How to fix VCRUNTIME140_1.dll missing or not found error in Windows?

VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found means a 64-bit program needs a Microsoft Visual C++ runtime file that Windows cannot find. The file belongs to the Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable, not to the program and not to Windows itself. Install Microsoft's x64 and x86 packages and start the program again.

Facts checked on 14 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2, with the Visual C++ v14 Redistributable 14.51.36247.

What the VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found error means

Programs written in C++ with Microsoft's tools do not carry all of their basic code inside the .exe file. They borrow it from shared runtime libraries, and vcruntime140_1.dll is one of them. When you start the program, Windows looks for every library the program lists. If one is absent, Windows stops before the first line of the program runs and shows the box.

Windows has a status code for this situation: STATUS_DLL_NOT_FOUND, number 0xC0000135. Microsoft's list of status codes describes it with nearly the same words as the box: the application has failed to start because a file was not found, and reinstalling the application might fix the problem.

Full text

The code execution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.

What the name says

vcruntime is the Visual C++ runtime, 140 is its version family (v14) and _1 marks an addition to the original vcruntime140.dll.

What the file does

It holds a newer routine for C++ error handling, named __CxxFrameHandler4, that 64-bit programs call.

Who installs it

The Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable, x64 package. Some programs also bring their own copy in their folder.

The second sentence of the box, about reinstalling the program, is right only sometimes. The file is shared and comes from Microsoft, so a new copy of the program often changes nothing. The fixes below start with Microsoft's package for that reason.

• Same error, other spellings: vcruntime140_1.dll missing, vcruntime140_1.dll is missing, vcruntime140_1.dll not found, vcruntime140 1 dll, vcruntime140-1.dll, vcruntime140.1.dll and vc runtime140_1.dll all mean this one file.
• A different file: vcruntime140.dll, without _1, is the older main runtime library. It comes from the same Microsoft package, so Fix 1 repairs both errors.
• Often seen together: a box about MSVCP140.dll. It is the C++ Standard Library from the same package, and the same fix applies.

Where vcruntime140_1.dll belongs: System32, SysWOW64 and the program folder

Windows does not search the whole disk for a library. Microsoft documents a fixed order: the folder the program was started from comes first, then the system folder, then the Windows folder, the current folder and the folders in the PATH variable. The search ends at the first copy.

The names are confusing: System32 is the 64-bit folder and SysWOW64 is the 32-bit one. That confusion is behind a common mistake, a 64-bit file copied into SysWOW64 or a file of unknown type dropped into System32.

What causes the vcruntime140_1.dll missing error, from most to least common

Most often the x64 package was never installed, or the installed one is older than Visual Studio 2019. Less often the package is listed but its files are gone or damaged. Rarely the cause sits in one program: its own copy of the file is broken, or a file from a DLL site blocks the real one.

vcruntime140_1.dll download: why a DLL site is the wrong place

Searching for a download of the file leads to sites that offer single DLL files. It looks like the shortest way: one small file instead of an installer. It is the one route we advise against, and Microsoft's documentation gives the reasons.

• Unknown origin. A program loads a DLL as part of itself. Microsoft's page on DLL security describes what follows from a planted file: the copy runs inside the application and gains the privileges of the user. You cannot see from a file name who built the file.
• Wrong version. Microsoft requires the runtime to be the same version as the tools that built your program, or newer. A DLL site gives you whatever version it happens to host. An older file can start the program and crash it later.
• Wrong architecture. Some sites list a 32-bit and a 64-bit download for this name. Microsoft's own x86 package contains no such file, so a 32-bit copy does not come from the package. A file of the wrong type leads to a new error, often 0xc000007b, which Microsoft lists as STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT.
• No updates. Microsoft services the shared copy in System32 through its installer and Windows Update. A file you dropped into a folder is never updated, and it keeps overriding the good copy because the program's folder is searched first.
• The rest is still missing. The package installs a set of libraries that work together. A program that lacks one of them usually lacks the others, and you would chase one error box after another.

The three addresses are the permanent links from Microsoft's page "Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable latest supported downloads". They always lead to the current version, so no version number is part of the address. The download is free and needs no account.

