If you’re a developer looking to support older systems or games, understanding the VC++ 2013 runtime is still useful—especially when debugging those classic “missing DLL” errors. Have a missing DLL error related to MSVCP120.dll or MSVCR120.dll? Let me know in the comments—I’ve debugged my fair share of runtime issues.
For developers: While you can still use VC++ 2013 for legacy projects, new applications should target (which are version-compatible with each other). Final Verdict Keep it. Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 is like the electrical wiring inside your walls—you rarely think about it, but many things stop working if it’s gone. Unless you’re doing a clean OS install and deliberately avoiding older software, leave both the x86 and x64 versions where they are.
🔗 Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable Package microsoft visual c++ 2013
The page offers both vcredist_x86.exe and vcredist_x64.exe . If in doubt, install both. Mainstream support ended in 2018, and extended support ended in 2023. That means no new security updates. However, the runtime itself is stable and widely deployed—it doesn’t run as a background service, so the security risk is minimal for most users.
If something breaks later, you can always reinstall it from Microsoft’s official download page. Always download from Microsoft’s official website. Never use third-party “DLL download” sites. If you’re a developer looking to support older
Let’s break down what Visual C++ 2013 is, why it’s so common, and when you should—or shouldn’t—remove it. At its core, Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 is a set of runtime components. These are libraries that programs written in C++ (using Microsoft’s Visual Studio 2013) need to run on your computer.
If you uninstall it, any application that depends on it will likely crash or fail to launch with an error like: The program can't start because MSVCP120.dll is missing from your computer. (Note: MSVCP120.dll is the key file for VC++ 2013 – the "120" refers to version 12.0.) For developers: While you can still use VC++
However, if you’re absolutely certain no installed software needs it (e.g., after uninstalling old games or legacy software), you can remove it via .