Resolving 'Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime DLLs' Errors in Parallels Desktop 12 on Windows XP 'parallels desktop 12 windows xp'

If you're experiencing difficulties running certain applications or encountering error messages related to missing Microsoft Visual C++'('MSVC') runtime files after installing Parallels Desktop 12 alongside Windows XP within a virtual machine (VM), this article provides step-by-step guidance to resolve the issue.

### Understanding the Problem

The most common cause of such errors is an incomplete installation of required MSVC components on your VM. To address this, you'll need to manually download and install specific runtime packages for both 'x86' (32-bit) and 'x64' (64-bit) architectures within Windows XP.

### Solution Steps:

1. Open the Start menu in your host machine running Mac OS X/ macOS.

2. Double-click on 'Applications' > 'Parallels' to launch Parallels Desktop 12.

3. Click once more on 'Control Panel'.

4. In the resulting window, select “Programs and Features” (in Windows XP).

5. Locate and right-click on 'MSVC++ x86' or 'x64', depending upon your VM's architecture.

6. Select 'Uninstall' to remove all MSVC-related components.

### Downloading & Installing Required Runtime Packages:

1. Visit the official Microsoft Visual C++ downloads page:

- For x86 (32-bit) architecture, download both 'VC++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable – KB316281' and 'VC++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable – KB2538249'.

- For x64 (64-bit) architecture, only download the last two files mentioned above.

### Installing Runtime Packages:

1. Save all downloaded .exe or .msi packages to a convenient location within your host machine's hard drive.

2. Ensure that you're logged in as an administrator with elevated privileges before proceeding.

3. Double-click on each downloaded package one at a time, starting from the most recent (2010 SP1) and ending with the oldest (2005 SP1).

4. Follow all installation prompts until completion.

### Verifying Successful Installation:

After completing these steps, restart your VM if necessary. Attempt to launch any applications that previously produced MSVC-related errors or warnings. If you encounter no further issues during startup or operation, it indicates a successful resolution of the problem.

By following this detailed guide, users should be able to successfully resolve 'Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime DLLs' errors when running Parallels Desktop 12 alongside Windows XP within their virtualized environment.

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