multiple copyies of MS visual c++--necessary?

[mysts]

We have a pc running windows xp sp3 that has several copies of the MS c++ redistributable program. Is it necessary to keep them all or can we delete some of them?

[deadrats]

We have a pc running windows xp sp3 that has several copies of the MS c++ redistributable program. Is it necessary to keep them all or can we delete some of them?

the visual c++ entries you see are run time libraries needed by the program that installed them, i.e. they are dependencies that are required for the app to work properly. just because they are all listed as ms c++ redistributable doesn't mean that are all the same library.

on a related note, i personally consider it an extremely half assed way pf programming when an app requires the visual c++ run time libraries to be installed in order for the app to work; the programmer should either statically link all the required libraries so they are part of the executable or just include the required dll's with his app.

[El Heggunte]

SFAIK, there are three "well-known" Visual C++ Redistributable Packages:

VS 2005 ( and its respective "service pack" )

VS 2008 ( and a recommended "security patch" )

VS 2010

And all of them are named... * vcredist.exe *.

Lack of imagination, or just intellectual lazyness ?

I'd rather see a single, regularly-updatable,
compressed, and 100% backward-compatible, MSVCRT.DLL.

I know, I keep dreaming.

[Ai Haibara]

What about a version of .NET that isn't more or less completely incompatible with every version that preceeded it?