A technician is installing an application on a Windows computer that is displaying an error: 'The program can't start because MSVCR120.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.' The technician has already tried reinstalling the program multiple times without success. What is the most likely cause of this error, and what component needs to be installed?
- AThe operating system is corrupted; reinstall Windows.
- BA required DirectX runtime library is missing; install the latest DirectX.
- CThe application's shortcut is broken; create a new shortcut.
- DA required Visual C++ Redistributable Package is missing; install the correct version.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. A required Visual C++ Redistributable Package is missing; install the correct version.
MSVCR120.dll is a Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable file. This error indicates that a specific version of the Visual C++ runtime library, which the application depends on, is not installed or is corrupted. Reinstalling the application often doesn't fix this because the redistributable is a separate system-level component. Installing the correct Visual C++ Redistributable Package will provide the missing DLL.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. While a corrupted OS is possible, the specific DLL error points to a missing runtime component rather than overall OS corruption.
- B. DirectX is for graphics and multimedia, not typically for 'MSVCR120.dll' errors which are associated with Visual C++.
- C. A broken shortcut would result in a different error, such as 'file not found' or 'invalid shortcut', not a missing DLL error.
Visual C++ Redistributable
A set of runtime library files required by applications developed using Microsoft Visual C++, enabling them to run on systems without Visual Studio installed.
- Provides common DLLs (e.g., MSVCR.dll, MSVCP.dll).
- Many applications depend on specific versions.
- Must be installed separately if not bundled with the application.
Memory trick: MSVCR means Visual C++, DirectX is for graphics, OS is big, Shortcut is small.