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MSVCP100.dll is missing - how to fix it safely

MSVCP100.dll is the C++ standard library of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable - it travels in a pair with MSVCR100.dll, and programs of that generation need both. The error means the 2010 runtime is absent or damaged on your PC; newer Visual C++ versions do not replace it. Microsoft's own free installer fixes it in minutes, and that is the only sane route - a single DLL from a download site trades one error for a stranger one.

Fix it automatically

Outbyte PC Repair checks Windows for corrupted system files, registry problems and leftovers from removed programs - the kind of damage behind errors like this one. Useful when you would rather not run the steps below by hand - the check and the diagnosis are free, and nothing is changed until you decide.

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Quick answer

Download the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable from Microsoft's official site - both the x64 and the x86 package - install them and restart the PC. Both MSVCP100.dll and MSVCR100.dll come back for 64-bit and 32-bit programs in one step.

Symptoms - how this problem looks

"The program can't start because MSVCP100.dll is missing from your computer"
An older game or tool fails right at launch
The error appeared after a Windows reinstall or a disk cleanup
The related name shows up too: MSVCR100.dll
Reinstalling the failing program did not help
Several older programs report the same missing file

Why it happens

The 2010 runtime was never installed

Fresh Windows installs do not include the older Visual C++ runtimes. The first program built on the 2010 toolchain shows the error.

A newer runtime does not cover it

Visual C++ 2015-2022 being installed changes nothing - each generation is separate, and programs load exactly the one they were built against.

Wrong bitness

32-bit programs load the x86 copy even on 64-bit Windows. With only the x64 package present, 32-bit apps still report the file missing.

The runtime got damaged

Cleanup tools, interrupted updates and disk errors corrupt runtime files - the package looks installed, programs fail anyway.

The fixes, in order

1. Install the official Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable

  1. On Microsoft's official site, search for "Visual C++ 2010 Service Pack 1 Redistributable".
  2. Download both installers: the x64 and the x86 package (yes, both - even on 64-bit Windows).
  3. Run each; choose Repair if the installer offers it.
  4. Restart the PC and start the failing program.

Stay safe: only Microsoft's site. DLL download sites distribute mismatched and sometimes tampered files - a single wrong DLL creates errors far harder to trace than the one you started with.

2. Repair the package if it is already installed

  1. Open Settings, Apps, Installed apps and search for "Visual C++ 2010".
  2. Select the entry, choose Modify, then Repair - for both x64 and x86 entries.
  3. Restart and test.

3. Reinstall the failing program

  1. Uninstall the program in Settings, Apps.
  2. Restart, then install it fresh - installers of that era often bring the exact runtime they need.
  3. For Steam games: right-click the game, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files.

Frequently asked questions

MSVCP100 and MSVCR100 - what is the difference?

Two halves of the same Visual C++ 2010 runtime: MSVCR100.dll is the C runtime, MSVCP100.dll the C++ standard library. They install together and go missing together - one official package restores both; our MSVCR100.dll guide covers the twin error.

Can I just download MSVCP100.dll and put it next to the program?

The error may disappear - and a subtler one appears, because the runtime is a set of matched files, not one DLL. The official installer is free and takes a minute.

Why do I need both x64 and x86 versions?

64-bit Windows runs both 64-bit and 32-bit programs, and each kind loads its own copy of the runtime. Installing both covers everything; the packages coexist by design.

The automatic route, whenever you are ready

Outbyte PC Repair checks the system and shows what it found - then waits. Nothing is applied without your OK, and a restore point lets you undo changes.

Download PC Repair Downloads Outbyte PC Repair for Windows. Free by-category trial included.
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