The term refers to the process of acquiring a specific dynamic link library file, ‘msvcp140_atomic_wait.dll,’ often necessitated by software applications encountering errors related to its absence or corruption. This file is a component of the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package and is integral to programs built using that environment. Applications may fail to launch or function correctly if this dependency is not met, prompting users to seek out the file.
The availability of this particular DLL is critical for the proper execution of software relying on modern C++ features, particularly those related to atomic operations and concurrency. Its presence ensures that applications can effectively manage threads and shared resources, preventing crashes and ensuring stable performance. Historically, issues arising from missing DLLs have been a common troubleshooting scenario for Windows users, highlighting the importance of maintaining an up-to-date and complete set of runtime libraries.