How to Fix "api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing" Error on Windows 10
Written by Rimvydas Iliavicius on
How to Fix "api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing" Error on Windows 10
"The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error occurs when the "api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll" file is missing from your computer. In this guide, we present several solutions to this error. Read the article below and try these methods to see which one does the trick for you.
A DLL file (Dynamic Link Library) is a type of file that contains instructions for other programs about how to perform certain operations. If a DLL file is updated to a newer version (or overwritten with another version) or removed from the computer, the program relying on that particular DLL file might fail or no longer work properly.
Why Does This Error Occur?
If you get the error message saying, "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer", it means that the "api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll" file indicated in the error message is missing.
It means that part of Visual C++ Redistributable was not installed properly or failed to install, or that the "api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll" file has gone missing or got corrupted.
You may get "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error while trying to open Adobe applications or programs such as Skype, Corel Draw, Microsoft Office, etc. The good news is that you can easily fix this error.
Video on How to Fix "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" Error:
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Run SFC Scan
- Check for Windows Updates
- Repair Installed Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package
- Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
- Install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2017
- Update Universal C Runtime
- Video on How to Fix "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" Error
Run SFC Scan
This guide describes how to run the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe) to scan your system files and to repair missing or corrupted system files (including DLL files).
To run it, you need to open Command Prompt first. To open it, type "command prompt" in Search and then right-click on the "Command Prompt", select "Run as administrator" from the dropdown menu to run Command Prompt with administrator privileges. You must run an elevated Command Prompt to be able to perform an SFC scan.
In opened Command Prompt window type "sfc /scannow" and press Enter on your keyboard to execute this command. System File Checker will start, and it should take some time to complete the scan. It should take about 15 minutes.
Wait for the scanning process to complete and restart your computer to see if you are still getting the "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error while trying to open a particular application.
Check For Windows Updates
Another thing you might want to try is to update your current version of Windows. Checking for updates for the whole Windows operating system might help you to fix "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error.
To check for Windows Updates, go to Settings and select "Update & Security".
You should be automatically directed to the Windows Update section. Click "Check for updates", and Windows will start checking for updates. If there are updates available, install them and try checking for updates again, just to ensure that you have the latest updates on your operating system.
After the updates are installed (if there were any to install), see if you are still getting "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error while trying to open a particular application.
Repair Installed Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package
Visual C++ is a part of the general "C suite" of programming languages often used for many different types of development projects. Visual C++ includes runtime packages and libraries for creating different compilations of function calls, procedures, and other code elements that work within integrated software environments.
There could be many Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables installed on your computer, and in your case, you will need to look for the "Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable" package and repair it.
To repair it, go to Control Panel (type "control panel" in Search and click on the "Control Panel" result) and click on "Programs and Features".
Locate "Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable" and right-click on it, select "Change" from the dropdown menu.
When a Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Modify Setup window pops up, click on "Repair" to repair it.
Check if you are still getting the "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error while trying to open a certain application
Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
If repairing the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable does not help, then you may need to update it by installing the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable from the Microsoft web page here.
You will need to choose the download you want, the "vc_redist.x64.exe" or "vc_redist.x84.exe".
Make sure that you download the right version of the Visual C++ Redistributable file. If you are not sure which one to download and to install, find out whether you are using 32-bit or 64-bit system type by reading this article.
Download it and check if you are still getting the "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error while trying to open a certain application.
Install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable For Visual Studio 2017
Maybe you are getting this "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error because the application you are trying to open uses Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2017, and you don't have it on your Windows operating system.
To download and install the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2017, go to this Microsoft page. Scroll down until you find it and select which version you want to download, click "Download".
Install it and check if you are still getting the "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error while trying to open a certain application.
Update Universal C Runtime
The Windows 10 Universal CRT is a Windows operating system component that enables CRT functionality on the Windows operating system. This update allows Windows desktop applications that depend on the Windows 10 Universal CRT release to run on earlier Windows operating systems.
You can install this update on earlier Windows operating systems to enable these applications to run correctly. This update is available in Windows Update, but you can download it separately (if needed) from this Microsoft web page.
Choose which update suits your operating system and download the package. Install it and check if you are still getting the "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error while trying to open a certain application
We hope that one of the solutions helped you to fix this "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer" error and you are now able to open the application you couldn't open before.
▼ Show Discussion