Many developers use Microsoft Visual Studio to write their programs. Rather than including the massive code required to run basic functions (like printing text or opening files) inside every single app, they rely on these standard packages to already be installed on your system.
| Aspect | Specification | |--------|----------------| | | Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Server 2012, Server 2012 R2, Server 2016, Server 2019, Server 2022 | | Architectures | x86, x64, and ARM (for Windows RT/Phone) | | Installation Type | Standalone executable (vcredist_x86.exe, vcredist_x64.exe, vcredist_arm.exe) | | Deployment Methods | Included in application installers (MSI, EXE), SCCM, Group Policy, manual execution | | Reboot Requirement | Typically not required unless a file is in use by a running process | microsoft visual c redistributable 2013