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MSVCR120.dll is missing - how to fix it safely

MSVCR120.dll is the C runtime of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable - version 12.0, the toolchain behind a large wave of games, emulators and tools from 2014-2017. The error means that 2013 runtime is absent or damaged on your PC. Newer Visual C++ packages do not replace it: each generation installs side by side, and programs load exactly the one they were built with. Microsoft's own installer fixes it in a few minutes.

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 Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 from Microsoft's official site - both the x64 and the x86 package - install them and restart. MSVCR120.dll and its twin MSVCP120.dll come back for 64-bit and 32-bit programs at once.

Symptoms - how this problem looks

"The program can't start because MSVCR120.dll is missing from your computer"
A game, emulator or utility from the mid-2010s fails at launch
The twin file is named too: MSVCP120.dll
The error appeared after a Windows reinstall
Reinstalling the program did not help
Visual C++ 2015-2022 is installed and the error still shows

Why it happens

The 2013 runtime was never installed

Fresh Windows installs do not include the older Visual C++ runtimes - the first program built with Visual Studio 2013 surfaces the error.

A newer runtime does not cover it

Visual C++ 2015-2022 is a different generation with different file names. Programs built for 2013 keep looking for the 120 files.

Wrong bitness

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

The runtime got damaged

Cleanup tools, interrupted updates and disk errors corrupt runtime files - reinstalling the package restores them.

The fixes, in order

1. Install the official Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable

  1. On Microsoft's official site, search for "Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013".
  2. Download both installers: vcredist_x64.exe and vcredist_x86.exe.
  3. Run each; choose Repair if offered.
  4. Restart the PC and start the program.

Stay safe: only Microsoft's site. DLL download sites distribute mismatched and sometimes tampered files.

2. Repair the package if it is already installed

  1. Settings, Apps, Installed apps - search for "Visual C++ 2013".
  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 - many installers bring the runtime along.
  2. For Steam games: right-click the game, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files.

Frequently asked questions

MSVCR120 vs MSVCP120 - which do I need?

Both, and they come together: MSVCR120.dll is the C runtime, MSVCP120.dll the C++ standard library of the same Visual C++ 2013 package. One install restores both; our MSVCP120.dll guide covers the twin error.

I have Visual C++ 2015-2022. Why is 2013 still needed?

Because the runtimes are not cumulative - a 2013-built program loads MSVCR120.dll specifically, and only the 2013 package provides it. Several generations side by side is the normal state of a Windows PC.

Can I just download MSVCR120.dll?

The error may disappear - and a subtler one appears, because the runtime is a set of matched files. The official installer is free and takes a minute.

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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