Troubleshooting · Windows
VCRUNTIME140.dll or MSVCP140.dll Not Found — Fix for ScanTailor Advanced
You extracted the ScanTailor Advanced ZIP, double-clicked the program, and Windows answered with a “dll was not found” error instead of the app. This is the most common first-run problem on Windows — and it is not a problem with ScanTailor itself. Here is what causes it and the one install that fixes it.
The Symptom
When you try to start ScanTailor Advanced, Windows shows a system error such as:
- “The code execution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found.”
- “The code execution cannot proceed because MSVCP140.dll was not found.”
The program never opens. Reinstalling or re-extracting ScanTailor does not help, because the missing files are not part of ScanTailor.
The Cause
The official pre-built Windows binaries of ScanTailor Advanced are compiled with Microsoft Visual C++ (MSVC), as the project’s README states. Programs built this way depend on the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable runtime being present on the system.
ScanTailor Advanced for Windows is distributed as a portable ZIP. A portable ZIP cannot install system components for you — it only contains the application. On a fresh Windows install, or a machine that has never run software needing this runtime, the DLLs simply are not there yet, so Windows refuses to start the program. The project documents exactly this symptom in its README (issue #101).
The Fix, Step by Step
- Download the runtime from Microsoft. Get the latest supported x64 Visual C++ Redistributable installer from Microsoft: vc_redist.x64.exe. The same link is listed on our download page. Match the architecture to your build — the official ScanTailor Advanced Windows build is 64-bit, so you need the x64 redistributable.
- Run the installer. Double-click vc_redist.x64.exe and let it install. If it offers “Repair” instead of “Install”, your runtime is present but damaged — run the repair.
- Restart ScanTailor Advanced. Start the program again from the extracted folder. The DLL error should be gone. If Windows asked for a reboot during the runtime install, reboot first.
Prevention
- Treat the Visual C++ Redistributable as a one-time system prerequisite: once installed, it stays, and many other Windows programs use it too.
- When you move to a new PC, install the redistributable before copying your ScanTailor folder over.
- If the DLL error appears even with the runtime installed, run the redistributable’s Repair option and then see our broader checklist: ScanTailor Advanced won’t open.
Still stuck after the runtime install? Browse the rest of the troubleshooting guides.
FAQ
Is the Visual C++ Redistributable safe and free?
Yes. It is an official Microsoft component, distributed free of charge, and required by a large share of Windows desktop software. Download it only from Microsoft (the aka.ms link above), never from a DLL archive site.
Do I need the x86 version as well?
Match the redistributable to the build you run, as the project README advises. The official ScanTailor Advanced Windows ZIP is 64-bit, so the x64 redistributable is the one it needs. Installing the x86 one as well does no harm, but it will not fix this error on its own.
Why doesn’t ScanTailor just include these DLLs in the ZIP?
The Windows build is a portable ZIP: it contains the application only and does not install system components. Microsoft’s runtime is designed to be installed once per system by its own installer, so updates and security fixes apply to every program that uses it.