Using the option 'send to mail recipient' crashes explorer.exe with SEP installed

Products

• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

On February 1st, Microsoft released the update `Visual C++ 32& 64 bit to 2015-2022 Redistribute Pack 14.31.31103`.

Since then, the right-click option in Windows to 'send to -> mail recipient' no longer works, when Outlook is configured as the Default Mail app. Explorer.exe crashes.  

The application event log will show an error similar to this: 

"Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 10.0.19041.6807, time stamp: 0x8cce3385
Faulting module name: MSVCP140.dll, version: 14.31.31103.0, time stamp: 0x8b99bfd3
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000013418
Faulting process id: 0x35ac
Faulting application start time: 0x01dc96cf739af2b7
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\14.3.12167.10000.105\Bin64\MSVCP140.dll
Report Id: dea6c86b-ff0e-42ad-91ed-c99bc539328d
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID:"

Environment

Windows 10, Windows 11 and Windows 2016

Cause

There may be a conflict between the msvcp140.dll file in the SEP directory and in Windows\System32\. 

Resolution

One workaround involves copying the msvcp140.dll file from the Windows\System32\ directory into the SEP directory. 

C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\...\Bin64\MSVCP140.dll