Microsoft releases a new version of the Visual C++ Redistributable roughly every year. vc2013redistx86 refers specifically to the 2013 edition. Common version numbers include:
Applications compiled with:
Detection in PE headers: Look for import table entries like msvcr120.dll!malloc.
An app compiled with VC 2013 links via #pragma comment(lib, "msvcr120.lib"). The embedded manifest requests: vc2013redistx86
<assemblyIdentity type="win32" name="Microsoft.VC120.CRT"
version="12.0.21005.1" processorArchitecture="x86" />
In simple terms, software developers write code, but that code often relies on shared "libraries" of pre-written functions to perform common tasks (like math calculations, displaying graphics, or managing memory). Microsoft provides these libraries as part of Visual C++.
Rather than every developer including these massive libraries inside their specific game or app download, they rely on the user having a "Redistributable" package installed on their PC. The 2013 version specifically contains libraries created for software built using the Visual Studio 2013 development environment.
vcredist_x86.exe [/quiet] [/passive] [/norestart] [/uninstall] Microsoft releases a new version of the Visual
| Switch | Behavior |
|--------|----------|
| /quiet | No UI, no prompts, no reboot notification. |
| /passive | Minimal UI, progress bar, auto-close. |
| /norestart | Suppresses automatic reboot even if required. |
| /uninstall | Uninstalls the redistributable package. |
| /log <file> | Writes installation log to specified file. |
Prior to Windows 10, the Visual C++ runtime was not a core OS component. Applications statically linking the CRT were rare due to size and update constraints. Instead, developers dynamically linked against the redistributable runtime. The vc2013redist_x86 was released in 2013 alongside Visual Studio 2013, supporting Windows versions from Windows 7 SP1 to Windows 8.1, and later Windows 10/11.
Primary use cases:
Some hybrid applications use a 32-bit launcher or front-end even if the main engine is 64-bit. Also, many plugin systems (like older Unity or Unreal Engine 4 tools) are compiled for x86.
If the installer says it succeeded but you still get MSVCR120.dll errors, register the DLL manually:
If the file is missing entirely, extract it directly from the official installer using 7-Zip, then place it in SysWOW64. Detection in PE headers: Look for import table