One of the most annoying things that Windows users can experience is when they try to open an application only to find out that a missing DLL stopped it from opening and working properly.
One of the most common dlls that go missing or get corrupted is the vcruntime140.dll.
If you happen to be experiencing problems with the vcruntime140, you can try out some of the fixes that we’ll be discussing below.
What is VCRUNTIME140.dll?
The vcruntime140.dll is a DLL file where the codes of certain applications are stored.
They can usually be found in the System32 folder or the SysWOW64 folder, depending on which Windows OS you’re using.
This DLL file is often used to help run third-party applications like games, Skype, and more.
Other applications like Photoshop also runs on it, which can be a hassle if you’re using the program.
One of the main problems that most people have with this file is that it somehow gets missing or corrupted without you knowing.
You’ll just find out one day that you can’t open your Photoshop or Skype because of an error that says “vcruntime140.dll was not found”.
Of course, when your computer tells you that the vcruntime140.dll was not found, it means you might have deleted it by accident, it was infected by a virus, or it got corrupted along the way.
Luckily, fixing the problem isn’t too difficult. Here are some simple fixes that can help with your vcruntime140.dll errors.
Quick Fix If It’s Missing
The vlogger demonstrates how you can to fix Vcruntime140.dll if you’re getting a missing error.
“VCRUNTIME140.dll is Missing” is an error that can occur on Microsoft Windows computers. Generally, the issue arises after installing a Windows update or after an unsuccessful installation of a specific program:
5 Fixes For VCRUNTIME140 Errors
1st Fix (System File Scan)
According to Win10FAQs, the first thing that a lot of users would do when they encounter this problem is run a system file scan so that each of the affected files can get fixed in the process.
Therefore, whenever you see DLL missing error, then this is the first thing you can do. Here are the steps to do it:
Press the Windows key then type CMD. Right click the icon.
Click Run as Administrator then choose Yes.
When the Command Prompt window appears, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
Let the command scan your files. Once done, simply exit the Command Prompt.
Restart your computer.
Check to see if the affected application can work properly.
Usually, people would say that this method is a working fix for them. If it does, then all is good. But if it doesn’t, there are other ways to address it.
Video Guide: How To Run A System File Check
2nd Fix (Repair and Reinstall)
If the abovementioned method didn’t work, then the problem is most likely with your system’s Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015.
Ugetfix suggests two ways to address it: to either repair it or reinstall it. To repair it, simply follow the steps below:
Go to the Control Panel and choose Programs and Features.
Look for Microsoft Visual C++ Visual Redistributable in the list.
Click Change.
Click Repair and wait for the program to repair itself.
Wait for it to finish repairing then reboot your computer afterward.
After rebooting your computer, you can check the application whether it works or not.
If this method still doesn’t work, you can still try to reinstall it instead. The steps on how to do this are detailed in the third fix.
3rd Fix (Reinstall a Package)
In most cases, you don’t have to reach the third fix as you can already resolve the issue with the first and second fixes.
However, if the other two didn’t work, this just might. Basically, you have to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable from the Microsoft website. Here’s how:
This is usually avoided because messing with the folders can sometimes lead to even more errors that not only involve the affected application. Ideally, you want to leave this as a last resort if the other 3 methods won’t work. Win10FAQs shows us how it’s done:
The downloaded file will appear in .zip format. Simply extract the contents.
Afterward, copy the extracted file to either C:\Windows\System32 or C:\Windows\SysWOW64.
Check if your application is now working.
As this is really the last resort that most people do, it should already fix the problem. However, you must take note not to alter the other files found in the System folder. Messing around with the other files, as mentioned above, can lead to further errors or at times even corruption of some software.
5th Fix (Doing a Virus Scan)
Just to be totally safe, we wouldn’t want you to have a virus in your computer.
When the problem persists, it’s possible that the vcruntime140.dll file may be a virus. If that’s the case, then it’ll definitely not work properly.
Another case is if there is a malware inside your computer that keeps on infecting your vcruntime140.dll file.
With that, Ugetfix recommends that you get your system scanned so that your computer won’t have any of those things. Here’s what you can do:
Open your antivirus and do a full scan.
