Some VirtualBox components are developed using Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows. The Redistributable Package provides "runtime" libraries—essential sets of instructions—that VirtualBox calls upon while it's running.
Due to license changes by Microsoft, these files are sometimes no longer included directly in the VirtualBox installer, requiring a manual download.
Here is how to find the official download and resolve the installation error. Why VirtualBox Needs This Package Here is how to find the official download
Once installed, VirtualBox will detect it automatically.
Historically, many installers bundled these files, but due to licensing changes, Oracle sometimes requires users to download them directly from Microsoft. Step-by-Step: Download and Installation Latest Supported Visual C++ Redistributable Downloads that dependency is the .
For VirtualBox on a modern 64-bit Windows PC, download the version.
While VirtualBox is a powerful virtualization tool, it relies on a specific set of code libraries to communicate with the Windows operating system. For modern versions of VirtualBox (specifically versions 6.0 through 7.x), that dependency is the . VirtualBox will detect it automatically. Historically
VirtualBox is developed using the C++ programming language. Within Windows, developers use "Standard Libraries"—pre-written chunks of code that handle basic functions like math operations, memory management, and input/output processes.
When you install VirtualBox, it assumes your Windows PC already has these shared libraries installed. If they aren't there—or if the specific 2019 version is missing—the VirtualBox executable calls for a library file that doesn't exist, causing an immediate crash or an error message like:
You might see several versions of the Visual C++ Redistributable in your "Add or Remove Programs" list (ranging from 2012 to 2022). You might wonder why you need the 2019 version specifically if you are running a newer machine.