What is Visual C++ Redistributable
What is Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable?
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (MSVCR) is a package offered by Microsoft for programs developed using Visual Studio. It contains C and C++ runtime libraries and is essentially plug-and-play on the Windows platform. You need to download the required Visual C++ version number requested by the program and install it to start working. If the program built uses C or C++ libraries, then the corresponding Visual C++ package is required to run the program. The architecture of Visual C++ must match the application's target architecture.
Which Visual C++ Redistributable is needed?
There are multiple versions of Visual C++ available, and you can download and install specific versions according to your computer architecture. The packages are available for both 32-bit and 64-bit architecture. If you have an x64 (64-bit) operating system (OS), then you can install both x64 and x86 (32-bit) versions on your Windows platform. However, for x86 operating systems, you can only download and install x86 versions. Here is a list of all available versions for both x86 and x64 OS: Latest Supported MSVCR for Visual Studio.
Visual C++ Redistributable for Iron Products
IronPDF
What is IronPDF, and How Does it Relate to Visual C++?
IronPDF .NET Library is a .NET Library for PDF creation and manipulation. Applications can be developed using IronPDF in Visual Studio. IronPDF supports the latest .NET versions and goes back to standard 2.0 and standard core versions of the .NET Framework. If you are building apps for older operating systems, then a Visual C++ Redistributable package is a must.
IronPDF requires a Visual C++ Redistributable package on the target Windows platform for most of its operations. Tasks related to Chrome dependencies, or if you are not able to initialize IronPDF, IronInterop, or Pdfium objects all require Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package on the target machine. Another common exception raised is PlatformNotSupportedException. This means the registry is not supported on this particular platform. This rarely-seen issue can also be solved by installing the required Visual C++ redistributable package.
Applications developed using Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 require the latest version of the Visual C++ Redistributable package to run on the target machine. It is available for both x86 and x64 architecture machines.
IronPDF uses the Chromium Engine to convert HTML to PDF using IronPDF, which is fast, accurate, and reliable.
IronOCR
What is IronOCR, and How Does It Relate to Visual C++?
IronOCR Library is an Optical Character Recognition library used to extract text from images and PDFs. IronOCR also uses IronPDF capabilities to work with PDF documents. This means Visual C++ Redistributable packages are often required with IronOCR applications.
IronOCR applications are also built using Visual Studio, and a relevant Visual C++ package is required. Versions of Visual Studio versions before 2015 require a separate Visual C++ redistributable runtime package. For Visual Studio 2015 and above, the latest version MICROSOFT VISUAL C++ 2015 - 2022 RUNTIME is required to be installed.
For more troubleshooting guides on Visual C++ redistributable for IronOCR, visit the IronPDF Troubleshooting Guide.
Fixing Errors using Visual C++ Redistributable Packages
Programs built in Visual Studio using IronPDF or IronOCR require a Visual C++ redistributable package to be installed on the target machine where the application needs to be deployed.
Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, AND 2022
The latest version of the Visual C++ redistributable is built with the latest C++ features, along with performance improvements, security, and reliability. For applications created in Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022, the following Visual C++ 2015-2022 runtimes need to be installed according to the machine architecture:
- For the latest supported ARM64, click this link to download: ARM64 VC++ Redistributable
- For the latest x86, click this link to download: x86 VC++ Redistributable
- For the latest x64, click this link to download: x64 VC++ Redistributable
Visual Studio 2013 (VC++ 12.0)
For applications built in Visual Studio 2013, the following Visual Studio C++ redistributable package needs to be installed:
- For x86, version: 12.0.40664.0, link to download:
vcredist_x86.exe - For x64, version: 12.0.40664.0, link to download:
vcredist_x64.exe
To download updates and other versions, please visit: Update for Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable Package
Visual Studio 2012 (VC++ 11.0) UPDATE 4
For apps built in Visual Studio 2012, the following Visual Studio C++ redistributable package needs to be installed:
- For x86, version: 11.0.61030.0, link to download: Download for x86
- For x64, version: 11.0.61030.0, link to download: Download for x64
To download updates and other versions, please visit: Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2012 Update 4
Older Visual Studio Versions
The following versions are no longer supported:
- Visual Studio 2010 (VC++ 10.0) SP1
- Visual Studio 2008 (VC++ 9.0) SP1
- Visual Studio 2005 (VC++ 8.0) SP1
Adding Visual C++ Redistributable Package with IronPDF or IronOCR Application Installer for Target Machines
As a developer, you can add the required Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package with the application installer. This helps the user to run your program without needing to download any additional dependencies. The Visual C++ redistributable file can be packed with the app installer, such as MSI, if required. The list of Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable for Visual Studio is mentioned above in detail. You can choose the correct version to pack with your application installer.
