MSVCP140.dll was not found — what it means and how to fix it

MSVCP140.dll is the C++ standard library from Microsoft's Visual C++ 2015–2022 runtime. Games and apps built with those tools need it present and healthy. “Was not found” (or “code execution cannot proceed”) means it isn't — the runtime was never installed on this PC, or an uninstall/cleaner removed pieces of it.

The fix, in order

  1. Install the Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable from Microsoft — both vc_redist.x64.exe and vc_redist.x86.exe. The program that failed might be 32-bit even on a 64-bit PC; it needs its matching flavour. Restart the PC when done.
  2. Already installed? Repair instead. Settings → Apps → each “Microsoft Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable” → Modify → Repair.
  3. Then reinstall or verify the program itself. For games: Steam → right-click → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity. A damaged game folder can sit next to a healthy runtime and keep failing.
  4. Run Windows Update — servicing updates occasionally replace these DLLs; a pending reboot leaves mismatched versions.
Do not download MSVCP140.dll by itself. DLL-download sites offer single files of random versions, sometimes bundled with installers nobody asked for. The DLL belongs to a matched set installed by Microsoft's package — that package is the fix, and it's free.

Close relative: VCRUNTIME140.dll

The same programs often name VCRUNTIME140.dll instead — the C (not C++) half of the same runtime. The fix is identical: the 2015–2022 redistributable, both flavours, from Microsoft. Fixing one fixes both, because they arrive in the same package.

If it still happens

Look inside the failing program's folder for its own MSVCP140.dll. Some programs ship a private copy; if that copy is older or corrupt, it overrides the healthy system one. Rename the private copy (add .bak) so the program falls back to the system DLL, and relaunch. Still stuck? The program itself is damaged — a clean reinstall is the remaining move.

Common questions

Why did this appear after uninstalling something else? Programs sometimes remove shared runtime files on their way out, or a cleaner deleted them. Reinstalling the redistributable restores the shared set for every program that uses it.

Is MSVCP140.dll part of Windows? It ships with Microsoft's redistributable package, which many programs install alongside themselves. On a PC where nothing has installed it yet, it legitimately doesn't exist until the package is run.

Related errors

VCRUNTIME140.dll missing · api-ms-win-crt-runtime missing · Visual C++ Runtime Library error