Windows Updates Keep Breaking the Visual C++ Redistributable
Asked by
MellowCedar47
Is anyone else seeing recurring problems on managed Windows endpoints where a Windows update causes the Visual C++ 2015–2022 x64 Redistributable to stop working or revert to an older runtime? Afterward, applications such as Power PDF, Adobe products, or other software fail to launch until the redistributable is repaired or reinstalled. The issue keeps returning after updates, so I'm trying to identify the underlying cause rather than repeatedly applying the repair.
Answers
In our environment, the real culprit turned out to be an outdated EFI Fiery printer driver. It bundled older versions of the Visual C++ runtime, and Windows update activity caused printer drivers to be reapplied. That replaced newer DLLs with older ones and broke applications including LibreOffice and Adobe Creative Cloud. Updating the printer queues to a newer driver and removing the obsolete packages from the workstation DriverStore stopped the problem.
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Power PDF and Adobe InDesign can both fail when the runtime files are downgraded. On an affected machine, compare the file version of MSVCP140.dll before and after repairing the redistributable. Searching locations such as the DriverStore, Program Files, and ProgramData can help identify which driver or installer supplied the older copy.
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Be careful about assuming every release upgrade is a full Windows reinstall. Some version changes are only enablement packages, so the better approach is to verify what actually changed, inspect installer logs, and determine whether the redistributable was removed, repaired, or had its DLLs overwritten.
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A temporary application-specific DLL workaround may be possible because Windows commonly searches the executable directory first, but it can create maintenance and security problems. It is safer to correct the outdated dependency or driver that is replacing the system runtime.
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I would check the update and application-installation history immediately before each failure, then compare the versions of the Visual C++ DLLs. If the same printer or hardware driver appears repeatedly, update or remove that package rather than relying on a monthly repair of the redistributable.
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Answers are reviewed before publication.
CopperLynx22: We saw the same thing with EFI drivers, and Autodesk and Adobe applications were affected most often.
QuietHarbor6: Apparently some EFI packages include an old VC runtime, and feature updates can trigger printer-driver reinstallations. Repairing the redistributable only treats the symptom until the outdated driver is removed.