MSVCP120.dll — Visual C++ 2013 Runtime

What is MSVCP120.dll?

MSVCP120.dll is the C++ standard library file for programs compiled with Visual Studio 2013: it is the older counterpart to MSVCP140.dll and is only needed by software that has not been rebuilt with a newer compiler. It belongs to the Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable package, and on a healthy Windows 10 / 11 installation it normally sits inside the System32 (or SysWOW64 for the 32-bit build) folder rather than living next to any single program's .exe file.

You typically only notice MSVCP120.dll exists when it is missing, outdated, or blocked — an application that depends on it will either refuse to launch, crash a few seconds after opening, or show visibly broken graphics, audio or input. Because the file is shared across many programs, an error involving it is rarely caused by the program you just tried to open; it is almost always a runtime component problem that affects every application depending on the same library.

Who actually needs this file

MSVCP120.dll is used by Older engineering and accounting software, some 2013–2017-era PC games, and legacy line-of-business applications still built against the VS2013 toolchain. If none of your installed software falls into that category, you generally don't need to download it manually — Windows or the application's own installer will bring it in automatically when required.

Common errors that mention MSVCP120.dll

These are the exact error strings people most often search for when this file is involved:

• MSVCP120.dll is missing from your computer
• The program can't start because MSVCP120.dll is missing
• Error appears alongside MSVCR120.dll missing on the same install

All of the messages above point to the same root cause: the operating system tried to load MSVCP120.dll into a running process and either couldn't find it, found a version that doesn't match what the program expects, or found a copy that failed a signature or architecture check.

How to get MSVCP120.dll safely

Do not download loose .dll files from generic "DLL download" sites. Standalone DLL files distributed outside their original package are a common malware vector, are frequently outdated, and are the single biggest cause of DLL-related instability — worse than the missing-file error they claim to fix. The safe path is almost always to reinstall the official package that legitimately owns the file:

1. Identify which package the file belongs to — for MSVCP120.dll that's the Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable.
2. Download the official redistributable directly from Microsoft's own distribution page, not a third-party mirror.
3. Close every application that might be using the file before installing, including background updaters.
4. Run the installer as Administrator and let it complete fully, even if it reports "already installed" — repair installs still refresh corrupted files.
5. Restart Windows before testing the application that originally showed the error.

32-bit vs 64-bit: which build do you need?

MSVCP120.dll ships in x64 and x86 builds. A 64-bit application needs the 64-bit copy of the file, and a 32-bit application needs the 32-bit copy — installing only one does not automatically cover the other, which is why some systems need both versions present at once. Windows itself keeps these in separate folders (64-bit files in System32, 32-bit files in SysWOW64 on a 64-bit OS) precisely so both can coexist without conflicting.

If you're not sure which build an application needs, check its installation folder: a genuine 64-bit executable will typically sit in Program Files, while a 32-bit one is usually under Program Files (x86). Task Manager's "Details" tab also labels 32-bit processes with *32 next to the process name.

Verifying the file you already have

Before reinstalling anything, it's worth checking whether MSVCP120.dll is already present and simply mismatched or damaged:

1. Press Win + R, type System32, press Enter, then search for MSVCP120.dll in that folder (and SysWOW64 for the 32-bit build).
2. Right-click the file → Properties → Digital Signatures tab. A legitimate Microsoft-owned file will show "Microsoft Windows" or "Microsoft Corporation" as the signer.
3. Check the Details tab for a File Version number and compare it against the version documented on this page.
4. If Properties shows no Digital Signatures tab at all, treat the file as suspicious — genuine system and redistributable DLLs from Microsoft are signed.

Step-by-step fix

1. Run Windows Update and install any pending updates — Microsoft periodically patches runtime components through cumulative updates.
2. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps and check whether Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable is already listed. If it is, select it and choose Repair rather than uninstalling first.
3. If it isn't listed, download the official redistributable and run a fresh install.
4. Run sfc /scannow from an elevated Command Prompt to let Windows repair any corrupted system files on its own.
5. Reinstall the specific application that triggered the error, so its own installer can restore any dependency it privately expects.
6. Restart the computer — many runtime installers register components at the system level and need a reboot to take effect fully.

