api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll missing or corrupted. any ideas for help?

[Grand Poo-Bah de Canadiannaise]

api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing corrupted so I can't load EU4. Everytime I try in Steam the launcher doesn't load and beside the EU4 name in the library it says "running"-->"syncing"--> then nothing.
I tried manually loading from the game local files, and when I use either of the .exe files the "api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll" warning comes up.
any thoughts/help?
I've tried redownloading C++ files, and reinstalling.
I've tried reinstalling the game and verifying the file.
I have no mods and never have (i just got the game)
any help/ideas?

[tonypa]

You are missing Visual C++ Redistributable, did you get the installer from Microsoft directly or some weird site in the web?
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145
Which version of the Windows are you using? For Win10 it should be installed by default, for older Windows versions there is bunch of installers which may or may not work.

[Grand Poo-Bah de Canadiannaise]

I'm using windows 7
but that's the weird thing, I've tried downloading straight from microsoft and yet the 2015 version of C++ redist doesn't seem to work. I download, install it, and sometimes the installation will complete, and sometimes progress bar gets to the end, never finishes, I hit cancel, but it looks as though it installed correctly, I try repairing, same thing happens, progress never completes.
And sometimes when I try a uninstalling C++2015redist, it says it's uninstalled, I try reinstalling, and it won't work...
aieee

[tonypa]

Not even Microsoft really supports Win7 anymore so even their own stuff may not always work.

Consider upgrading to Win10 or you will just face more and more problems.

[Grand Poo-Bah de Canadiannaise]

thanks for the input I'll consider it
... do you think a reinstall of windows 7 might help for the mean time?

[tonypa]

Originally posted by Cheesey Wonder:

thanks for the input I'll consider it
... do you think a reinstall of windows 7 might help for the mean time?

I have not used it for long time, and my memories are almost all bad about Win7.

The main problem is that while time passes, less and less developers care about testing and fixing their products on Win7, even when they still say it is supported (because, in theory their could work on it and because some legal reasons). Same way hardware manufacturers done not bother making proper drivers for it these days.

I can not guess if reinstalling it will solve your problem.

[Grand Poo-Bah de Canadiannaise]

ah thanks.
Strange that more recent games like Stellaris work pretty well on it, but I've only had this particular error message with EU4.
If I end up reinstalling windows 7, or if I get the game working I'll let you know the details