Missing vcomp.dll

#pc; #Steam version

This is for situational awareness just in case others run into a similar situation as described below.

Issue: Failure to launch MSFS 2020 on Steam due to a missing file called “vcomp.dll”

Solution: Search for “Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio” and download the latest version

Background details:

MSFS 2020 was working just fine and then I could not get it to launch through Steam anymore. I would click on the play button in the Steam app to run MSFS 2020 and the process stopped a few seconds later. I then went directly to the local files folder, tried to run the FlightSimulator.exe file from there, and this is where I received an error message stating the vcomp.dll file is missing.

Two things happened on my computer prior to this issue:

  1. Windows installed a few updates. Under Quality Updates, there are basic Windows 10 and Office updates, and under Other Updates, Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 was installed.

  2. Alpha India Group (AIG) AI Manager (used to inject traffic in the sim) would not run. I kept on trying to run the AIGTech - AI Manager.exe file and I noticed lots of “access denied” in the command prompt window. At this same time while I was trying to get the AI Manager to run, the sound on my computer stopped working, and this was due to the drivers no longer being installed. The Windows troubleshooting steps reinstalled the sounds drivers and I got the AI Manager to run by going to the .exe file in the AIG Manager TMP folder instead of the root folder.

I do not know for sure if either of these events caused the vcomp.dll issue.

Update 31 December 2021:

It looks like AIG Manager is causing the issue. I just tried to launch AIG Manager and I saw the same access denied errors again. I then tried to play MSFS 2020 and the missing DLL error came back. Reinstalling Visual C++ Redistributable fixed the issue again, but I am going to stay away from AIG until they release a final software version for MSFS 2020.