How to fix VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found

Fix 1 solves the error for most readers, and Fix 2 covers the case where the package is installed but damaged. Fixes 3 and 4 deal with one program and with files copied in by hand. Fixes 5 to 7 are for the cases where Microsoft's installer does not do its job, and for Arm-based PCs.

Fix 1. Install the latest Visual C++ Redistributable, x64 and x86

5 minutesNo riskThe error appeared on a new program or game, or you do not know which Visual C++ packages the PC has.

The x64 package is the only one of Microsoft's installers for Intel and AMD PCs that contains vcruntime140_1.dll, and it places the file in System32 where every 64-bit program finds it. The x86 package adds the 32-bit libraries that launchers and helper tools of the same programs often need.

1. Close the program that shows the error.
2. Open Microsoft's page Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable latest supported downloads and find the table Latest supported redistributable version.
3. Download the X64 file, vc_redist.x64.exe, and the X86 file, vc_redist.x86.exe.
4. Run vc_redist.x64.exe. Tick I agree to the license terms and conditions and select Install.
5. Wait for Setup Successful. Select Close, or Restart if the window offers it. You can restart after the second package instead.
6. Run vc_redist.x86.exe the same way.
7. Restart the PC and start the program.

The same installer works without clicks, which helps on several PCs. Microsoft documents the options /install, /repair, /uninstall, /passive, /quiet and /norestart. Open Command Prompt in the folder with the downloads and run:

Command Prompt: install both packages with a progress bar only

vc_redist.x64.exe /install /passive /norestart
vc_redist.x86.exe /install /passive /norestart

Fix 2. Repair the Visual C++ Redistributable that is already installed

5 minutesNo riskMicrosoft's installer says the package is already there, or several programs show the same box.

Windows can list the package as installed while the file itself is gone, for example after a cleanup tool or a restore. Repair makes the installer put every file of the package back, including vcruntime140_1.dll, without touching your programs.

1. Open Programs and Features. Type control panel in the search box on the taskbar and select Control Panel. Select Programs > Programs and Features.
2. Find the installed versions. Look for the entries that start with Microsoft Visual C++. Each one shows a year and an architecture, x64 or x86. Several entries side by side are normal: older versions stay installed next to newer ones.

   

3. Repair each Visual C++ entry. Right-click an entry and select Change, then select Repair in the window that opens. Do the same for every Microsoft Visual C++ entry.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2, Windows 10 22H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable and .NET Framework

For this error the entries that count are the newest ones. With the current version they are named Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable (x64) and (x86), followed by the version number. Older releases of the same package appear as Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable or 2015-2019. Repair the x64 entry first, then the x86 one.

1. In the window that opens after Change, check that the heading is Modify Setup.
2. Select Repair and confirm the Windows prompt that asks for administrator rights.
3. Wait for Setup Successful and select Close or Restart.
4. Repeat for the (x86) entry of the same year or version.
5. Restart the PC and start the program.

• Faster way: run the downloaded vc_redist.x64.exe again. When the same version is installed it opens straight at Modify Setup. From Command Prompt the documented form is vc_redist.x64.exe /repair /passive /norestart.
• A newer version is installed than the file you downloaded: Microsoft explains that the package then does not install and reports that setup failed. Download the current file from the page in Fix 1, or repair from Programs and Features as above.
• Leave the old years alone. Entries for 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013 are separate products that install side by side. They do not contain this file and do not disturb it.

Fix 3. Repair or reinstall the program that shows the error

10 to 20 minutesLow riskThe Microsoft package is installed and repaired, and one program or game still shows the box.

Microsoft allows developers to place the runtime files in the program's own folder, and its C++ team confirms that this works for vcruntime140_1.dll too. A program built that way looks at its own folder first, so a broken or half-updated copy there keeps failing whatever System32 holds.

Here the advice in the error box is right: the program's own installer has to put its files back. Use the route that matches where the program came from.

1. Finish Fix 1 first, so the shared copy in System32 is in order.
2. Close the program completely, including its icon near the clock.
3. Repair or reinstall the program by the route in the table.
4. If the installer of the program offers to install Microsoft Visual C++, let it. A newer version already on the PC is kept.
5. Restart the PC and start the program.

