MVC140.DLL Error after Windows OS Updates

Question

MVC140.DLL Error after Windows OS Updates

Alex Yourish 0

Background:
After software patching including Windows OS Updates we have several AE software such as CAD, C3D, Adobe InDesign and Chaos Enscape that fail to launch with a MVC140.dll error.

Workaround: We started by remoting into end users machines and repairing the Microsoft Visual Redistributable 2015-2022 versions but it seemed like we had to do that for an absurd amount of users on a weekly basis. We deployed a script to pull the updated versions from the MS download links and reinstall the x64 C++

Question:
Is there a more permanent solution for resolution besides scheduled automations after patching that can be implemented and how will the transition to Rust affect dependent software such as CAD, Adobe products, and other Rendering software?

Viorel 126.7K Reputation points

2026-02-12T15:28:53.4633333+00:00

Maybe the software patching, which includes Windows OS Updates, contains other parts that somehow contribute to the problem.
Alex Yourish 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T15:44:02.27+00:00

It's both. The software patching we can disable third party and roll out individual software versions so it's not the current issue. It's whenever the Windows OS Updates and Windows updates go through that C++ fails to handle correctly that we're looking for a permanent resolution for.
RLWA32 52,256 Reputation points

2026-02-12T16:02:51.7733333+00:00

@Alex Yourish, It seems odd to me that any Windows update would impact the installed VC++ redistributable DLLs in the system folders. If that was the case I would expect there to be widespread howling and furious anger across a very large segment of the user base. So far, I haven't seen that happening. There's got to be more to the story that we don't know that's related to your particular environment.
Alex Yourish 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T16:07:50.25+00:00

Do you think it's worth creating a ticket to Microsoft to take a look at either:
GPO's
Current deployment images
Weekly Patching updates
or something else that might be affecting it?

I had similar thoughts but after repairing it no less than 60 times in one week we turned off the patching policy and this week was much quieter.

It could be the application softwares are installing their own versions of VC++ and those are out-dated causing the issue which is why we turned it off to begin with.

Edit for @RLWA32 :

Faulting application name: InDesign.exe, version: 21.2.0.30, time stamp: 0x696e75d4 Faulting module name: MSVCP140.dll, version: 14.13.26020.0, time stamp: 0x5a39fef7 Exception code: 0xc0000005 Fault offset: 0x000000000001b93c Faulting process id: 0x48BC Faulting application start time: 0x1DC9CF4BEA14BDD Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign 2026\InDesign.exe Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\MSVCP140.dll Report Id: 371b301a-bf07-4d28-980b-8423a21e4ad6
RLWA32 52,256 Reputation points

2026-02-13T10:19:21.1633333+00:00

@Alex Yourish As far as I know, there is no "mvc140.dll" file deployed by the VC++ redistributables. I expect that is a typo and you meant to refer to a different dll file name.

Just to add some more information could you let us know the actual file names provided in any error messages and the full text of such messages including error codes.
RLWA32 52,256 Reputation points

2026-02-13T11:57:49.8966667+00:00

@Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) In my opinion the problem the Questioner is trying to resolve is related to the VC++ redistributables, not Windows updates. And from the Questioners description of the problem and subsequent comments it doesn't seem to me that Windows for Home | Other | Install and Upgrade is a more relevant tag for this issue. I suggest you reconsider this placement. Thanks.
Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 11,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-13T12:04:00.32+00:00

Thank you for the notice, I have changed it back.
RLWA32 52,256 Reputation points

2026-02-13T16:07:53.8833333+00:00

@Alex Yourish Thank you for the additional information. For what its worth, the msvcp140.dll file with version: 14.13.26020.0 is from a release of VS 2017. So perhaps it would be helpful if you could determine which of your applications keeps reinstalling it. Update: By the way, if you cannot find that redistributable in Settings->Installed Apps or in Control Panel->Programs and Features I'll speculate that something in your environment is copying these old dlls into the system folders and overwriting your desired version.
Kael Thorin 0 Reputation points

2026-02-23T06:15:51.6466667+00:00

Reinstall the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable from the official Microsoft site, then restart your PC.

