Microsoft Visual C ++ is a familiar name for those who install many programs on Windows and PC games, because it is often included in the installation programs.
On a Windows PC where different software and games have been installed, different versions of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable should therefore be found in the list of installed programs.
Otherwise there may be errors in the execution of some programs, with the reporting of file not found such as VCRUNTIME140.dll, MSVCP110.dll or MSVCR110.dll, which are related precisely to Visual C ++.
Microsoft Visual C ++ is an integrated development environment that is used to create Windows applications in the programming languages C, C ++ and C ++ / CLI. The programming environment includes access to many shared code libraries that allow developers to use code already inside Windows instead of having to write them from scratch.
That shared code takes the form of dynamic link libraries ( DLLs ), a term we've already encountered in this blog about how to fix missing DLL errors or missing system files.
Usually, when you go to install a software, the Visual C ++ DLL files are included in the installation, while other times not and you need to download the various versions from Microsoft.
Microsoft Visual C ++ is available, in fact, in different versions, recognizable for the year of release and for the fact that they are for x86 (32 bit) and x64 (64 bit) processors.
The versions to be installed or already installed of Visual C ++ depend on the version of Windows that you are using.
On my Windows 10 PC, for example, there are even 15 versions of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable, starting from that of 2008, up to that of 2015, both x86 and x64.
This is because while on a 32-bit PC only 32-bit versions are to be installed, on 64-bit Winsows you must always install both the 32-bit and x64 versions of the Redistributable.
This is because 64-bit Windows can run both 64-bit and 32-bit programs.
From what I remember, on my PC none of the versions of Visual C ++ Redistributable present were installed by me manually, because they came together with some programs that required it.
In fact, when a developer develops a program in a specific version of Visual C ++, the code libraries for that version must be present on the system.
For example, if a developer has used Visual C ++ 2005 (or Visual Studio 2005) to create a program that is being installed, then Microsoft Visual C ++ 2005 Redistributable must be installed together with the program.
Usually this software package is included in the installation, but if you skip that step or it is not included, you need to download and install it manually.
Furthermore, it must be considered that Microsoft has never consolidated all the old versions into a unified package, therefore the latest Redistributable of 2017 does not include all the libraries of Redistributable 2015 which, if requested, will need to be installed the same.
In short, the versions present on the computer of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable must not be uninstalled and removed because they probably serve some program or game already installed or that will be used in the future.
In addition, these Visual C ++ Redistributable do not take up much space, about 15 or 20 MB of disk space for each.
In case of problems with the execution of a software, in the case of missing DLLs or errors related to Visual C ++, you can remove all the versions on the PC and reinstall them manually by downloading them from the Microsoft website .
Definitely to be removed are the double versions, that is, if there are two or more versions of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable 2008 x86, then the older ones can be uninstalled.
You can uninstall redistributables in the same way you uninstall any other program by going to Control Panel under Programs and Features .
Below, all the links to download the different versions of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable for Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, in Italian .
I remember that on Windows 64 bit all are to be installed, while on Windows 32 bit only those x86 (see here how to understand which Windows version we have)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2005 Redistributable Package (no longer supported)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86) - (x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) - (x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2012 Update 4 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2013 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2015 Update 2 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2017 32 bit and 64 bit
After installing the Microsoft Visual C ++ packages, you must also open Windows Update and check if there are updates, which will be automatically downloaded for each of the installed versions.
READ ALSO: Microsoft .NET Framework, solve installation and uninstallation errors
On a Windows PC where different software and games have been installed, different versions of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable should therefore be found in the list of installed programs.
Otherwise there may be errors in the execution of some programs, with the reporting of file not found such as VCRUNTIME140.dll, MSVCP110.dll or MSVCR110.dll, which are related precisely to Visual C ++.
Microsoft Visual C ++ is an integrated development environment that is used to create Windows applications in the programming languages C, C ++ and C ++ / CLI. The programming environment includes access to many shared code libraries that allow developers to use code already inside Windows instead of having to write them from scratch.
That shared code takes the form of dynamic link libraries ( DLLs ), a term we've already encountered in this blog about how to fix missing DLL errors or missing system files.
Usually, when you go to install a software, the Visual C ++ DLL files are included in the installation, while other times not and you need to download the various versions from Microsoft.
Microsoft Visual C ++ is available, in fact, in different versions, recognizable for the year of release and for the fact that they are for x86 (32 bit) and x64 (64 bit) processors.
The versions to be installed or already installed of Visual C ++ depend on the version of Windows that you are using.
On my Windows 10 PC, for example, there are even 15 versions of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable, starting from that of 2008, up to that of 2015, both x86 and x64.
This is because while on a 32-bit PC only 32-bit versions are to be installed, on 64-bit Winsows you must always install both the 32-bit and x64 versions of the Redistributable.
This is because 64-bit Windows can run both 64-bit and 32-bit programs.
From what I remember, on my PC none of the versions of Visual C ++ Redistributable present were installed by me manually, because they came together with some programs that required it.
In fact, when a developer develops a program in a specific version of Visual C ++, the code libraries for that version must be present on the system.
For example, if a developer has used Visual C ++ 2005 (or Visual Studio 2005) to create a program that is being installed, then Microsoft Visual C ++ 2005 Redistributable must be installed together with the program.
Usually this software package is included in the installation, but if you skip that step or it is not included, you need to download and install it manually.
Furthermore, it must be considered that Microsoft has never consolidated all the old versions into a unified package, therefore the latest Redistributable of 2017 does not include all the libraries of Redistributable 2015 which, if requested, will need to be installed the same.
In short, the versions present on the computer of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable must not be uninstalled and removed because they probably serve some program or game already installed or that will be used in the future.
In addition, these Visual C ++ Redistributable do not take up much space, about 15 or 20 MB of disk space for each.
In case of problems with the execution of a software, in the case of missing DLLs or errors related to Visual C ++, you can remove all the versions on the PC and reinstall them manually by downloading them from the Microsoft website .
Definitely to be removed are the double versions, that is, if there are two or more versions of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable 2008 x86, then the older ones can be uninstalled.
You can uninstall redistributables in the same way you uninstall any other program by going to Control Panel under Programs and Features .
Below, all the links to download the different versions of Microsoft Visual C ++ Redistributable for Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, in Italian .
I remember that on Windows 64 bit all are to be installed, while on Windows 32 bit only those x86 (see here how to understand which Windows version we have)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2005 Redistributable Package (no longer supported)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86) - (x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) - (x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2012 Update 4 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2013 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2015 Update 2 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
- Microsoft Visual C ++ 2017 32 bit and 64 bit
After installing the Microsoft Visual C ++ packages, you must also open Windows Update and check if there are updates, which will be automatically downloaded for each of the installed versions.
READ ALSO: Microsoft .NET Framework, solve installation and uninstallation errors