Fix 4. Check that the file is there and is Microsoft's, and remove stray copies

10 minutesLow riskA DLL was copied in by hand at some point, the error changed to another one, or you want proof before going further.

Windows uses the first copy it finds, and the program's folder comes before System32. One wrong file there, of unknown origin or the wrong type, defeats a perfectly installed package. Three read-only commands show what is really on the disk.

1. Open Command Prompt and list the runtime files in the 64-bit system folder. You should see vcruntime140.dll and vcruntime140_1.dll.

   dir C:\Windows\System32\vcruntime140*.dll

2. List the 32-bit folder. vcruntime140.dll belongs here after the x86 package. A vcruntime140_1.dll here did not come from Microsoft's x86 package.

   dir C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vcruntime140*.dll

3. Open Windows PowerShell and read the version of the file. It should match the version of the package you installed.

   (Get-Item C:\Windows\System32\vcruntime140_1.dll).VersionInfo | Format-List FileVersion, FileDescription, CompanyName

4. Check the signature. Status must be Valid, and the signer's line must name Microsoft Corporation.

   Get-AuthenticodeSignature -FilePath C:\Windows\System32\vcruntime140_1.dll | Format-List Status, SignerCertificate

5. Look for extra copies in the folder of the program that fails. Replace the path with the real folder of the program.

   dir /s /b "C:\Program Files\ProgramName\vcruntime140_1.dll"

6. Run the signature command from step 4 on every copy that step 5 lists.
7. Leave a copy with a Valid Microsoft signature alone: the program brought it. Rename any other copy by adding .old to its name, then repair the program with Fix 3.

The earlier version of this guide advised copying the file out of C:\Program Files\WindowsApps. We no longer do. That copy is genuine, but it belongs to a Store framework package with its own version, and a file copied by hand is never updated again.

Fix 5. Remove the v14 Redistributable and install it fresh

10 minutesLow riskRepair ended without an error, but the file is still missing or the box still appears in several programs.

A repair works from the installer's saved copy of the package. If that saved copy is itself damaged, repair puts back nothing useful. Removing the entry and installing a freshly downloaded package replaces both the files and the saved copy.

1. Download both packages from Microsoft's page as in Fix 1 and keep them in the Downloads folder.
2. Close all programs.
3. Open Control Panel, then Programs, then Programs and Features.
4. Right-click the Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable (x64) entry, or its 2015-2022 or 2015-2019 form, and select Uninstall. In the window that opens, select Uninstall again.
5. Do the same for the (x86) entry.
6. Restart the PC.
7. Run vc_redist.x64.exe, then vc_redist.x86.exe, each to Setup Successful.
8. Restart once more and start the program.

Removing a program in Windows, with pictures for Settings and Control Panel, is shown here: Uninstall a program or app in Windows. If Windows refuses to remove the entry and names error 1714, that case has its own steps in Fix 6.

Fix 6. Clear what blocks Microsoft's installer when it ends with Setup Failed

15 minutesLow riskvc_redist.x64.exe or vc_redist.x86.exe ends with Setup Failed, and no newer version is installed.

Without a finished installation the file never reaches System32, so the error cannot go away. Microsoft publishes the return codes of this installer and what clears each one, which is quicker than trying general repairs.

The failure window says "One or more issues caused the setup to fail" and links to the log file. Open it and search for the words Error, Failed or System Error. Microsoft's troubleshooting page lists the codes below.

1. Close every program, then restart the PC so no runtime file is in use.
2. Install pending updates in Settings > Windows Update and restart again. Microsoft notes that outdated system components cause this on rare occasions.
3. Right-click the installer and select Run as administrator.
4. If the code was 1620 or a verification error, delete the downloaded file and download it again from Microsoft's page.
5. If the code was 1714, the log names the old version, for example 14.40.33816. Download that exact version from Microsoft and run it with Uninstall, then install the current one.
6. If it still fails, pause real-time protection for this one installation and turn it back on right after: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment

Running a program with administrator rights is shown step by step here: How to run a program as administrator or in compatibility mode. Microsoft's page itself suggests the pause of protection as a temporary test and tells you to turn the protection back on afterwards.

Fix 7. Pick the right package on an Arm-based PC

10 minutesNo riskSystem type in Settings shows an ARM-based processor, for example a Snapdragon X laptop.