This fixes the missing or corrupted DLL in most cases.

Answer recommended by moderator

1 additional answer

Your answer

Viorel 126.7K Reputation points

2026-02-12T15:28:53.4633333+00:00

Maybe the software patching, which includes Windows OS Updates, contains other parts that somehow contribute to the problem.
Alex Yourish 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T15:44:02.27+00:00

It's both. The software patching we can disable third party and roll out individual software versions so it's not the current issue. It's whenever the Windows OS Updates and Windows updates go through that C++ fails to handle correctly that we're looking for a permanent resolution for.
RLWA32 52,256 Reputation points

2026-02-12T16:02:51.7733333+00:00

@Alex Yourish, It seems odd to me that any Windows update would impact the installed VC++ redistributable DLLs in the system folders. If that was the case I would expect there to be widespread howling and furious anger across a very large segment of the user base. So far, I haven't seen that happening. There's got to be more to the story that we don't know that's related to your particular environment.
Alex Yourish 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T16:07:50.25+00:00

Do you think it's worth creating a ticket to Microsoft to take a look at either:
GPO's
Current deployment images
Weekly Patching updates
or something else that might be affecting it?

I had similar thoughts but after repairing it no less than 60 times in one week we turned off the patching policy and this week was much quieter.

It could be the application softwares are installing their own versions of VC++ and those are out-dated causing the issue which is why we turned it off to begin with.

Edit for @RLWA32 :

Faulting application name: InDesign.exe, version: 21.2.0.30, time stamp: 0x696e75d4 Faulting module name: MSVCP140.dll, version: 14.13.26020.0, time stamp: 0x5a39fef7 Exception code: 0xc0000005 Fault offset: 0x000000000001b93c Faulting process id: 0x48BC Faulting application start time: 0x1DC9CF4BEA14BDD Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign 2026\InDesign.exe Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\MSVCP140.dll Report Id: 371b301a-bf07-4d28-980b-8423a21e4ad6
RLWA32 52,256 Reputation points

2026-02-13T10:19:21.1633333+00:00

@Alex Yourish As far as I know, there is no "mvc140.dll" file deployed by the VC++ redistributables. I expect that is a typo and you meant to refer to a different dll file name.

Just to add some more information could you let us know the actual file names provided in any error messages and the full text of such messages including error codes.
RLWA32 52,256 Reputation points

2026-02-13T11:57:49.8966667+00:00

@Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) In my opinion the problem the Questioner is trying to resolve is related to the VC++ redistributables, not Windows updates. And from the Questioners description of the problem and subsequent comments it doesn't seem to me that Windows for Home | Other | Install and Upgrade is a more relevant tag for this issue. I suggest you reconsider this placement. Thanks.
Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 11,080 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-13T12:04:00.32+00:00

Thank you for the notice, I have changed it back.
RLWA32 52,256 Reputation points

2026-02-13T16:07:53.8833333+00:00

@Alex Yourish Thank you for the additional information. For what its worth, the msvcp140.dll file with version: 14.13.26020.0 is from a release of VS 2017. So perhaps it would be helpful if you could determine which of your applications keeps reinstalling it. Update: By the way, if you cannot find that redistributable in Settings->Installed Apps or in Control Panel->Programs and Features I'll speculate that something in your environment is copying these old dlls into the system folders and overwriting your desired version.
Kael Thorin 0 Reputation points

2026-02-23T06:15:51.6466667+00:00

Reinstall the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable from the official Microsoft site, then restart your PC.

This fixes the missing or corrupted DLL in most cases.

Answer 1

Hi @Alex Yourish ,

Thanks for reaching out.

