When you open the Windows Explorer, a run time error occurs randomly called the “Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library” error. Some Windows 10 users and few Windows 8 users have reported this error so far.
Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library error can be caused:
- Due to a conflict between the OS and the video card driver.
- Due to defective Visual C++ feature in Windows 10.
- Due to certain applications that use the Runtime Library.
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How to Fix Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library Error in Windows 10
Solution 1: Update Display Driver
Step 1: Press ‘Windows + X’ which will open a list of options from which select “Device Manager”.
Step 2: In that, find “Display Adapters” and right-click on it.
Step 3: From the options, choose “Update Driver“.
Step 4: After that, select “Search Automatically for Updated Driver“, if it says that “Best Drivers for your device are already installed” then choose the option “Search for updated drivers on Windows Update” and click on “check for updates“.
Step 5: If the updates get new drivers, install them if not, go to the next solution.
Solution 2: Rollback/Reinstall Display Driver
Since the Runtime is needed by many applications and also Windows is highly dependent on it, if it is causing errors only with one or two applications, it is an incompatibility issue. In that case, get to the previous version of Display Adapter and if no previous versions are available, reinstall an older version from last year to test. For that:
Step 1: Press ‘Windows + X’ and choose “Device Manager” from the menu.
Step 2: In that, right-click on your “Display Adapter” and choose the “Driver” tab.
Step 3: Click “Rollback”, test after each roll back to see which version fits for you.
Step 4: If none of the versions works, you can reinstall the “Display adapter” from the manufacturer’s site and also disable the updates from getting installed automatically.
If this method works, then you have to make sure that the Windows doesn’t update drivers automatically.
Solution 3: Reinstalling Visual C++ Runtime
If the above two methods didn’t work for you, then you can try reinstalling the V C++ Runtime Library. For that:
Step 1: Press ‘Windows + R’ to open the “Run Box” and type “appwiz.cpl” in the bar and press ‘Enter’.
Step 2: Search the “Microsoft Visual C++” program in the given list.
Step 3: Select it and click “Uninstall”.
Step 4: Download a new copy of Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime from a trusted website and install it.
Solution 4: Repairing Visual C++ Runtime
For repairing the Visual C++ Runtime follow the steps given below:
Step 1: Press ‘Windows + R’ to open the Run box and type “appwiz.cpl” and press ‘Enter’.
Step 2: Browse the list and uninstall all the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtimes except 2010 and 2012.
Step 3: Find Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime 2012 in the list click “Uninstall/Repair” after selecting it.
Step 4: After that, it will show options that choose “Repair” and allow the process to finish.
Step 5: At last, restart your PC and check if the error goes away or not.
Solution 5: Uninstalling Applications
Certain applications can cause Visual C++ to crash Explorer. Uninstalling them can solve this error.
Step 1: Press “Windows + R” and in the “Run Box” type “cpl” and press ‘Enter’.
Step 2: Try uninstalling the following applications or else try to remove the applications you have recently installed.
- Visual Studio 2013.
- AutoCAD.
- Bing Desktop.
Step 3: Reboot your PC and check if the error is solved or not.
You can reinstall these applications later to see if the situation changes.
Solution 6: Performing A Clean Boot
To perform a clean boot:
Step 1: Log into your computer with an Administrator account.
Step 2: Press ‘Windows + R’ to open the “Run Box”.
Step 3: Type “msconfig” in it and press ‘Enter’.
Step 4: Click on the “Services” option and uncheck the “Hide all Microsoft Services” option.
Step 5: Click the “Disable All” option and click ‘OK’.
Step 6: Now, click on the “Startup” tab and click on the “Open Task Manager” option.
Step 7: Then, click on the “Startup” tab in the task manager.
Step 8: Click on an application in the list that has “Enabled” written next to it and “Disable” it.
Step 9: Do the same process with all the applications in the list and then restart your PC.
Step 10: Now, your PC is in a “Clean boot” state. Check if the issue goes away or not.
Step 11: If it does, start some third-party app that was causing that error.
Step 12: Start enabling one service at a time in the same way and stop when the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library error comes back.
Step 13: Re-install that app or service and enable it. If the error comes back to keep it disabled.
A clean boot prevents all third-party apps from loading at startup and therefore eliminating the possibility of any conflict between the application and “Visual C++” software.
Solution 7: Uninstalling Intel True key
Sometimes the Intel’s True Key software can interfere with the OS and cause this issue. So, uninstall it from the PC:
Step 1: Firstly, Press ‘Windows + I’ to open the “Settings”.
Step 2: Secondly, click on the “Apps” option.
Step 3: After that, locate and click on the “Intel True Key” option in the list.
Step 4: Click “Uninstall” and “Yes” in the warning prompt.
Step 5: After uninstalling it, check if the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library issue is solved or not.
Solution 8: Running Diagnostics
Step 1: Press “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” and select the “Process” tab to end the current Windows Explorer processes.
Step 2: Find “Windows Explorer (explorer.exe)” from the applications, right-click on it and click “End task”.
Step 3: Press ‘Windows + R’ and type “MdSched” in the Run box and click ‘OK’.
Step 4: Select “Restart now” and check for problems.
Step 5: Follow the wizard to check for and solve the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library error.
Read Next:
- VCRuntime140.dll is Missing Error
- MSVCP140.dll is Missing Error
- What Is Msdia80.dll, Should You Delete msdia80.dll?
- There Was A Problem Resetting Your PC
Conclusion
Above all, we have mentioned the fixes to solve Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library Error in Windows 10. If none of the methods works for you, try updating your Windows.