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Participant
June 4, 2025
Answered

Installation error while trying to install Photoshop Elements 2021 on new computer (windows 11)

  • June 4, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 430 views

I have a new computer and I am trying to load my photoshop elements 2021. I have tried to install from the disc and from online. I keep getting an error message that MSVCP 120.dll is not found. I contacted Dell support and they worked on my computer for a long time. They could not find anything wrong with the files on my computer. They ultimately said the problem is with the PSE program. I have tried disabling my virus protection and downloading, and it did not help.

 

Correct answer breel21

I have resolved my issues and am sharing my solution here in case someone else encounters the same problem.  I turned to ChatGPT for my answer.

First, I made sure that I had both the x64 and the x86 versions of Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable installed. Then I searched my computer and found the missing MSVCP 120.dll file in my common files\adobe\adobe desktop common\DEBox folder. I copied that file and pasted it into both my Window\System32 and Windows\SysWOW64 folders. After rebooting my computer I was able to install most of the PSE 21 software but I ran into additional error messages and missing dll files - these it turned out were due to the fact that I had already downloaded Bridge 2025 from creative cloud. Apparently the 2025 Bridge and the older PSE 2021 do not play well together. I uninstalled Bridge and then the PSE 2021 installed easily.

Hope this helps if someone else has the same issue. Chatgpt makes a really great Adobe Tech guru! 🙂

 

3 replies

breel21AuthorCorrect answer
Participant
June 8, 2025

I have resolved my issues and am sharing my solution here in case someone else encounters the same problem.  I turned to ChatGPT for my answer.

First, I made sure that I had both the x64 and the x86 versions of Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable installed. Then I searched my computer and found the missing MSVCP 120.dll file in my common files\adobe\adobe desktop common\DEBox folder. I copied that file and pasted it into both my Window\System32 and Windows\SysWOW64 folders. After rebooting my computer I was able to install most of the PSE 21 software but I ran into additional error messages and missing dll files - these it turned out were due to the fact that I had already downloaded Bridge 2025 from creative cloud. Apparently the 2025 Bridge and the older PSE 2021 do not play well together. I uninstalled Bridge and then the PSE 2021 installed easily.

Hope this helps if someone else has the same issue. Chatgpt makes a really great Adobe Tech guru! 🙂

 

Greg_S.
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 5, 2025

You should first try with the 2013 versions found in the link posted by @Peru Bob.  Install both the X86 and x64 versions.  If that doesn't work, then by all means download all of the others.

Peru Bob
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 4, 2025