From what you’ve described, the recurring MSVCP140.dll errors are not directly caused by Windows Updates themselves, but rather by older or conflicting Visual C++ redistributables being reinstalled or overwritten on your systems. Some applications, like CAD or Adobe products, can drop their own older versions of these DLLs, which then causes newer programs to fail.

For a more permanent solution, you might consider:

Standardizing the C++ Redistributable version across all machines. Ensure only the latest supported 2015-2022 version is installed, and remove older copies that may conflict.
Using deployment tools or scripts that verify the correct version after updates rather than simply reinstalling automatically. This helps prevent older DLLs from being reintroduced.
Reviewing application installers to check if any are installing outdated redistributables, and consider blocking or updating them as part of your image or deployment process.

Regarding Rust, transitioning software to Rust itself won’t impact existing C++ dependencies unless the application’s build process changes to remove or replace the C++ components. So CAD, Adobe, and other rendering software will remain dependent on the correct C++ redistributables until they officially adopt Rust internally.

By focusing on controlling which redistributables are present and keeping the environment consistent, you can minimize these errors without needing constant manual repair after Windows Updates.

Hope this helps! If my answer was helpful - kindly follow the instructions here so others with the same problem can benefit as well.

Alex Yourish 0 Reputation points

2026-02-16T19:21:40.39+00:00

Thank you for the responses and recommendations.

We've attached the latest MS URL for C++ Redistributable to run at the end of each Third party update such as CAD and Adobe applications.

The script will pull from the MS URL for C++ Redistributable:
https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/3658178d-0d98-44e9-9654-95d3f8cd8180/1821577409c35b2b9505ac833e246376a3c286baf6a43b6a55be6ed7ebf16412/VC_redist.x64.exe

It sounds like this solution will require manual updates as new C++ Redistributable versions are released.

I'm imposing a solution where instead of pulling from the MS URL, we'll download the C++ and store it centrally on our local NAS with a naming convention such as
C++-LATEST
C++-v14.50.XXXXX

This way we'll only have to manually update 2 locations with the right .exe and store a backup in case of bugs or software compatibility.

Thank you all for your time and insight.
Jack Dang (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 14,955 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-17T02:02:44.14+00:00

Hi @Alex Yourish ,

Thanks for your feedback.

If my answer was helpful - kindly follow the instructions here so others with the same problem can benefit as well.

Answer 2

To address the MVC140.dll error that occurs after Windows OS updates, a more permanent solution would involve ensuring that the Visual C++ Redistributables are consistently updated and maintained across all user machines. Here are a few strategies you could consider:

Centralized Management: Utilize a centralized software management tool like Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) to automate the deployment of the latest Visual C++ Redistributables. This can help ensure that all machines are updated without requiring manual intervention.
Group Policy: Implement Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to enforce the installation of the required Visual C++ Redistributables on user machines. This can help maintain consistency across the environment.
Regular Maintenance Schedule: Instead of a reactive approach to updates, consider scheduling regular maintenance windows where you can check and update the Visual C++ Redistributables on all machines. This could be done monthly or quarterly, depending on your environment's needs.
Monitoring and Alerts: Set up monitoring for applications that depend on the Visual C++ Redistributables. If an application fails to launch, alerts can be triggered to prompt immediate action.

Regarding the transition to Rust, it is important to note that while Rust offers advantages such as memory safety and performance, the impact on existing software like CAD, Adobe products, and rendering software will depend on how these applications are updated or rewritten. If they are rewritten in Rust, they may not have the same dependencies on the Visual C++ Redistributables, potentially reducing future issues related to them. However, until such transitions are made, existing software will continue to rely on the current C++ libraries.

References:

PatrickHarrison-3726 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T14:50:16.8233333+00:00

So Microsoft's updates break the existing C++ installs and it's our responsibility to fix them, and you can only give a lazy AI response telling us that? Perhaps if you hadn't laid off thousands of people, someone would be around to resolve this issue properly.

Share via

MVC140.DLL Error after Windows OS Updates

1 additional answer

Your answer