The side-by-side configuration error typically appears on your Windows 8 computer when a program you're using causes a conflict with your C++ runtime libraries. This sounds quite technical, but the solution is straightforward. The quickest way to repair a side-by-side error is to use the Repair tool in the "Programs and Features" section of your Windows Control Panel. If that doesn't fix the problem, you can manually reinstall your Microsoft Visual C++ packages.
Control Panel Repair
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Step 1
Swipe your mouse pointer to the upper-right corner of your Windows 8 screen to open the Charms menu.
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Step 2
Type "control panel" into the Search box, and then click "Control Panel" on the search results to open the Control Panel.
Step 3
Click "Programs and Features," and then scroll down and click the program you were using when the side-by-side configuration error appeared.
Step 4
Click "Repair," wait for the automated repair process to complete, and then restart the program. If the error appears again, proceed to the next section to reinstall your Visual C++ packages.
Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Packages
Step 1
Swipe your mouse pointer to the upper-right corner of your Windows 8 screen to open the Charms menu.
Step 2
Type "control panel" into the Search box, and then click "Control Panel" on the search results to open the Control Panel.
Step 3
Click "Programs and Features," and then scroll down and locate each of the Microsoft Visual C++ entries.
Step 4
Select the first Microsoft Visual C++ entry, and then click "Uninstall." Repeat this step for each Microsoft Visual C++ entry on the list.
Step 5
Click each of the links in the Resources section in order from top to bottom to download and install all of the necessary Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributive packages. Click "Run" if prompted after clicking a link. If you're using a 32-bit version of Windows 8, you only need to download the packages labeled "(x86)."
Step 6
Reboot your computer after installing the packages, and then restart the program that was previously causing the side-by-side error.
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