On Arm, a program can be native Arm64, emulated x64 or emulated 32-bit x86, and each kind needs its own runtime. Microsoft's x64 package was made to cover two of them at once: it contains both the ARM64 and the X64 binaries.

1. Open Settings > System > About and read System type under Device specifications.
2. If it names an ARM-based processor, download vc_redist.x64.exe and vc_redist.x86.exe from Microsoft's page, as in Fix 1.
3. Run vc_redist.x64.exe. On an Arm64 device it installs the Arm64 files together with the x64 ones.
4. Run vc_redist.x86.exe for 32-bit programs.
5. Restart the PC and start the program.

• Windows 11 on Arm. Microsoft says it emulates both x86 and x64 apps, and that x64 apps load the system files from the same folders as Arm64 apps, with no separate folder. So the fix is the same as on an Intel PC.
• Windows 10 on Arm. A program that asks for vcruntime140_1.dll is 64-bit. If it is an x64 build, no runtime package makes it run there. Look for an Arm64 or a 32-bit version of the program.
• What we could not confirm. Microsoft's pages do not say whether the separate Arm64 package is still needed once the x64 package is installed on an Arm64 device. Installing it in addition does no harm.

If the VCRUNTIME140_1.dll error is still there: what to check and what to send

When the box survives all seven fixes, stop guessing and collect facts. Two places tell you what is installed and what went wrong: the registry value that the package writes, and the installer's own logs.

1. Read the installed version of the x64 runtime. Microsoft documents this key, with the value Version, as the place where the package records itself.

   reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\VC\Runtimes\x64" /v Version

2. If the command reports that the key cannot be found, the x64 package is not installed, whatever the list of programs shows. Go back to Fix 1.
3. For installer failures, download Microsoft's log collection tool from https://aka.ms/vscollect and run Collect.exe.
4. Open %TEMP%\vscollect.zip. Inside its Temp folder, the files whose names start with dd_vcredist_ are the logs of the package.
5. Search those logs for Error, Failed or System Error, and compare the code with the table in Fix 6.

• What to send to the program's support: the full text of the box, the program's version, your Windows version, the Version value from the command above and the result of the dir command from Fix 4. With these four facts a vendor can tell whether its installer is at fault.
• What to send to Microsoft: installer failures go to the Developer Community with the collected logs. Microsoft asks for the version you tried to install and the versions already installed, and says that reports without logs cannot be acted on.
• When it is the program, not your PC: the file is in System32, signed and current, other programs start, and the same program fails on a second PC too. Its vendor has to fix the installer.
• When it is not this error any more: a box with 0xc000007b, or one that names a different DLL, is a new problem. A different missing Visual C++ file is repaired by the same Fix 1. Other names need their own search.

This is not a hardware fault. A missing library is a missing file on the disk, and nothing in Microsoft's material ties it to memory, the processor or the graphics card. If files keep disappearing after every repair, check the disk and look for a cleanup or security tool that removes them.

How to keep the vcruntime140_1.dll error from coming back

The advice about the installer cache follows from Microsoft's description of error 1714. The failure logs it quotes point at a missing file under C:\ProgramData\Package Cache, the folder where the package keeps the copy it later needs for repair and removal.

Frequently asked questions

What is vcruntime140_1.dll?

It is a runtime library from Microsoft that 64-bit programs written in C++ load when they start. Microsoft's C++ team added it in Visual Studio 2019 to hold a new, smaller routine for C++ error handling called __CxxFrameHandler4. The file is installed by the Microsoft Visual C++ v14 Redistributable, x64 package, into C:\Windows\System32. Its properties describe it as Microsoft C Runtime Library from Microsoft Corporation. It is not a part of Windows itself and not a part of any single program, although some programs carry their own copy in their folder.

Where can I download vcruntime140_1.dll safely?

From Microsoft only, and as part of its installer, not as a single file. Open Microsoft's page of latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads and take vc_redist.x64.exe, which contains the file, and vc_redist.x86.exe for 32-bit programs. The permanent addresses are aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x64.exe and aka.ms/vc14/vc_redist.x86.exe. The installer puts the file into the right folder and keeps it updated. A single DLL from a download site has an unknown origin and may be the wrong version or the wrong type, and Microsoft itself warns against Visual C++ installers that do not come from a Microsoft site.

