<h3 dir="auto">Bug summary</h3>
<div class="snippet-clipboard-content notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="from matplotlib._path import (
ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _path: The specified module could not be found.```

got error on freshly installed windows 10 22h2.

### Code for reproduction

```python
just import the module
`import matplotlib`"><pre class="notranslate"><code class="notranslate">from matplotlib._path import (
ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _path: The specified module could not be found.```

got error on freshly installed windows 10 22h2.

### Code for reproduction

```python
just import the module
`import matplotlib`
</code></pre></div>
<h3 dir="auto">Actual outcome</h3>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">import matplotlib<br>
Traceback (most recent call last):<br>
File "", line 1, in <br>
File "C:\Users\HaLF-MenTaL\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\matplotlib_<em>init</em>_.py", line 113, in <br>
from . import _api, _version, cbook, _docstring, rcsetup<br>
File "C:\Users\HaLF-MenTaL\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\rcsetup.py", line 27, in <br>
from matplotlib.colors import Colormap, is_color_like<br>
File "C:\Users\HaLF-MenTaL\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\colors.py", line 56, in <br>
from matplotlib import _api, _cm, cbook, scale<br>
File "C:\Users\HaLF-MenTaL\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\scale.py", line 22, in <br>
from matplotlib.ticker import (<br>
File "C:\Users\HaLF-MenTaL\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\ticker.py", line 138, in <br>
from matplotlib import transforms as mtransforms<br>
File "C:\Users\HaLF-MenTaL\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\transforms.py", line 49, in <br>
from matplotlib._path import (<br>
ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _path: The specified module could not be found.</p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<h3 dir="auto">Expected outcome</h3>
<p dir="auto">the module should be successfully imported.</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Additional information</h3>
<p dir="auto"><em>No response</em></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Operating system</h3>
<p dir="auto">Windows 10 Pro Version	22H2</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Version</h3>
<p dir="auto">matplotlib-3.6.3</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Backend</h3>
<p dir="auto"><em>No response</em></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Python version</h3>
<p dir="auto">Python 3.10.8</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Jupyter version</h3>
<p dir="auto"><em>No response</em></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Installation</h3>
<p dir="auto">pip</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Bug summary</h3>
<p dir="auto"><code class="notranslate">import</code>ing matplotlib on a fresh Windows machine or container fails with the following traceback:</p>
<div class="snippet-clipboard-content notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="&gt;&gt;&gt; import matplotlib 
Traceback (most recent call last): 
  File &quot;&lt;stdin&gt;&quot;, line 1, in &lt;module&gt;
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\__init__.py&quot;, line 113, in &lt;module&gt;
    from . import _api, _version, cbook, _docstring, rcsetup
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\rcsetup.py&quot;, line 27, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib.colors import Colormap, is_color_like
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\colors.py&quot;, line 56, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib import _api, _cm, cbook, scale
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\scale.py&quot;, line 22, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib.ticker import (
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\ticker.py&quot;, line 138, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib import transforms as mtransforms
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\transforms.py&quot;, line 49, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib._path import (
ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _path: The specified module could not be found."><pre class="notranslate"><code class="notranslate">&gt;&gt;&gt; import matplotlib 
Traceback (most recent call last): 
  File "&lt;stdin&gt;", line 1, in &lt;module&gt;
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\__init__.py", line 113, in &lt;module&gt;
    from . import _api, _version, cbook, _docstring, rcsetup
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\rcsetup.py", line 27, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib.colors import Colormap, is_color_like
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\colors.py", line 56, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib import _api, _cm, cbook, scale
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\scale.py", line 22, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib.ticker import (
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\ticker.py", line 138, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib import transforms as mtransforms
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\transforms.py", line 49, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib._path import (
ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _path: The specified module could not be found.
</code></pre></div>
<p dir="auto">AFAIK, the DLL that's being called for isn't displayed here but I suspect this is something from the MSVC runtime.</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Code for reproduction</h3>
<div class="snippet-clipboard-content notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="docker run -it python:3.11.1-windowsservercore-1809 powershell
pip install matplotlib
python
import matplotlib"><pre class="notranslate"><code class="notranslate">docker run -it python:3.11.1-windowsservercore-1809 powershell
pip install matplotlib
python
import matplotlib
</code></pre></div>
<h3 dir="auto">Actual outcome</h3>
<div class="snippet-clipboard-content notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="Traceback (most recent call last): 
  File &quot;&lt;stdin&gt;&quot;, line 1, in &lt;module&gt;
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\__init__.py&quot;, line 113, in &lt;module&gt;
    from . import _api, _version, cbook, _docstring, rcsetup
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\rcsetup.py&quot;, line 27, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib.colors import Colormap, is_color_like
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\colors.py&quot;, line 56, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib import _api, _cm, cbook, scale
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\scale.py&quot;, line 22, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib.ticker import (
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\ticker.py&quot;, line 138, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib import transforms as mtransforms
  File &quot;C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\transforms.py&quot;, line 49, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib._path import (
ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _path: The specified module could not be found."><pre class="notranslate"><code class="notranslate">Traceback (most recent call last): 
  File "&lt;stdin&gt;", line 1, in &lt;module&gt;
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\__init__.py", line 113, in &lt;module&gt;
    from . import _api, _version, cbook, _docstring, rcsetup
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\rcsetup.py", line 27, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib.colors import Colormap, is_color_like
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\colors.py", line 56, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib import _api, _cm, cbook, scale
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\scale.py", line 22, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib.ticker import (
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\ticker.py", line 138, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib import transforms as mtransforms
  File "C:\Python\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\transforms.py", line 49, in &lt;module&gt;
    from matplotlib._path import (
ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _path: The specified module could not be found.
</code></pre></div>
<h3 dir="auto">Expected outcome</h3>
<p dir="auto">matplotlib imports without errors.</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Additional information</h3>
<p dir="auto">I <em>think</em> the MSVC runtime is currently a dependency of matplotlib and the required DLL should be distributed with the wheel. If I run <code class="notranslate">pip install msvc-runtime</code> the import works, maybe that package or something like it could be a transient OS-specific dependency.</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Operating system</h3>
<p dir="auto">Windows 10</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Version</h3>
<p dir="auto">Import fails (3.6.2, 3.6.1, 3.6.0)</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Backend</h3>
<p dir="auto">Unknown, import fails</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Python version</h3>
<p dir="auto">3.11.1</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Jupyter version</h3>
<p dir="auto">N/A</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Installation</h3>
<p dir="auto">pip</p>