The relationship between the Visual C++ Redistributables package and the programs that rely on it is similar to the relationship between a car and the gasoline it needs to run: without the fuel, the car won’t go anywhere. Similarly, without the correct redistributable package, the program won’t run. The Visual C++ Redistributables package contains the Visual C++ runtimes that are necessary for programs written with Microsoft Visual C++ to run correctly. These components are installed when you install Visual Studio, but can also be downloaded separately. If you have an application that requires Visual C++ Redistributables, make sure to install the correct version to function properly. Microsoft Visual C++ is known for its excellent performance compared to other programming languages like Java. The runtimes are also optimized for speed and efficiency, and have garbage collection, and effective memory management, which helps apps run smoothly. But the performance of the app also depends on the efficiency of the actual application code. Sometimes, you may stumble across apps that may perform poorly due to inefficient code. You should keep this in mind if you are troubleshooting Visual C++ runtime issues. Microsoft has released several Visual C++ redistributables over the years. These include 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022. Each version supports applications created with a specific Visual Studio version. For example, applications created with Visual Studio 2010 require Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable. However, since Visual Studio 2015, all versions share the same package files. This means you only need to install a single redistributable to run programs built with Visual Studio 2022, 2019, 2017 and 2015.
Download Visual C++ Redistributables
What is Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable?
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable is a runtime library for running applications that Microsoft developers develop in Visual C++ language. VC++ Redistributable is just like Java Runtime Environment and .NET Framework. You need to install JRE to run programs developed in Java and .NET Framework to run apps. When you create certain apps or programs using Visual C++, the redistributable packages are installed automatically. Some developers pre-package the runtime libraries inside their software setups. Alternatively, you can download them manually. I am providing you with the links to download the redistributable packages below. If you use the same version of Microsoft Visual C++ to create multiple apps, then all the apps created with the same version of Microsoft Visual C++ need only one redistributable package.
When do you need the redistributable?
If you have any software or program that needs the Visual C++ Redistributable, then you must install it. Otherwise, there isn’t any use of the Microsoft VC++ Redistributable. These packages are not resource-intensive, so the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable won’t take up much space on your hard drive. Note: Visual Studio versions since Visual Studio 2015 share the same redistributable files. This means you only need to install a single redistributable to run programs built with Visual Studio 2022, 2019, 2017 and 2015.
Microsoft Visual C++ 2022 Redistributable
Applications created with Visual Studio 2022 require C++ runtime 2022. If you are prompted with a missing DLL when running an app or program, try installing Visual C++ 2022 from these direct download links: Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2022:
Windows 11 21H2 or higher (All editions) Windows 10 1909 or higher (Home, Professional, Education, Enterprise) Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2016
Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable
Applications created with Visual Studio 2019 (Version 16.0) require this redistributable library to be installed in the system. If you have Visual Studio 2019 installed on your system, the runtime library is also installed to run the programs. Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2019:
Windows 11 21H2 or higher Windows 10 1703 or higher (Home, Professional, Education, Enterprise (LTSC and S are not supported)) Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2016 Windows 8.1 (Core, Professional, and Enterprise) Windows Server 2012 R2 (Essentials, Standard, and Datacenter) Windows 7 SP (Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable
Applications created with Visual Studio 2017 (Version 15.0) require C++ runtime 2017. If you have an application that is giving an error about MSVCR150.dll or MSVCP150.dll missing, you should install this version of Visual C++ 2017 redistributable. Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2017:
Windows 11 21H2 or higher Windows 10 1507 or higher (Home, Professional, Education, Enterprise (LTSC and S are not supported)) Windows Server 2016 Windows 8.1 (Core, Professional, Enterprise) Windows Server 2012 R2 (Essentials, Standard, Datacenter) Windows 7 SP1 (Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable
Applications created with Visual Studio 2015 (Version 14.0) require C++ runtime 2015. If you have an application that is giving an error about MSVCR140.dll or MSVCP140.dll missing, you should install this version of Visual C++ 2015 redistributable. Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2015:
Windows 11 21H2 or higher Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows 8 Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or later Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable
Applications created with Visual Studio 2013 (Version 12.0) require C++ 2013 runtime. If you have an application that is giving an error about MSVCR120.dll or MSVCP120.dll missing, you should install this version of Visual C++ 2013 redistributable. Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2013:
