name and version.
- The exact redistributable filename used: x86, x64 or ARM64.
- The installer’s error code and wording.
- Whether the redistributable appears in Installed apps or Programs and Features.
- The final DISM and SFC results, if you ran those commands.
These details distinguish a blocked download, an architecture mismatch, a damaged package registration and a Windows component-store failure. Repeating the same installer without recording its error usually adds no information.
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When the package is listed but the error remains
Use the redistributable setup program’s Repair option rather than uninstalling every Visual C++ entry. Other applications may depend on installed versions. If Repair succeeds but only one application still fails, repair or reinstall that application through its own installer.
When the error appears after a program update
Check whether the updated application changed from 32-bit to 64-bit, added ARM64 support, or now requires a newer v14 runtime. Install the architecture and version family required by the updated program, then run its Repair or Modify option. Keep the previous application version only if the publisher explicitly supports rollback; do not substitute an arbitrary DLL.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why downloading a single DLL is unsafe
Random DLL-download sites and copies taken from another computer are not supported fixes. A lone file can be the wrong architecture, built for a different runtime revision, incomplete, altered or accompanied by no installer metadata. It may also hide the fact that the application’s prerequisite was never registered correctly.
The supported redistributable is versioned and architecture-specific. It installs the runtime as a unit and records its presence so Windows and application installers can service it later. Copying MSVCP140.dll into the application folder does none of those things and can create a second, harder-to-diagnose mismatch.
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After installing the runtime, Windows may display a different missing filename, such as another Visual C++ library. Record the exact filename and the application that produced it. A changed message commonly means the program has a second runtime dependency or that its own files are incomplete; it is not a reason to keep downloading individual DLLs.
Repair the application, verify that all required architectures are installed, and consult the application publisher’s requirements. If the publisher supplies a prerequisite bundle, use that official bundle rather than a third-party file-hosting site.
When to seek vendor or Microsoft support
Escalate when the official installer repeatedly fails, DISM reports repair-source errors, SFC cannot repair files, or multiple unrelated applications fail with missing-runtime messages. Provide the application name and version, Windows architecture, redistributable architecture, installer error code, Installed apps status and the relevant CBS or DISM log details.
Do not delete system folders, edit the registry to register a random DLL, or replace files from another PC while waiting for support. Those actions can remove evidence and make later servicing more difficult.
Quick Recap
Final verification checklist
- The application’s required architecture is known.
- The matching Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable was downloaded from Microsoft Learn.
- The installer completed or its Repair option completed successfully.
- The redistributable appears in Installed apps or Programs and Features.
- Windows was restarted before testing.
- The application itself was repaired when its deployment was suspect.
- DISM was run before
sfc /scannowwhen Windows corruption was plausible. - The original application, not a different program, was used for the final test.
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