Corrupted Micorosft Visual C++ Redistributable

Markus Kaduk 5 Reputation points
2026-01-23T09:29:47.3766667+00:00

Hi,
I have a problem with Micorosft Visual C++ Redistributable. I thinks its badly corrupted.

I was trying to install a newer one and got error that "The older version of Microsoft Visual C++ 2022 X64 Additional runtime cannot be removed"
exact same error i got when tried uninstalling it..

I even tried to repair it and it also did not work.

then i did sfc /scannow

and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

both did not work and lastly I tried uninstalling the redistributable with Revo uninstaller but that also did not work.

can anybody help me please?
thanks

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Developer technologies | C++
Developer technologies | C++
A high-level, general-purpose programming language, created as an extension of the C programming language, that has object-oriented, generic, and functional features in addition to facilities for low-level memory manipulation.
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  1. Varsha Dundigalla(INFOSYS LIMITED) 4,500 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff
    2026-01-23T10:58:29.7666667+00:00

    Thank you for reaching out.

    This issue happens because an older Visual C++ 2022 x64 runtime is still registered in Windows, but its uninstall or repair details are broken. Windows thinks it is installed but cannot properly remove or fix it.

    Because of this:

    • Installing a newer Visual C++ version fails
    • Uninstalling or repairing the existing one fails
    • System tools like SFC and DISM do not help, since they only repair Windows system files
    • Third‑party uninstallers also cannot fix the broken installer entry

    This problem is not related to your C++ code or any application you created.

    It is an issue with the Visual C++ Redistributable installer registration itself.

    Once the broken Visual C++ entry is cleaned up, the latest Visual C++ Redistributable can be installed normally.

    Please let us know if you require any further assistance, we’re happy to help. If you found this information useful, kindly mark this as "Accept Answer". So that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.


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