How To Fix 'MSVCR120.dll' is Missing on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Is your computer showing an MSVCR120.dll is Missing error while you are trying to open or run any particular application or game? If yes, then don’t worry about this as this is one of the most common errors which triggers on Windows 7, 8, and 10.

But before heading towards its solution, you need to know what is this MSVCR120.dll is missing error and why it occurs. MSVCR120.dll is used for extracting several resources for third-party applications that are linked to the C++ programming language.

This error occurs when programs don’t find the required files to launch any program in this language. An incomplete MSVCR120.dll file can result in several types of issues while launching games or other programs.

Well, if you are encountering this error, don’t worry because here we are providing some most effective methods which can easily Fix this MSVCR120.dll missing error. For better and prompt results, you can start with the first solution and can go down accordingly.

Don’t forget to run the application after executing each method. Well, these methods worked for almost all versions of Windows.

Read Also:

What is MSVCR120.dll?

MSVCR120.dll is a part of the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013. This Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file is essential for running programs developed with Visual C++ and is required for applications that are compiled with the corresponding version of Visual C++.

It plays a vital role in the execution of C++ applications and is a key component in ensuring these applications run smoothly.

Common Causes of MSVCR120.dll Errors

MSVCR120.dll errors can occur on Windows 7, 8, and 10 for various reasons:

Missing or Corrupted MSVCR120.dll File: This is the most common cause. The error message typically reads, “The program can’t start because MSVCR120.dll is missing from your computer.”
Faulty Application Installation: Improper installation of an application that relies on this DLL file can lead to errors.
Windows Registry Issues: Corrupted registry entries associated with the MSVCR120.dll file can cause errors.
Virus or Malware Infection: Malicious software can corrupt or delete DLL files, including MSVCR120.dll.
Outdated or Faulty Device Drivers: Occasionally, outdated or corrupt device drivers can lead to DLL file errors.

How To Fix ‘MSVCR120.dll’ is Missing on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Solution 1: Running System File Checker

If you are facing the error which shows “MSVCR120.dll is Missing”, you may need to look for the detection of the presence of corrupted files in your system. Microsoft Windows offers System File Checker or SFC, which one can find in any version starting from Windows 98.

Undoubtedly it is a very useful tool to detect any problem in your system due to corrupted files present in Windows. You can run SFC for your problem and check if the problem is gone. While running SFC, you will encounter anyone these three responses :

Windows resource protection found corrupt files and repaired them.
Windows didn’t find any integrity violations.
Windows resource protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some (or all) of them.

To open the run application, hit Windows “key +R” together from your keyboard and type “taskmgr” there, and after hitting the Enter, button task manager will launch.
Go to the top left side of the window to click on the File option present there, and from all options, select “Run new task”.
In the dialogue box type “PowerShell” and opt for the option stating ” create this task with administrative privilege”.
In the Windows PowerShell type “sfc /scannow” followed by hitting the Enter key. Now your system will scan all Windows files to trace the presence of corrupted files, and this process may take some time.
After that, if any statement comes which states that an error has been found but was unable to fix them, then you need to type “sfc /verifyonly” and wait until the process completes.
If it still fails to repair that file, you need to run the following command in PowerShell, “DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth”. In this process, the corrupt file will be downloaded and replaced with the corrupted one. Don’t cancel this procedure while running, and the time consumption may vary with your internet connectivity.

If using the above mentioned method, the detected error is fixed then restart your system and check if the problem persists after reinstalling the application.

Solution 2: Downloading MySQL Installer Community

MySQL is SQL(Structured Query Language) based, relational database management system. Well, it is highly recommended that if you are encountering any problems while running various MySQL applications (like – MySQL Workbench, etc.) you need to install MySQL Installer Community on your system.

This installed tool will help you to detect those Visual Studio components which are lacking in your system and accordingly it will launch a Visual Studio minimal components Installer and will fill the gaps.

While downloading the application, make sure you are downloading it from its official website, that is, the official MySQL website. Once you are done with this process check if you are still encountering MSVCR120.dll is missing error or not.

Solution 3: Reinstalling the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

msvcr120.dll is one of the most important files for Windows OS, without which one can not be able to launch games. So to overcome this, you need to install the whole redistributable package after downloading this.

