I'm trying to free up space on my hard drive and I have a lot of these Microsoft Visual C++ backed up I'm wondering if it would be safe to delete all of them except the most recent or if it's safe to delete all of them. I'm not sure what they're even for. I'm intermediate when it comes to computers.
My Windows Version number is 20H2 and I'm running 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Actually, you want to keep those.
1. They are tiny
2. They allow software from all eras... to function properly.
3. Sooner or later, all of us need one or more of the older ones.
They've even made an all-in-one installer for them...
Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes All-in-One (Dec 2021) Download | TechPowerUp
Your list should look like this. An x86 and x64 for each year's version...
Any more than these, you can remove.
Pooter,
I agree with Ghot.
Your installed applications demanded them because they refer to them in use. As mere users, we do not have the information necessary to decide that an application no longer needs an older version [many do].
All the best,
Denis
These files are runtime support files installed and required by many applications. They can be shared by multiple applications thus saving disk space. There are other advantages as well.
In theory you should only need the most recent version but in the real world things aren't always that simple. There are potential compatibility issues with newer versions which the developer could not test for because they didn't exist yet. Compatibility problems can be very difficult to diagnose. For that reason applications sometimes require a specific version. If it does not exist the application will fail, even if there is a newer version on the system.
The x86 versions are required to support 32 bit applications which cannot use the x64 versions.
The disk space consumed by these files is trivial with modern disk sizes. If that is an issue you need to look elsewhere.
Abbodi keeps them updated in a smaller package 27MB vs 95MB and a silent installer.
It detects old/broken packages and uninstalls them. 2015/7/9 were replaced by 2022.
Releases . abbodi1406/vcredist . GitHub
Here's an even smaller one...
Download Visual C++ Runtime Installer (All-In-One) - MajorGeeks
From the page you linked:This is no longer developed. We recommend trying Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes AIO Repack
The above contributions from other forum members have already explained why you need to keep these, so I am not saying anything not already said, just slightly nuanced to help understanding, if it is even necessary.
So, I merely offer that when you install software on your computer, that particular software sometimes has a 'dependency' upon a certain C++ Redistributable (library) in order to run them at all. The C++ Redistributable that the software vendor installs creates the required 'environment' to achieve that. That means that deleting them, though not causing any harm to system, will prevent that software that you have installed from running.
The C++ coding system has developed through the issuance of many versions, each an improvement on the other. We are now on version 17, and we are all waiting with baited breath for version 20 to be released. But much software is written in earlier versions, some even very early on, hence all the different C++ Redistributable 'dependencies' that need to be present on most systems these days.
If software that you have acquired and installed on your system was written in an older version of C++, the developers need to decide whether the cost of labour required to tweak or even completely rewrite it is economical, even affordable. It is commonly thought to be the better option to simply include the supporting C++ redistributable with their software as part of a package so that it runs effectively.
Here's a tidy definition:
"The Visual C++ Redistributable is a DLL (Dynamic Link Library) file required by programs or games built using Microsoft's Visual Studio software development environment. When a program requires a DLL or some other supporting file to run, this is called a dependency."
I apologise for simply repeating what has already been said very well, but this is a good way of understanding the simplicity of why those programs have been placed on your system, and who placed them there, being the software vendor, not necessarily Microsoft. They do not form part of your operating system.
All the best.
Christophe
Last edited by CMArbres; 29 Jan 2022 at 06:40.
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