Windows 11 21H2 or higher Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows 8 Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or later Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later
Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable
Applications created with Visual Studio 2012 (Version 11.0) require C++ runtime 2012. If you have an application that is giving an error about MSVCR110.dll or MSVCP110.dll missing, you should install this version of Visual C++ 2012 redistributable. Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2012:
Windows 11 21H2 or higher Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows 8 Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or later Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable
Applications created with Visual Studio 2010 (Version 10.0) require C++ runtime 2010. If you have an application that shows an error about MSVCR100.dll or MSVCP100.dll missing, you should install this version of Visual C++ 2010 redistributable. As of July 14, 2020, Visual Studio 2010 Service Pack 1 is no longer supported. Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2010:
Windows 11 21H2 or higher Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 8 Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM or later Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later (all editions)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable
Applications created with Visual Studio 2008 (Version 9.0) require C++ runtime 2008. If you have an application that shows an error about MSVCR90.dll or MSVCP90.dll missing, you should install this version of Visual C++ 2008 redistributable. As of April 10, 2018, Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 is no longer supported. Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2008:
Windows 11 21H2 and later Windows 10 Windows 8 Windows Server 2008 Windows XP Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows 7 Windows Vista
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
As of April 12, 2016, Microsoft no longer offers extended support for Visual Studio 2005. Here is a list of the supported operating systems for Visual C++ Redistributable 2005:
Windows 11 21H2 and later Windows 10 Windows 8 Windows Server 2008 Windows XP Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows 7 Windows Vista
All-in-One Visual C++ Installers
If you are not comfortable installing Visual C++ redistributables one by one and want to install all of them, you should try out all-in-one Visual C++ installers. Here we list the best ones:
Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes All-in-One
Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes All-in-One comes as a zip file with all versions of VC++ included and a simple batch file. Download it from the link below, unzip it to a folder and run install_all.bat. This will install all the redistributables from version 2005 to 2019. All the installs are silent and do not require user intervention. The script does not restart Windows by itself. You’ll need to restart the computer once the installation is done. Download Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes All-in-One
Visual C++ Runtime Installer (All-In-One) v56
Visual C++ Runtime Installer (All-In-One) is a single executable that includes all Visual C++ libraries built-in. Download Visual C++ Runtime Installer (All-in-One)
RuntimePack
RuntimePack solves the problem of figuring out which Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package you need as well as numerous DLL and OCX files that might be missing or not properly registered, causing Windows errors. RuntimePack is a single executable that will install all the VC++ runtimes on your computer. Download RuntimePack
Visual C++ Redistributable installation guide
Download and install any Visual C++ redistributable runtime library package that is easy. It’s like downloading the setup from below given the direct download links and then running the installer. Every installation step is self-explanatory. You can have multiple redistributable runtime packages installed on your computer.
Silent Installation
You can also install Visual C++ Redistributable in silent mode. The installer comes with a “/q” switch that can be used to run the VC++ installer in silent mode using the command line. There are two ways to run the installer with the “/q” switch. One is to create a shortcut of the downloaded setup file and append “/q /norestart” at the end of the target field in shortcut properties. The second way is to run the installer from the command line. Here is an example of how I ran the installer in quiet mode:
Uninstall the Visual C++ Packages
The Uninstallation of the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages is the same as you do with any other program. You can uninstall the packages from Programs and Features. To uninstall the package, follow the steps below: You may want to ask if it is OK to uninstall any Visual C++ package? My answer is simple; uninstall it if it is necessary. Otherwise, leave it, as multiple versions do not take up a lot of disk space and only provide additional functionality when needed.
Can’t Install Visual C++ Redistributable?
If you get the following error while running vc_redist.x64.exe or vc_redist.x86.exe, it means you already have an installation of VC++ pending on your computer. Please uninstall and proceed with the new installation. Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Setup Failed 0x80070666 To get past this error, follow the instructions below: Has this article answered all the questions you have about Microsoft Visual C++ redistributables? Now is it easy to download packages from one place? We would love to know your thoughts in the comments below :-) Price Currency: USD Operating System: Windows Application Category: Developer Tools