What does the vcruntime140_1.dll was not found error mean in Windows 11?

It means the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10: a 64-bit program asked Windows for the library vcruntime140_1.dll, and Windows did not find it in the program's folder, in System32 or in the other folders it searches. Windows then stops the start of the program and shows the box. The usual reason is that the x64 Visual C++ v14 Redistributable is missing, damaged or older than Visual Studio 2019. Installing the current x64 and x86 packages from Microsoft and restarting the PC removes the error in most cases.

Do I need both the x64 and the x86 Visual C++ Redistributable?

On a 64-bit PC, yes, install both. The x64 package is the one that carries vcruntime140_1.dll, so it is the one that cures this error. The x86 package installs the 32-bit libraries, and Microsoft documents that it is meant for both x86 and x64 computers. Many 64-bit programs and games start through a 32-bit launcher, updater or helper tool, and those need the 32-bit set. When we unpacked the x86 package on 14 October 2026, it contained no vcruntime140_1.dll, which fits Microsoft's statement that the file was made for 64-bit code.

Why is the error still there after I installed the Visual C++ Redistributable?

Usually for one of four reasons. You installed only the x86 package, which does not contain the file. You installed the old Visual C++ 2015 package, which predates the file. The program uses its own copy in its folder, and that copy is broken, so the program itself needs a repair. Or a DLL that was copied in by hand sits in the program's folder and is found before the good one. Check with the dir command whether C:\Windows\System32\vcruntime140_1.dll exists, then follow Fix 2, Fix 3 or Fix 4 accordingly.

What is the difference between vcruntime140.dll and vcruntime140_1.dll?

They are two separate files from the same Microsoft package. The file vcruntime140.dll is the main runtime library for native code and exists in 32-bit and 64-bit form. The file vcruntime140_1.dll was added later, with Visual Studio 2019, and holds only the newer routine for C++ error handling on 64-bit systems. A 64-bit program built with recent tools usually needs both. If the box names vcruntime140.dll without the _1, the cause and the cure are the same: install or repair the x64 and x86 Visual C++ v14 Redistributable from Microsoft.

Can I fix the error by registering the file with regsvr32?

No. Microsoft's reference says regsvr32 registers DLL files as components in the registry. That is meant for libraries which programs find through the registry. vcruntime140_1.dll is a plain runtime library that Windows finds by looking through folders in a fixed order, so there is nothing to register. If the file is missing, the command has nothing to work on, and if it is present, registering changes nothing about where Windows looks. Older guides, including the earlier version of this page, listed this step. Use Fix 1 and Fix 2 instead.

Is vcruntime140_1.dll a virus, and is it safe to delete it?

The genuine file is not a virus, and you should not delete it. It is a Microsoft library signed by Microsoft Corporation, and programs that need it stop starting when it is gone. A file with the same name can still be harmful when it came from a DLL site or sits in an odd folder, because a program runs whatever library it loads. Check a suspicious copy with Get-AuthenticodeSignature as shown in Fix 4. The Status must be Valid and the signer must be Microsoft. If it is not, rename the copy, repair the program and run a malware scan.

Excel or Firefox shows VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found. What should I do?

Start with the Microsoft packages, then repair the program. Install vc_redist.x64.exe and vc_redist.x86.exe from Microsoft and restart. If Firefox still fails, download its current installer from Mozilla and run it over the existing installation, because Firefox keeps its own runtime files next to the program. If an Office app such as Excel still fails, run Quick Repair and then Online Repair for Microsoft 365 or Office. We found no Microsoft Support article about this error in Office, so treat it like any other program that depends on the Visual C++ runtime.

Does this error appear on a Mac?

Not in macOS itself. vcruntime140_1.dll is a Windows library, and Mac programs do not use it. You can meet the box on a Mac only inside Windows, for example in a virtual machine that runs Windows 11 on Arm. In that case the Windows inside the virtual machine needs the fix, not macOS: install Microsoft's x64 package there, which also contains the Arm64 files, and the x86 package for 32-bit programs. Fix 7 explains which kinds of programs run on Windows on Arm.