A: Microsoft released several security updates for the 2008 runtime (the latest being MSVC 2008 SP1 Update 11 – KB3072630). If you install the SP1 redistributable and then run Windows Update, you will get the patched versions. A fully updated copy is safe.
Cause: Antivirus software or Windows Defender is blocking the installer from writing DLLs to C:\Windows\System32.
Solution:
A: Yes, in most cases. 32-bit applications (including many older games and utilities) require the x86 version, while 64-bit applications require the x64 version. Install both.
To understand the package, one must first understand how software is built. Developers using Microsoft Visual Studio (in this case, the 2008 version) write code in C++. When they compile this code into an executable program, they often rely on standard libraries for common functions—such as mathematical calculations, string manipulations, or input/output operations. A: Microsoft released several security updates for the
Rather than building these standard functions directly into every single program (which would bloat file sizes), Microsoft offers them as Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs). The Visual C++ Redistributable Package is simply the installer that places these essential DLLs into the Windows system folder.
Without the specific version of the Redistributable that a program was built against, the program will fail to launch, often presenting users with cryptic error messages like "msvcp90.dll is missing" or "The application failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect." To uninstall silently: vcredist_x64
After installation, use one of these methods to confirm the package is active:
To install without user interaction:
vcredist_x64.exe /quiet /norestart
To uninstall silently:
vcredist_x64.exe /uninstall /quiet