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MSVCR100.dll is missing - how to fix it safely

MSVCR100.dll is the core of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable - a runtime that a whole generation of programs and games was built on. The error means that 2010 runtime is absent or damaged on your PC; newer Visual C++ versions do not replace it, each generation lives side by side. The fix is Microsoft's own free installer, and it takes about five minutes. A single DLL from a download site is the one route to avoid.

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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. This restores MSVCR100.dll for 64-bit and 32-bit programs in one step.

Symptoms - how this problem looks

"The program can't start because MSVCR100.dll is missing from your computer"
An older game or tool crashes right at launch
The error appeared after a Windows reinstall or a disk cleanup
A related name shows up instead: MSVCP100.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 here - each runtime 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 installed, 32-bit apps still report the file missing.

The runtime got damaged

Aggressive cleanup tools, interrupted updates and disk errors can corrupt runtime files - then the package looks installed but 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; if the installer offers Repair, choose Repair.
  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 or 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 - many installers of that era bring the exact runtime they need.
  3. For Steam games: right-click the game, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files.

4. Repair system files if nothing sticks

  1. Right-click Start, open Terminal (Admin).
  2. Run sfc /scannow, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
  3. Restart and repeat method 1 - repairs succeed on a healthy system.

Frequently asked questions

I already have Visual C++ 2015-2022 installed. Why is 2010 still needed?

The runtimes are not cumulative - a program built with the 2010 toolchain loads MSVCR100.dll specifically, and only the 2010 package provides it. Having several Visual C++ versions installed side by side is normal on any Windows PC.

The error names MSVCP100.dll instead. Same fix?

Yes - MSVCR100.dll and MSVCP100.dll ship together in the same Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable. Install both bitness packages and both files are back.

Can I just download MSVCR100.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. Version mismatches crash apps in random places, and DLL sites are a known malware channel. The official installer is free and takes a minute.

Or let Chipps take a look

Describe the problem in your own words. Chipps reads the Windows logs, points to the likely cause and proposes the narrowest fix. Nothing is changed without your Allow, and at the end it shows what it did and what it did not do.

Download Chipps Downloads the Chipps setup file for Windows.
Your own wordsno technical terms
Your OKbefore any change
Clear reportof what was done