How to fix Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library error in Windows 10/11

What is Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library error

Errors like Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library are quite unpleasant to face. They diminish users’ experience causing programs to fail at their setup. In other words, the error occurs whilst trying to launch an application on your PC with the following message – “This application has requested Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way”. This, therefore, restricts people from seeing any further communication with the problematic app. As a rule, cyber experts tease out a couple of reasons for its appearance. Most common include graphics card issues, disfunction of Visual C++, outdated drivers, corrupted files, and malware intervention to close out this list. It is quite hard to find out which one of these leads to the corresponding issue. Thus, it is necessary to try all of the steps until you find the one solving the error. Below, you can see the set of most popular and effective solutions used to address Runtime problems.

1. Update/Delete Display Drivers

The first thing we would recommend you to try is running updates across all Display drivers. There is a chance they can be outdated or broken, which leads to Runtime errors. To update them, follow these simple instructions below:

1. Right-click on Start menu and select Device manager.
2. In the opened tab find Display Adapters and expand a drop-down menu.
3. Locate your display adapter (sometimes both), right-click, and choose Update Driver.
4. Windows will start searching for available updates and automatically install them on your computer.

You can also delete the entire adapter so that Windows could restore it automatically after rebooting.

1. Do the first 2 steps mentioned above. Locate your display adapter and click Uninstall.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions and, once finished, restart your PC.

You can also use the IOBit Driver Booster utility that will scan your device for absent drivers and install them, if necessary.

Driver Booster start screen

Driver Booster scan results

Driver Booster tools section

2. Check integrity of the system files

As we already mentioned in the beginning, Runtime issues may happen due to corrupted or missing files after some updates or inadvertent manipulations. These files are essential for Windows services to work correctly. If some of these files are out of their native environment, more likely it will be the reason for compatibility errors. Below, we are going to use both SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management), which will detect and restore absent components. This is how:

Using SFC

1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd into the searching box next to the Start Menu button.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
3. Once the console is opened, type the sfc /scannow command and click Enter.
4. When the fixing process is done, restart your computer.

Using DISM

1. Open Command Prompt as we did in the previous step.
2. Copy and paste this command DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.
3. Click Enter and wait until Windows ends the scanning and fixing.
4. Once done, restart your PC and try to open the problematic program again.

After performing both of these scans, attempt to boot the application you struggled with. If this does not work, get down to the other steps mentioned below.

3. Reinstall Visual C++ Redistributables

The “Runtime Library” problem can be related to Visual C++ malfunction. It is possible that some Redistributables software is corrupted or missing. You can either reinstall it by downloading the newest Redistributable packages from the official website or repair it manually. To do this, follow the steps below:

Uninstall Existing Versions:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
2. Scroll through the list to find any installed Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages.
3. Click on the three dots next to each version and select Uninstall. Follow the prompts to complete the process for each package.

Download the Latest Versions:

1. Visit the official Microsoft Visual C++ downloads page: Microsoft Support.
2. Download the latest versions of the redistributables. There are typically multiple versions, so ensure you download the ones appropriate for your system (x64, x86, or ARM64).
3. Install the redistributables.

Open the downloaded files and follow the installation instructions for each package. It’s recommended to install both x86 and x64 versions if you’re running a 64-bit version of Windows to ensure compatibility with all applications. After installing the necessary redistributables, restart your computer to ensure that changes take effect and any system-wide issues are resolved. Reinstalling Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables can solve a variety of runtime issues and errors, including Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library error, by ensuring that all applications have the runtime components they need to run smoothly. If the error persists even after following all the solutions provided, consider seeking further assistance from professional technical support.

4. Run a Clean Bootup

Often times third-party applications downloaded from the web can conflict with different parts of your system. Even Antimalware may conflict with Windows services causing the “Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library” error. Clean bootup ensures your PC is started only with in-built apps and services to find out whether some secondary app prompts the issue. in order to launch your system in Clean bootup mode, follow the steps down below:

1. Press Windows key + R combination and paste msconfig.
2. Then in the opened window go to the Services tab located on top.
3. Check the box next to Hide All Microsoft Services and click on the Disable all button.
4. Now choose the General tab and select the Selective startup option. Make sure that the box is checked only next to the Load System Services.
5. Click Apply and OK. Then reboot your PC.

Windows 11 Start – > Device Manager

Windows 11 -> Run -> msconfig

System Configuration -> Hide all Microsoft services

System Configuration -> Selective startup

Check now if you see the error. If everything works properly now, you should run the same procedure by disabling the applications one by one in order to see which one was causing the problem. If you want to turn Windows back to Normal Startup settings, simply redo all the steps you implemented above by enabling the disabled services and changing your startup option from Selective to Normal.

4. Reinstall the problematic application.

If you are struggling to open a specific application (be it a game or other third-party program), then you should consider deleting it from Programs and Features panel and running the installation again. Hopefully, this will rectify the issue.

5. Disable the Compatibility Mode

Initially, Compatibility Mode is a feature useful designed to let obsolete applications run on the newest versions of PC. Despite this, some users reported it can be enmashed in causing Visual C++ issues. This is how you can switch it off:

1. Find the application that caused the error, then right-click on its icon and choose Properties.
2. Move to Compatibility and disable Run this program in compatibility mode for option.
3. Click Apply and OK below.
4. After doing so, try to launch the faulting application once again.

6. Create a new local account

Another thing we would advise you to do is creating a new user account. Sometimes it may restore certain settings and help you stamp on the error. Also note that new accounts do not contain data you stored previously, so make sure you move all the necessary files to it. After this, you can delete your original account and try to see if the issue is fixed. Below, you can find the steps to create a new account:

1. Right-click on the Start Menu button and choose Settings. You can also do Windows key + I combination.
2. Go to Accounts > Family & Other users.
3. On the right pane, scroll down to the Other users section and click Add someone else to this PC.
4. Now choose I don’t have this person’s sign-in information below.
5. Select Add a user without a Microsoft account at the bottom.
6. Then enter the username and password for the new user and click Next.
7. Now, you can switch to a new account (by clicking on the user icon in Start Menu) and try to launch programs running to failure again.

7. Perform a System Restore

If you started seeing the error pop-up after running some changes or installing a program, you can select the date when everything worked fine through a restore point. Windows stores backup copies, which can be used to work around various issues. To capatilaize on them, follow the steps listed below:

1. Right-click on This PC and choose Properties.
2. In the opened window, go to System Protection and click on System Restore.
3. Then, click Next and choose the date you remember working without a problem. You can also click on Scan for affected programs, which will show what might be changed after running a restore.
4. When done, click Next and start the System Restore.

8. Scan your device for Malware

Malwarebytes Dashboard

Malwarebytes Scan process

Malwarebytes Scan results

Malwarebytes General settings

Malwarebytes Security settings

If none of the previous methods helped you get rid of the Runtime Library issue, there is a slight chance that your computer is infected with unwanted or malicious software. Thus, it is worth scanning your device for malware and delete it if found. We personally recommend using Malwarebytes that has been especially stellar at detecting and uninstalling different kinds of malware. Download it via the link below:

Summary

We hope you have been able to capitalize on these 8 methods discussed in our tutorial. If you are still desperate to solve the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library error, the best decision to take is reinstalling Windows completely. This will help you install your OS from scratch to eliminate various issues that could go unspotted whilst performing manual steps. If you ever stumble into other issues on Mac or Windows, feel free to use our website for other fixing tutorials as well.