SteamVR installation error

Symptoms

After installing the SteamVR app from Steam, you receive the following error message:

vrpathreg.exe - System Error
The program can't start because MSVCP120.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.

Often when this occurs, several command windows are opened in rapid succession onto the desktop, along with several error message warning popups.

Resolution

Perform the following steps in order to resolve this issue:

1. Download the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013 from Microsoft at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784. Be sure to download both the 64-bit version (named "vcredist_x64.exe") and the 32-bit version (named "vcredist_x86.exe").
2. Install the 64-bit version "vcredist_x64.exe" first.
3. Next, install the 32-bit version "vcredist_x86.exe". You need to install this version even if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows.
4. Reboot your PC.

This should resolve the issue. If the problem reoccurs after performing these steps, then contact Steam Support at https://help.steampowered.com for further assistance.

More information for advanced users

The installation script for the SteamVR app requires the 32-bit version of the Visual Studio C++ 2013 runtime; however, certain PCs only have the 64-bit version installed. When this situation occurs, the SteamVR installation script fails and then attempts to re-execute, producing an endless series of failures (and popup windows) in rapid succession.

Once the 32-bit version of the C++ runtime is installed and the PC is rebooted, SteamVR automatically re-executes its installation script, and the installation is able to complete without further errors.

Known issues that may occur after you install Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013

Google Chrome may produce an error or fail to launch after installing the 32-bit version of Microsoft's Visual Studio C++ 2013 runtime. This is typically resolved by re-installing Chrome from https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop.

Article last revised: 12/20/2016