It is recommended not to download .dll files from the internet and from non-official websites in order to protect your system from malware and viruses.

Navigate to official Microsoft downloading.
After selecting your preferred language click on the download button.
From there, choose the option “vredist_x64.exe” followed by pressing next. Then the downloading will start, and then you need to save the file in an attainable location, and followed by this run the exe file in your system.
After accomplishing the installation you need to restart your system and check for the problem.

For 64 bit: vredist_x64.exe and vredist_x86.exe( both can be used)

For 32 bit: vredist_x86.exe

Solution 4: Scanning for Virus

Infecting by Virus can lead to many problems in your systems, including making your computer slow down to missing files and many more, and unfortunately, .dll files are one of the most famous hosts for various viruses and malware that can attack your computer.

While using your system, if you encounter any suspicious activities made by your system, you should scan your system at your earliest convenience to trace the presence of malware and viruses. To perform this step, you can use the antivirus you have on your system, or you can use Windows defender instead of it.

Firstly Navigate to the search bar at the start menu by hitting Windows + S together. Then you need to type “Windows Defender” and click on the first result you face.
On the opened window, you will see a scan option on the right side and choose the full scan option followed by clicking on the scan option. By this process, Windows will check all files individually, so this process will take some time.
If any malware or virus is detected by your system, it will repair that by removing that malware from your system and allow your system to restart before running the application again. Now check if the problem is still there or not.

Instead of Windows Defender, you can use Microsoft safety scanner as it’s the latest version that has this capabilities to detect the presence of viruses and check if it finds any odds.

Solution 5: Install both VC Redist Packages

Installation of both VC Redist Packages or Visual C++ redistributable packages can help you to get out of this problem. For this, you need to reinstall all of your VC Redist Packages of your system. To make it work properly, you need to install both the version of the application for 32-bit and 64-bit.

With the following mentioned steps, you can easily overcome this problem related to this issue by uninstalling the prior version of Vac Redist Packages first and then by reinstalling VC Redist Packages again.

Press the “Windows + R” key from your keyboard to open the run dialog box.
In the opened dialog box type “appwiz.cpl” and hit the enter key from your keyboard to open the app management Windows.
In the current open led window scroll down to get the option labeled “Visual C++ Redistributable” application and click on it.
Now choose the “Uninstall” option from the list and then go with the on-screen instructions to remove that application from your system.
Follow these same steps for all other Software installations.
Now you need to navigate to the Microsoft website and need to download the following installations one by one.

Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2005 64-bit+ 32-bit
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x64)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x64)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86)
Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 32 bit+64 bit
Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015

Once the downloading of all these installations are over, you need to install them one by one accordingly on your computer by executing the setup files.
Once all installations are done, then check if still any problems persist or not.

Solution 6: Installing Windows Updates

You may encounter this problem due to insufficient Windows updates, which means there may be some updates available for your OS, and it hasn’t applied yet to your computer. As a result, you may face this problem. With these mentioned steps, you can easily check it out if there is any update available.

Press “Windows + I” together from your keyboard to open Settings, and from there, opt for the “Updates and Security” Option.
In the newly opened window, opt for the Update section, and from the left panel, select the “Windows update” labeled option and hit the “check for updates” option.
After checking for updates, Windows will automatically install it on your computer if there are any updates.
Once the installation of the Windows is done, check if that problem exists or not.

Solution 7: Reinstalling Application

It has been reported that reinstalling applications can resolve the problem. If the problem you are facing is centric to only a particular application or a game that is not launching properly, it could occur due to its improper installation. Its installation may be done properly to run efficiently.

If you have applied all the above-mentioned methods and still if the problem persists, then you should reinstall that application or game which is showing problems.

For this, you need to uninstall that application first and then download that application from a source to install it again. While downloading that application, again make sure from the source you are downloading is authentic and reliable.

Prevention of Future MSVCR120.dll Errors

Preventing DLL errors involves maintaining the health of your system:

Regularly update Windows and drivers.
Use antivirus software to prevent malware infections.
Avoid downloading DLL files from untrustworthy sources.