One of the most common errors encountered by users of systems of previous generations of the Windows family is a failure to start the application, accompanied by a window with different options for information about the error that occurs due to the missing api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0 file .dll is not present on the computer. Why is this happening?

This message appears when trying to install or launch applications, both work and play, that use the Windows 10 working libraries – Universal C Runtime. This problem most often happens with Skype and Microsoft Office, as well as applications from Adobe and Autodesk. In Windows Vista, 7, 8, or 8.1 operating systems, these working libraries are missing, which leads to this error. In some cases, the error window contains a message prompting you to reinstall the program. In some cases, this helps, since, as a rule, all the necessary distributions are supplied with the main program or game. But in most cases this is not possible. So what do you do?

api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing: how to fix the error, download the file

So, we ran into an error, the text of which says: “the program cannot be started because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing”, and reinstallation did not fix the situation. What to do?

In this situation, there are three ways to fix the error:

• Update the OS to the current version;
• Reinstall Microsoft Visual C ++ 2015 Redistributable.
• Download api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll for Windows Vista, 7, 8 or 8.1 and move it to the required folder – System32 for 32-bit systems or SysWOW64 for 64-bit systems, respectively.

Let’s consider each of them:

Method one. Operating system update

The longest, but nevertheless the most reliable way to fix this error. A specialized update, KB2999226, includes the integration of required libraries and functions into previous generations of operating systems. You can find it in Windows Update

You can also download it from the Microsoft website –

Universal C Runtime in Windows

… When downloading, make sure to select the correct option (x86 for 32-bit systems, and x64, respectively, for 64-bit systems).

After installation, see if the application that was showing the error occurring due to missing api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is running. If this does not help, go to the second method of solving the problem.

Method two. Microsoft Visual C ++ 2015 Redistributable

If the update was previously installed or the application of the first solution to the problem did not fix the situation, then you will need to install or reinstall the Microsoft Visual C ++ 2015 components. You may also need to install or reinstall the Microsoft Visual C ++ 2017 components. Updating them to the current version containing in all the necessary working libraries for yourself; should help in solving the problem. To do this, do the following:

• Go to the Programs and Features section in the Control Panel;
• Find Microsoft Visual C ++ 2015 Redistributable (x86 and x64) in the list of installed applications;
• If they are among the installed programs, remove them;

• Go to the official website and download from thereMicrosoft Visual C ++ 2015 Redistributable
• Be sure to download both of the suggested installer options;

• Run and install both components one at a time, first x64 and then x86;

• See if the application that was showing the error due to missing api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is running;
• If an error occurs, repeat the procedure, but this time with the Visual C ++ 2017 components that can be downloaded from the Microsoft website –Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2017

  … The download link is in the Other Tools and Frameworks section;

• See if the application that was showing the error occurring due to missing api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is running.

If this method of troubleshooting did not help, then it is worth checking the overall integrity of the system, as well as checking for viruses.

Method three. Download api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll

The fastest, but at the same time the most dangerous of the ways – just download the missing file and place it directly in the Windows folder. To do this, follow these simple instructions:

• Download the api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll file from the website containing the running executable libraries;
• After making sure that the file is safe and the antivirus does not show signs of alarm, move this file to the appropriate folder in the root directory of your OS;
• In the case of a 32-bit OS, you will need to find the System32 folder in the C: Windows directory and move the api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll file into it;

• In the case of a 64-bit OS, you need to find the SysWOW64 folder in the C: Windows directory and move the api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll file into it;

• See if the application that was showing the error due to missing api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is running.

If this method turned out to be unsuccessful and the situation did not improve, then it is worth trying the two previous, more complex, methods.

Result

Updating the OS is the most reliable way to fix the error. But at the same time, the fastest and easiest way to fix the error that occurs due to the missing api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is to download. For Windows Vista, 7, 8 or 8.1, this is much faster than installing updates, but it does not always help and carries the risk of virus infection when downloading dlls from unverified websites. As a result of actions performed according to one of the three methods, our error should be eliminated, and the performance of applications should be restored. If this did not happen, then, most likely, some of the important components of your Windows OS is damaged and the system needs to be checked, both for system errors and for viruses.