How to manually install the Latest Version of Visual C++ Redistributable?
To install Visual C++ Redistributable, you just need to download the correct version number and install it using the setup file. The following steps will help you download and install the latest version of Visual C++ 2015-2022 runtime for applications built in Visual Studio 2022 using IronPDF or IronOCR:
Visit the Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable website to download the latest version. Here is the link: Download Latest MSVCR.
- Once the file is downloaded, navigate to the downloaded file location and double-click to open the file and install.
The setup will appear. Select the agreement option and click install to install the Visual C++ 2015-2022 version on your computer.
The installation will begin, and it should take a few seconds to complete.
Once the installation is completed, you need to restart the PC to use Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for your applications. Click restart, and you are ready to use the applications.
To verify the installation, open the control panel to check if Visual C++ redistributable 2015-2022 is added in programs. It will also show the existing current versions of Visual C++ redistributable that are already installed.
Summary
In this article, we learned what the Visual C++ Redistributable package is and how it is linked to different Iron products. These are Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) that are required at runtime for the proper working of an application. If you only intend to run applications built with Visual Studio, you can choose the appropriate version of Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable runtime to do so.
Now you can get a free trial of Iron Products like IronPDF and IronOCR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable?
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (MSVCR) is a package provided by Microsoft for programs developed using Visual Studio. It contains C and C++ runtime libraries required to run applications that use these libraries.
Which Visual C++ Redistributable is needed?
The specific version needed depends on the application's target architecture and the Visual Studio version used to build it. For 64-bit systems, both x64 and x86 versions can be installed, whereas for 32-bit systems, only x86 versions are applicable.
How does the use of certain .NET libraries relate to Visual C++ Redistributable?
Certain .NET libraries, such as those used for PDF creation and manipulation, require Visual C++ Redistributable on the target Windows platform for operations related to Chrome dependencies and initializing certain objects.
What is Optical Character Recognition and how does it relate to Visual C++?
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) libraries often require Visual C++ Redistributable packages because they may use capabilities of other libraries, such as PDF manipulation, that depend on these redistributables.
Why are Visual C++ Redistributable packages necessary for programs built in Visual Studio?
Programs built in Visual Studio often rely on C and C++ runtime libraries provided by Visual C++ Redistributable packages to function correctly on the target machine.
How can errors related to Visual C++ Redistributable be fixed?
Errors can often be resolved by ensuring the appropriate Visual C++ Redistributable package is installed on the target machine. This is crucial for applications built with Visual Studio using certain .NET libraries.
How can you manually install the latest version of Visual C++ Redistributable?
To install, download the correct version from the Microsoft website, run the setup file, agree to the terms, and follow the installation steps. A system restart is required to complete the installation.
Is it possible to include Visual C++ Redistributable in an application installer?
Yes, developers can include the necessary Visual C++ Redistributable package with the application installer to ensure the end-user does not need to download additional dependencies.
What Visual C++ Redistributable version is required for applications built in Visual Studio 2015 and later?
Applications built in Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 require the latest Visual C++ 2015-2022 runtime version to be installed on the target machine.
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