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Fix The MSVCR120.dll Is Missing From Your Computer Error [Windows]

Missing files have often prevented the installation of many a games and programs in Windows. The missing files are often .dll files with names so vague the average user can’t even begin to figure out where said file might have gone missing. A DLL file is a library file that will execute functions or it might contain certain variables or resources. Since these files are associated with the frameworks they belong to, and apps are built on certain frameworks, their absence on your system prevents an app that is dependant on a DLL file from installing or running. The fix isn’t difficult; you just need to get the file back on your system. If you’re getting the ‘MSVCR120.dll Is Missing From Your Computer‘ error during installation or execution of an EXE file on Windows, here’s how you can fix it.

The MSVCR120.dll belongs to the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013. If it’s missing on your computer, then something went wrong when you were installing this package. The easiest way to fix it is to download the packages from Microsoft (linked at the end of this post) and simply run them.

Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013

Select the file that suits your Windows installation, download it, and run it. When you run the vcredist_arm.exe file, you will see a repair option which you should use to get things running smoothly again.

A word of caution; DLL files are often made available for download by various sites. Unless you know a site to be authentic and trustworthy, do not download DLL files from it.

Download Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 From Microsoft

26 Comments

  1. Thanks, so home this error happened and it kept me from being able to open any Adobe files, making my computer worthless for business. Thanks so much your tips solved the problem on windows 10 64bit.

  2. Thanks for your suggestion. I just fixed this problem for a customer. Note: You wouldn’t run into this kind of problem if you ‘d update the various Windows libraries automatically from within Windows Update.

    • I, and I suspect many others, ran into this problem, despite always being up to date with Windows updates.

  3. works perfectly on win7 64 bit machine but had to use x86 instead….if x64 doesnt work use x86…

  4. Install BOTH the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of C++ 2013 and do a RESTART.
    Then it should work.

  5. it worked for me download x64 then the x86 install the x64 but then goto install the x86 file BUT with the x86 FILE DO NOT INSTALL IT DO A REPAIR WITH THE FILE … ho this help’s it worked for me

  6. Doesn’t work–it asks you to choose a file to download which I assumed would be the x64 version since that’s the kind of computer I have. The link takes me to another page very much like the first, asking me to select again. But on this page all the links are disabled.

    What should I do?

  7. NOTE: If you happen to run a 64-bit version of Windows, to overcome this issue, you need to install BOTH the x86 as well as x64 versions of the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 for the Msvcr120.dll to be installed properly into your computer.

    • Jesus Christ, thank you so much. How you were insightful enough to recognize this solution while recognizing this obscure problem is beyond me. I can’t express my gratitude well enough through this but just know you have a friend for life!!

    • Actually I myself wouldn’t think that this solution would still be useful months after this posting, but just revealing the rationale behind the requirement to install both x86 and x64 versions of Visual C++ Redistributable Packages is simply to have the files (e.g. MSvcr120.dll) located in both System Sub-Folders for use (the “System32” and “SysWOW64” folders, the latter only available in 64-bit Windows OS, and are located inside the “Windows” system folder in your OS Hard Drive).
      As for which version your program needs to use, it will depend on whether the program itself requires 32-bit code or 64-bit code for execution, and will use the appropriate file to make it run properly, which might explain the error message as not so much having a missing file per se, but more towards having the wrong version of that file, and the correct one missing.

  8. I had this problem with a lot of older games requiring previous VC distributions, and asked in the Microsoft answer forums for a list of these (they are not classed as important updates but optional hotfixes) they also have security updates that should be installed if you install older distributions , if you find a game complains even with latest vc installed, search the answers forums for “list of visual c++ redistribution” and if u run 64bit Windows u need both x86 & x64 versions usually.