I’m getting this error when I start Wow.exe “The program can’t start because api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-2-0.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.”
Just started with the patch today, not happened before.
Wow still loads and works OK after I click OK to get rid of the error message box, so possibly this is being caused by the Wow.exe trying to run another separate program as it runs.
I’m running Windows 7, most likely that’s the issue and it’s some DLL that’s not part of Win 7.
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Build error on Blizzards end. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-technet-forums/a28331ae-19a3-4a34-b3ba-1e8fd4430375
Submit in game bug mentioning Win 7 build error and this thread.
Also, move on from that OS. 
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I also have the same problem on Windows 7. As I have seen in other posts, all affected people have Windows 7 (some on Windows 10, maybe an early version). This is a similar problem that happened when the Dragonflight expansion came out. At least this time the game starts after closing the error message.
I have reinstalled and repaired the Visual C++ libraries (x86 or x64), but without success.
Interestingly, I have not found the api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-2-0.dll file in any computer with Windows 7, 10 and 11, so I suspect that it is a development library.
Ignoring Raijin’s outdated comment about the operating system, I think his link is very useful, although it just proves that this is a compilation problem and we can’t do anything about it from our side.
The current issue is really simple: they haven’t bothered to test if the game would boot on a Windows 7 computer without the development SDK installed, which is how most gamers have their computers.
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I wouldn’t ignore the warning to move on from Windows 7 too lightly.
Steam dropped support for 7, and 8, last year so you’re living on borrowed time with respect to game developers following their lead. Let’s not mention running an unpatched since 2020 OS on the internet in 2025.
You’re going to need a plan of action because Blizzard will drop support in a year or two.
Windows 7 is still supported with security updates under the ESU programme (meant to be paid for but a simple hack is available), I still get the cumulative security update every month from Windows update. So it’s not an “unpatched since 2020 OS”. I believe this will end next year, so I might have to consider downgrading to Win 11 then. 
WoW is the only game I still play and when they drop Win 7 support that’ll be the end of it for me, the game has been getting worse and worse and worse over recent years anyway.
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Having the same issue on windows 7 after installing the upgrade to war within it seems.
Missing api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-2-0.dll wow.exe, but WOW works, it’s just very annoying.
Downloading the api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-2-0.dll seems to be very problematic as well, as it’s no where to be found…
Oh well WOW still works, and yes i am moving to an new PC before any comments to windows 7.
has nothing to do with the game. w7 is unsupported and you wont get any help. upgrade or leave. has nothing to do with the game getting bad
War Within still lists Win7 as supported.
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windows 7 is unsupported itself, no feature upgrades nothing. if ms breakes it by not updating their “frameworks” and its needed by wow then ur done. nothing to do.
why not going on 10 or better on 11? if u concerned about privacy use atlasOS modification
These comments are out of place and do not help. We are trying to solve this problem.
As far as I have read, this is a fairly common programming bug. More than a bug, it is a matter of carelessness and not caring enough about what is being done.
With my limited knowledge of programming, and simplifying a lot, this is what I have understood. With the latest update they have made the game executable point directly to some very specific DLL files. The problem is that these DLL files are only present in Windows 11 and the most recent version of Windows 10. Hence, in Windows 7, even in previous versions of Windows 10, the error message is displayed. Yes, there are also Windows 10 players with this error.
Ideally, and the right way, is to make the game executable point to the operating system kernel, and the kernel uses the available DLL files. This link shows the same problem and explains in detail the cause → h ttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-technet-forums/a28331ae-19a3-4a34-b3ba-1e8fd4430375