The Unsung Hero: Understanding the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable (x64)

You’ve likely been there. You download an exciting new game from 2012 or install a legacy enterprise application, only to be greeted by a cryptic error message: “The program can't start because MSVCR100.dll is missing from your computer.”

Unless you are running a brand new, stripped-down installation of Windows with zero legacy software, removing the 2010 Redistributable will likely break older programs.

In this post, we’ll explain what it is, why you need the version, and how to fix it when things go wrong.