The fix that solves this in about five minutes
If you’re staring at the message “The code execution cannot proceed because MSVCP140.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem,” here’s the fix that works most of the time: install (or repair) the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable from Microsoft’s own site, both the x64 and x86 versions, then reboot. That’s it. The DLL isn’t really missing in the way it sounds. It’s the runtime package that ships it that’s broken, absent, or mismatched.
msvcp140.dll is a piece of the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime, part of the Redistributable package that thousands of programs quietly depend on. It’s not a standalone app. When a game or a tool like Autodesk EAGLE or Plex Media Server throws this error at launch, it’s telling you the shared runtime it needs isn’t there.
You’ll often see its sibling, vcruntime140.dll, throw the exact same error at the same time. Same cause. Same fix. Fix one and you fix both.
Installing the right Visual C++ Redistributable
Go to Microsoft’s official download page for the Visual C++ Redistributable and grab the latest 2015-2022 package. Skip every other source. I mean that.
Here’s the part people botch: architecture. On 64-bit Windows, you should install both the x64 and the x86 versions. Why both? Because the program throwing the error might be 32-bit even on a 64-bit system, and a 32-bit app needs the 32-bit runtime. Installing only x64 is the single most common reason someone “already installed it” and still sees the error.
- Open your browser and search for “Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable latest supported downloads” to land on the learn.microsoft.com page.
- Download vc_redist.x64.exe and run it. Accept the terms, let it finish.
- Download vc_redist.x86.exe and run it too.
- Restart your computer. Runtime changes don’t fully take hold until you reboot.
- Launch the program that was failing.
One note for older software: some legacy programs were built against the 2015 or 2017 runtime specifically. The 2015-2022 package is backward compatible and covers those, but if a stubborn old app still complains, installing the standalone 2015 and 2017 redistributables (x86 and x64) has cleared it up for people. On the Ten Forums thread about this exact error, one user reported the problem solved only after installing both 2015 and 2017 in both architectures.
Confirming it worked, and what to try if it didn’t
The verification is simple: open the program that was failing. If it launches without the popup, you’re done. You can also confirm the runtime installed by opening Settings, going to Apps then Installed apps (Windows 11) or Apps & features (Windows 10), and searching “Visual C++.” You should see entries for Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable in both x64 and x86.
Still broken? The next move is a repair, which is different from a fresh install and often catches a partially corrupted package.
Repair the existing runtime
- Open Apps & features (Windows 10) or Installed apps (Windows 11).
- Find each Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable entry.
- Click the three dots (or the entry itself) and choose Modify, then Repair.
- Do this for both x64 and x86. Reboot.
Fix corrupted Windows system files
If the runtime looks fine but the error persists, your Windows install itself may have file damage. Open Command Prompt as administrator (right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin)) and run these in order:
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter. Wait for it to finish.
- SFC /scannow and press Enter. This scans and replaces missing or corrupted system files.
Then reinstall the affected program and restart. This is the sequence a Ten Forums moderator recommended on the same thread, and it’s the standard escalation path Microsoft’s own guidance follows: repair the runtime, reinstall it, reinstall the app, then run System File Checker.
Reinstall the program
Some apps register the runtime during their own setup. A clean reinstall of the game or tool can re-lay the dependency and fix it when nothing else does.
The advice that will cost you: DLL download sites
Type this error into a search engine and the top results include sites offering a “free msvcp140.dll download.” DLL-files.com alone lists 54 versions of the file. Do not do this. It’s the well-ranked wrong answer for this problem, and it’s genuinely risky.
Here’s why grabbing a loose DLL is a bad trade:
- Security. A DLL from an unofficial source is a perfect vehicle for malware. You’re placing an executable library into a system folder and trusting a stranger’s copy.
- Version mismatch. The file version has to match what your app expects and what the rest of the runtime provides. A lone DLL from a random version can create new failures that are harder to diagnose than the original.
- It doesn’t fix the real problem. The runtime package is what’s broken. Dropping one file into System32 or SysWOW64 patches a symptom while leaving the actual dependency incomplete.
Microsoft’s community guidance is blunt on this: repair or reinstall the redistributable, don’t hand-place DLLs. The official installer sets up every file correctly, in the right place, with the right version, signed by Microsoft. There’s no upside to the shortcut.
One legitimate exception exists, and it’s narrow: a few PC games want the DLL inside their own install folder rather than the system folder. If a game specifically asks for that, copy it from your Windows system folder, not from a download site.
Why it happened, and stopping the repeat
The root cause is almost always the Visual C++ Redistributable being missing, damaged, or mismatched. A program you installed assumed the runtime was present and it wasn’t, or a newer app expected a version you didn’t have.
A few things reintroduce the error after you’ve fixed it, and they’re worth knowing:
- Antivirus quarantine. If the DLL vanished right after a security scan, your antivirus may have quarantined it. Check the quarantine before restoring anything, but this is a real cause worth ruling out.
- App updaters bundling old runtimes. Microsoft’s Q&A team has flagged a pattern where installers and updaters reintroduce older C++ runtimes, which can conflict with your current package. If you see duplicate or outdated 2015-2022 entries in your installed apps list, removing the stragglers and keeping only the latest x64 and x86 can settle it.
- Windows updates. Community reports through 2025 pointed to certain Windows updates as triggers for Visual C++ runtime breakage in some setups. If the error appeared right after an update, a runtime repair usually restores things.
Think of the runtime like the electrical wiring behind your walls. Individual apps are the appliances that plug in. When the wiring’s faulty, swapping out one outlet cover (a single DLL) doesn’t help. You fix the wiring, which is the redistributable.
If you’ve installed both architectures, repaired them, run DISM and SFC, reinstalled the program, and it still fails, the next real step is the software vendor’s support channel. Autodesk, Steam, and Plex all have their own known-issue pages for this error, and the app itself may be shipping a broken dependency that only the developer can patch. Microsoft’s Q&A forum on learn.microsoft.com is the other solid place to post, since responders there deal with this runtime family constantly.
Right now, in the next ten minutes: open your Installed apps list, search “Visual C++,” and check whether you have both the x64 and x86 2015-2022 entries. If one is missing, that’s your fix.