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Difference between VC++ Redistributable and Runtime package

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Saturday, April 19, 2014 7:36 PM

Is there a difference between this ?

I'm asking this because I want to programmatically check if VC++ 2010 Redistributable package is already installed. To do this I check the "Installed" value in this registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\VC\VCRedist\x86

But in the registry there is also a key called:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\VC\Runtimes\x86

Is this valid? Should I also check for "Runtimes" ?

All replies (4)

Monday, April 21, 2014 8:12 AM ✅Answered

Hi Chris.DB,

The Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package installs runtime components of Visual C++ Libraries required to run applications  developed with Visual C++ on a computer that does not have Visual C++  2010 installed. This package installs runtime components of C Runtime (CRT), Standard C++, ATL, MFC, OpenMP and MSDIA libraries.

>>I want to programmatically check if VC++ 2010 Redistributable package is already installed.

There are registry keys that can be used to detect the presence of the Visual C++ 2010 redistributable package.

Visual C++ 2010 redistributable package detection registry values

More Info:http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2010/05/05/10008146.aspx

Regards.

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Friday, April 25, 2014 8:18 AM ✅Answered

Hi Chris.DB,

I think they are not the same thing. The Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package installs runtime components of C Runtime (CRT), Standard C++, ATL, MFC, OpenMP and MSDIA libraries.

Regards.

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Monday, April 21, 2014 8:52 AM

Yes, I'm already checking the registry you mentioned to detect if Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable 10.0.30319 is installed.

But on my system there is also installed Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Runtime 10.0.30319 which created the following registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\VC\Runtimes\x86

I assume they are both the same thing, but they are named differently. Correct?

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 2:10 PM

Hi,
I have a old custom action that verifies [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\VC\VCRedist\x86] 
before trying to install the vcredist_x86. But now i'm seeing on several machines that this key no longer exists...
How could it be?