Quick reference

If the error still won't go away

A small number of cases don't resolve with a straightforward reinstall. If you've followed every step above and the error persists, work through these less common causes in order:

• Security software interference. Some antivirus tools quarantine legitimate system DLLs after a false-positive detection. Check your antivirus's quarantine or history list for the file name.
• Corrupted user profile. Rarely, per-user registry corruption breaks DLL resolution for one Windows account but not others — testing with a new local account can confirm this.
• Third-party "DLL fixer" tools. These utilities frequently make things worse by installing outdated or repackaged files; uninstall any such tool before troubleshooting further.
• 32-bit/64-bit mismatch. Confirm you installed the architecture the application actually needs, as covered above.
• Disk or RAM errors. On systems with intermittent, unrelated crashes elsewhere too, run chkdsk and a memory diagnostic to rule out hardware as the underlying cause.

Breaking down each error message

"MSVCP120.dll is missing from your computer"

This usually means Windows searched every folder on its DLL load path and found no matching file at all — either it was never installed, or it was recently deleted by a cleanup tool, a failed update, or overzealous antivirus quarantine. Fix: follow the step-by-step section below — in most cases a repair install of Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable resolves this specific message.

"The program can't start because MSVCP120.dll is missing"

This points to the file being present somewhere on disk but not in a location Windows checks automatically (for example a game folder instead of System32), or being the wrong architecture (32-bit copy for a 64-bit process, or vice versa). Fix: follow the step-by-step section below — in most cases a repair install of Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable resolves this specific message.

"Error appears alongside MSVCR120.dll missing on the same install"

This typically means a copy of the file exists and loads, but is missing a specific function the calling program expects — almost always because the installed version is older than what the software was built against. Fix: follow the step-by-step section below — in most cases a repair install of Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable resolves this specific message.

Version history and why versions matter

Microsoft periodically updates Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable to patch security issues, fix crash bugs, and add compatibility for newer compiler features. Because MSVCP120.dll is a shared, backward-compatible component, a newer copy will almost always run software written for an older version — but the reverse is not guaranteed, which is why "downgrading" by copying an old DLL over a new one is a common (and usually bad) troubleshooting shortcut.

If you need to confirm exactly which build is installed, right-click the file in Explorer, open Properties → Details, and compare the File version and Product version fields against what's documented on this page. A version far older than the "Last verified" date above is a sign the redistributable package hasn't been updated in a long time and is worth refreshing even if nothing is currently broken.

Should you manually register or copy this file?

Guides that tell you to manually drop MSVCP120.dll into System32 and run regsvr32 against it are treating the symptom, not the cause. Manual placement:

• skips Windows' own file-integrity and version tracking, so sfc /scannow may later flag or overwrite it;
• won't receive future security patches the way an installed redistributable package does;
• can silently downgrade a newer file that other software already depends on, breaking something that was previously working;
• is the single most common way people end up with a fake or tampered DLL on their system, since it trains users to trust random downloads.

The official installer path takes only slightly longer and avoids every one of these problems, which is why it's the recommended method throughout this guide.

Notes for IT admins and multi-PC deployment

On managed fleets, push Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable through your standard deployment tooling (Intune, SCCM, Group Policy software installation, or a silent-install script using the official installer's /quiet switch) rather than touching individual files. This keeps the component visible to inventory and patch-compliance tooling, so a future CVE affecting the runtime shows up in your normal patch reporting instead of hiding as an untracked loose file on some machines.

Why Windows splits functionality across files like this

It can seem strange that a single missing file can stop dozens of unrelated programs from launching. The reason is deliberate: rather than compiling the same runtime code into every executable, Microsoft's toolchain lets programs share one copy on disk. This keeps individual applications smaller, lets Microsoft patch a security issue once for every program that depends on it, and avoids running dozens of slightly different, unpatched copies of the same logic in memory at once. The tradeoff is that when the shared file itself goes missing or gets corrupted, the failure is felt across many programs simultaneously rather than just one — which is exactly the pattern behind the error messages covered on this page.

Preventing this error from coming back

• Keep Windows Update turned on for at least "security updates" so runtime components get patched automatically.
• Avoid registry cleaners and "junk file" tools that touch System32 — most legitimate storage-saving tools never need to.
• Install software from official sources rather than repackaged installers, which sometimes strip or replace runtime dependencies to save download size.
• If you manage multiple PCs, standardize on one supported version of Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable across the fleet instead of letting each machine drift independently.

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Frequently asked questions