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MSVCR110.dll is missing - how to fix it safely

MSVCR110.dll is the core of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable - a runtime that many programs, WAMP servers and games of that generation are built on. The error means the 2012 runtime is absent or damaged; newer Visual C++ versions do not stand in for it, each generation lives side by side. Microsoft's own free installer fixes it in about five minutes - a single DLL from a download site is the route to skip.

Fix it automatically

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Quick answer

Download the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 from Microsoft's official site - both the x64 and the x86 package - install both and restart the PC. That restores MSVCR110.dll for 64-bit and 32-bit programs in one step.

Symptoms - how this problem looks

"The program can't start because MSVCR110.dll is missing from your computer"
A program or local server (WAMP, XAMPP) fails right at startup
The error appeared after a Windows reinstall or an aggressive cleanup
A related name shows up instead: MSVCP110.dll
Reinstalling the failing program did not help
Several programs of similar age report the same missing file

Why it happens

The 2012 runtime was never installed

Fresh Windows installs do not carry the older Visual C++ runtimes. The first program built on the 2012 toolchain shows this error.

A newer runtime does not cover it

Visual C++ 2015-2022 on the PC changes nothing - each runtime generation is separate, and a program loads exactly the one it was compiled against.

Wrong bitness

32-bit programs need the x86 package even on 64-bit Windows. WAMP in particular mixes components - installing both packages ends the guessing.

The runtime got damaged

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

The fixes, in order

1. Install the official Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable

  1. On Microsoft's official site, search for "Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2012 Update 4".
  2. Download both installers: the x64 and the x86 package.
  3. Run each; choose Repair if offered.
  4. Restart the PC and start the failing program.

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

2. Repair the package if it is already installed

  1. Settings, Apps, Installed apps - search for "Visual C++ 2012".
  2. Select each entry (x64 and x86), choose Modify, then Repair.
  3. Restart and test.

3. Reinstall the failing program

  1. Uninstall it in Settings, Apps, restart, install fresh - installers of that era often bundle the exact runtime.
  2. For Steam games: right-click the game, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files.

Frequently asked questions

I installed Visual C++ 2015-2022 and the error is still there. Why?

Because the runtimes are not cumulative: a program built with the 2012 toolchain loads MSVCR110.dll specifically, and only the 2012 package provides it. Several Visual C++ generations installed together is the normal state of a Windows PC.

The error names MSVCP110.dll instead. Same fix?

Yes - MSVCR110.dll and MSVCP110.dll ship together in the same Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable. Install both bitness packages and both files are back.

Is this the same problem as MSVCR100.dll?

Same family, different generation: MSVCR100.dll belongs to Visual C++ 2010, MSVCR110.dll to 2012. Each has its own redistributable - install the one matching the number in your error; our MSVCR100.dll guide covers the 2010 case.

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.

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