If there are any viruses, delete them right away.
Perform regular scans on your computer.
Download an antimalware program so that you can also check for malware.
Clean your computer of any malware if any are found.
Forum Feedback
A computer user explains that VCRuntime140.dll is a necessary file for some Windows programs and that it’s a is a Microsoft C Runtime Library file.
He adds that it’s part of Microsoft Visual Studio and that it’s usually located in Windows/System 32 folder. The person warns that if the file is located somewhere else, you should run your antivirus program and scan for viruses.
Another poster comments that you might get an error message that VCRuntime140.dll is missing if a program or your OS is not able to find it. He adds that it might be corrupted or deleted by mistake. The user advises that you download the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, install it anew, and restart the computer.
A person says that the size of the file is around 600 KB and that if it’s larger than that, you might have contacted a malware or a virus.
A computer owner shared that he had problems with VCRuntime140.dll after a major Windows update. He states that you might have to update your drivers if you have an HP laptop. An application called Accelerometer protects your hard drive if you accidentally drop your device on the ground. In this case, you should go to the HP website and enter the model of your device to find the Accelerometer driver for your system. Then you have to download it, install it, and restart the system.
Another tech forum commentator mentioned that he got an error message on his HP laptop after a Microsoft update to Microsoft Windows 10 Creator and that he found out later that the Accelerometer driver was not compatible with the update. He shared that he reached out to Microsoft support and that they were able to help him find the right drivers for his machine.
Another person says that you have to uninstall the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 from Control Panel àAdd/Remove programs, then download it from the official Microsoft site, and reinstall it. He warns that he came upon several sites that offered the file, but they wanted money or subscriptions. The poster mentions that you can find the legitimate installation files on Microsoft’s website and that they are free.
A computer owner explained that he searched for the VCruntime140.dll file when an error message popped on his screen when he attempted to start a program and that he solved the issue by copying the file and pasting it in the Windows/System 32 folder.
Another individual commented that he had to remove the HP 3D Drive Guard after the VCRuntime140.dll error appeared. He explains that VCRuntime is connected to AccelerometerSt.dl, which is part the HP 3D Drive Guard. Downloading the right driver for the HP support site and using the repair option didn’t work out for him, so he chose to remove it. However, he is not happy with the outcome, because he prefers the benefits of having the HP 3D Drive Guard to lock the disk if he drops the laptop.
On the other hand, a computer user shares that he didn’t have to uninstall or reinstall any HP drivers. He simply downloaded the 32bit and 64bit version of C++, which fixed the VCRuntime140.dll error. He mentions that you should get Microsoft Visual Studio C++ 2015, not any previous versions.
Another person states that he started to get an error message when he turned on his computer after a major Windows 10 update. After trying to get rid of it unsuccessfully for several days, he contacted Microsoft for help and that they assisted him in fixing the VCRuntime140.dll issue.
One poster said that he ran a sfc/scannow scan after he started getting an error message saying that VCruntime140.dll is missing. The scan found no corrupted files and the antivirus also didn’t return anything malicious. The user explained that he looked for the file in the System 32 founder, but it wasn’t there. He didn’t feel comfortable downloading the missing file from the Internet because he was afraid he’d be infected with malware. However, it a couple of days the problem resolved on its own without him taking any further actions.
To understand better VCRuntime140.dll we took a look through different tech forums. Usually, people were searching for a VCRuntime140.dll fix, VCRuntime140.dll download and missing from Windows 7 and Windows 10.
Conclusion
While this error isn’t really something that you have to really watch out for, it is pretty annoying. However, it may become more than just a petty annoyance if you leave it alone. It could actually be a sign of a virus or malware penetrating the system and corrupting your files. In any case, you have to nip it at the bud just in case. If you experience problems related to the vcruntime140.dll file, then these fixes can hopefully solve your issues.
Ryan is a computer enthusiast who has a knack for fixing difficult and technical software problems. Whether you’re having issues with Windows, Safari, Chrome or even an HP printer, Ryan helps out by figuring out easy solutions to common error codes.
