Detailed analysis
VCRUNTIME140.dll missing means you don't have the Visual C++ runtime installed, and the fix takes about 90 seconds. Download the Visual C++ Redistributable 2015-2022 from Microsoft (both x86 and x64), install them, and your game will launch. Do NOT — seriously, do not — download VCRUNTIME140.dll from a random DLL download site. Those files are the #1 way people get malware while trying to fix this error.
What's actually happening
VCRUNTIME140.dll is part of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable package. It's a shared library that contains core C++ functions — memory management, string handling, math operations — that almost every modern game and application uses. When a developer builds a game in Visual Studio (which is nearly all of them), the compiled code expects this DLL to exist on your system at runtime.
The "140" in the name refers to the internal version number of Visual Studio's toolchain. VCRUNTIME140.dll covers Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 — they all share the same runtime. So you only need one install to cover all of them.
Windows doesn't ship with this runtime pre-installed. Most games install it silently during setup, but if that step got skipped, interrupted, or corrupted, you get the error.
Why you're seeing this (in order of likelihood)
The runtime was never installed. Fresh Windows installs don't include Visual C++ runtimes. If you reinstalled Windows and went straight to installing a game from a backup folder (not through Steam/Epic), the prerequisites step got skipped. Steam and Epic usually auto-install redistributables on first launch, but sometimes they fail silently.
A Windows Update broke the installation. Certain cumulative updates — especially in late 2023 and early 2024 — have been known to corrupt or remove Visual C++ runtime files. You'll know this is the cause if the game was working yesterday and suddenly isn't, and you didn't change anything.
Your antivirus quarantined it. Avast, Norton, and Bitdefender have all flagged VCRUNTIME140.dll as a false positive at various points. The DLL gets silently moved to quarantine, and you get the "not found" error with zero warning about what happened.
32-bit vs 64-bit mismatch. Some games need the 32-bit (x86) version of the runtime, others need 64-bit (x64), and some need both. If you only installed one, the game that needs the other will still crash.
How to fix it
- Install the Visual C++ Redistributable 2015-2022 from Microsoft. Go to Microsoft's official Visual C++ downloads page (search "Visual C++ Redistributable download" — the Microsoft Learn page is the correct one). Download and install BOTH the x86 (32-bit) AND x64 (64-bit) versions. Yes, you need both even on a 64-bit system. Many games include 32-bit components that need the x86 runtime. Run both installers, click through, done. This fixes the problem for about 80% of people.
- If you already have it installed, repair it. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, search for "Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable". You should see two entries — one for x86 and one for x64. Click the three dots on each > Modify > Repair. This replaces any corrupted files without a full reinstall.
- Check your antivirus quarantine. Open your antivirus software, go to the quarantine or virus chest section, and look for VCRUNTIME140.dll. If it's there, restore it and add your game's installation folder to the antivirus exclusion list so it doesn't get quarantined again. In Windows Defender: Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection > Protection History.
- Nuclear option: uninstall everything and start fresh. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. Uninstall every single entry that says "Microsoft Visual C++" — there might be several versions (2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015-2022). Remove them all. Restart your PC. Then install the 2015-2022 package (both x86 and x64) fresh from Microsoft. This scorched-earth approach fixes stubborn cases where repair doesn't work.
- Verify game files through your launcher. On Steam: right-click the game > Properties > Installed Files > Verify Integrity of Game Files. On Epic: click the three dots > Manage > Verify. This re-runs the game's prerequisite installer, which includes the Visual C++ runtime.
Why you should NEVER download DLL files from random websites
This cannot be stressed enough. If you Google "VCRUNTIME140.dll download," the top results are sketchy sites like dll-files.com, dllme.com, and similar. These sites offer individual DLL downloads and tell you to drop them into your System32 folder. Here's why that's terrible:
First, those DLL files are frequently bundled with malware — trojans, keyloggers, crypto miners. You're downloading an executable binary from an untrusted source and placing it in the most privileged folder on your system. Second, even if the file is clean, you're getting a single DLL without the rest of the runtime package. Other components that depend on it may still be missing or mismatched. Third, Microsoft provides the entire runtime package for free. There is literally no reason to get individual DLLs from third parties.
If someone on a forum tells you to "just download the DLL and put it in the game folder," ignore them.
Games where this is most common
GTA V, Valorant, Fortnite, Minecraft Java Edition, Elden Ring, Call of Duty (all recent titles), Hogwarts Legacy, Apex Legends, The Sims 4, Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Palworld, Lethal Company, and basically any game released after
2015. If a game exists, it probably needs VCRUNTIME140.dll.
What about VCRUNTIME140_1.dll?
Some games also ask for VCRUNTIME140_1.dll (note the "_1"). This is a newer addition to the same runtime package that was added for Visual Studio 2019+. The fix is identical — install the Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable and you get both files.
Frequently asked questions
Q: I installed the redistributable but I'm still getting the error. What now?
A: Make sure you installed BOTH x86 and x64. Then restart your PC (not just close and reopen the game — full restart). If it still fails, do the nuclear uninstall-everything-and-reinstall approach from step
4.
Q: The game worked fine before and suddenly started showing this error. What happened?
A: Almost always a Windows Update or antivirus action. Check your antivirus quarantine first, then repair the Visual C++ installation. If that doesn't work, the Windows Update may have corrupted the runtime — do a clean reinstall.
Q: Do I need all those old Visual C++ versions (2005, 2008, 2010, etc.) or just the latest?
A: You need whatever versions your games require. The 2015-2022 package covers most modern games, but older games may specifically need 2012 or 2013 runtimes. When in doubt, install them all — they don't conflict with each other and use minimal disk space.
Q: Can I just copy VCRUNTIME140.dll from another computer?
A: Technically yes, but don't. The proper installer registers the DLL with Windows, sets up the correct paths, and installs companion files. Copying a single DLL skips all of that and can cause subtle issues later. Just use the Microsoft installer — it's free and takes 30 seconds.