How many versions of C++ does a pc need anyway?

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  1. Posts : 6
    Windows 10 Home
       #1

    How many versions of C++ does a pc need anyway?


    While looking for programs I could delete and free up some space on my drive I noticed that there a LOT of Microsoft Visual C++ versions installed and since I didn't install them I assume they were needed by the OS and automatically downloaded and installed. There are 4 different C++ 2005's, 4 C++ 2008's and 4 2010 C++ separately listed versions of C++ - do I really need ALL of these and can any be safely uninstalled to free up space on my hard drive? If it's a case of Windows update installing newer versions why weren't the others deleted ?
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  2. Posts : 56,808
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #2

    I have several, also. Some programs/apps will install the needed level when their program is installed. They might need a lower level or higher to be compatible and run properly. They really are quite small, so I would not look to deleting them to save space. May cause issues not worth the very small space gained. Just IMO.....

    How many versions of C++ does a pc need anyway?-2019-03-15_13h53_29.png
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  3. Posts : 31,480
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #3

    I once thought I'd 'tidy up' my PC, I (mistakenly) though surely you only need the latest VC++?

    Half my older apps stopped working, so I had to put them back . Note that 32-bit apps require the x86 version, while 64-bit apps need x64.

    How many versions of C++ does a pc need anyway?-image.png

    At around 100MB in total it's hardly worth bothering about.
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  4. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #4

    That’s not Visual C++, It’s The Visual C++ Redistributable components that are required for apps written in Visual C++ to work.

    Yes, you need all of them because each version has different code.
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  5. Posts : 3,453
       #5

    LOL.. yup it looks a lot worse than it is... the thing is each app (written in MVC) targets a run-time at compilation.. the components within these run-times gets updated over time (and released as supersedes) and the deprecated stuff left behind...

    Thus... the .Net framework is so huge - it contains an inordinate amount of deprecated stuff to support older apps.

    The problem is that an uninstaller cannot know which apps (other than it) share the run-time and will leave it behind resulting in this confusion )
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  6. Posts : 349
    Windows 10
       #6

    Many PC manufacturers seem to preinstall old versions even when no preinstalled apps need them.
    Last edited by Ground Sloth; 15 Mar 2019 at 16:19.
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  7. Posts : 5,478
    2004
       #7

    I install the lot from 2002 to 2017 as a matter of course from here repack-visual-c-redistributable-runtimes-2019-02-27.76588/

    Saves investigating messages about MSCVR110.dll or whatever being missing and having to guess which version.

    The same program may require both x64 and x86 and while you can analyse the issue to find out what version of VS the developers were using when they compiled their program it is really boring to do so. Normally it is quicker to just install them at random until it starts working.

    May as well install the whole lot for the sake of 30MB (yes) total disk space.

    The only clutter really is on the installed programs list - if they made it a cumulative package or part of the OS no-one would either notice or complain.
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  8. Posts : 6
    Windows 10 Home
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Thanks to all who responded, to sum up, certain apps may need older versions and they don't amount to much in terms of regaining disk space if uninstalled, so leave it alone.
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  9. Posts : 56,808
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #9

    Pelagicide said:
    Thanks to all who responded, to sum up, certain apps may need older versions and they don't amount to much in terms of regaining disk space if uninstalled, so leave it alone.
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 1,680
    X
       #10

    f14tomcat is right. The (very) small space cleared by deleting these is trivial.
    These days I wouldn't clean anything unless there were multiple GBs to be saved.
      My Computer


 

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