C++ – bundle the Visual Studio 2015 C++ Redistributable DLL’s with the application

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I've built a C++ application using Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 Community Edition. I'm using Advanced Installer to make sure that the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 is a prerequisite.

However, the redistributable's installer isn't perfect. Some of my users have reported that the redistributable installer hangs, or it fails to install when it says it does, and then users get the "This program can't start because MSVCP140.dll is missing from your computer" error.

According to Microsoft, I can now package the redistributable DLLs along with my application, though they don't recommend it:

To deploy redistributable Visual C++ files, you can use the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages (VCRedist_x86.exe, VCRedist_x64.exe, or VCRedist_arm.exe) that are included in Visual Studio. … It's also possible to directly install redistributable Visual C++ DLLs in the application local folder, which is the folder that contains your executable application file. For servicing reasons, we do not recommend that you use this installation location.

There are 4 files in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\redist\x64\Microsoft.VC140.CRT. Does that mean I just need to copy them to my application's directory during the install process?

  • MyApp.exe
  • concrt140.dll
  • msvcp140.dll
  • vccorlib140.dll
  • vcruntime140.dll

Is this OK to do? Do I need to show a license? Why aren't more people doing this instead of requiring yet another preinstall of the redistributable?

Best Answer

There are 4 files in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\redist\x64\Microsoft.VC140.CRT. Does that mean I just need to copy them to my application's directory during the install process?

Yes, and the paragraph you quoted means just that.

Is this OK to do? Do I need to show a license? Why aren't more people doing this instead of requiring yet another preinstall of the redistributable?

Technically, that's OK to do. If you want to be pedantic about it, you may include a note in the readme or help/about to the effect that VC++ 2015 redistributables provided in "local deployment" mode as explicitly allowed by Microsoft's Deployment in Visual C++ (with more links to the file lists and licenses at Redistributing Visual C++ Files).

As to why more people don't do it, I'd guess that (among those who care at all):

  • for a single module app like MyApp.exe it's easier to build it with everything linked statically as to eliminate external dependencies to begin with;
  • not including those files saves 1+ MB from the distribution (presumably download) size;
  • running with private copies of the runtime ("local deployment") shifts the responsibility of updates to the maintainer, so that in case of a critical/security fix the package would have to be reissued timely - as opposed to "central deployment" where it would likely be delivered via Windows Update, with both the good and bad that may bring.
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