Why games requesting to download Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime for?

[-$ilver-]

Only a handful of games ever asked to download something extra. What are the dangers of downloading the extras? Why are these not already included in the games in the first place? Or why are they needed when the vast majority do not ask for such a request? Thank you.

[-$ilver-]

Ursprungligen skrivet av fluxtorrent:

probably wasn't direct draw, or at least not the one I was refering to it hasn't been used since... well, dos and windows 3.1 heh. It was the predecessor to directx


no problem, its what us old people are for lol

Sorry to bother you again, but I have another question.

Expendables needs DirectPlay to work. The pop up window has the Windows Shield and says "Install this feature" and I believe I can click on it. Is it the official DirectPlay or I need to find the official website myself just to be safe? I am not used to apps on PCs, so not sure if it will just give me a web search for the website, download officially from Microsoft or randomly some third party site. Thank you.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

There no dangers, the reason why some has but others don't is depending on game Dev how they made their game, most don't lock their game to use only old drivers, just rarely some do where it needed said version for running correctly, or at all, and games that ask to install driver despite having it already just something that may not matter if you click install, or not if already got driver installed from the start.

If Microsoft just included the drivers from the get go with OS, there wouldn't be need for these pop up as you have the driver already when installed the OS. So can see why this long history why you see pop up asking for driver install.

[laurengiarratana666]

How do you download it

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Ursprungligen skrivet av laurengiarratana666:

How do you download it

Games would come with the drivers needed via Steam, when downloaded the game.

Steam > steamapps > common > Steamworks Shared > _CommonRedist

For DirectX you only need to run DXSETUP.exe, and install.

For DotNet you want to install 3.5 > dotnetfx35.exe & 4.8 > ndp48-web.exe

For vcredist you want to install 2005 ~ 2022, both version for each x86 & x64 you will get confuse for this, you want to do it for 2005 ~ 2013 & 2022 as the 2022 version is a combine of 2015 ~ 2022 same drivers.



Some games may need XNA, and may see it appear for game that need it, you want to install 4.0 > xnafx40_redist.msi

Few REALLY OLD games uses OpenAL this is a sound driver you want to install 2.0.7.0 > oalinst.exe, you run it, and press ok, and it installed pretty easy.

All the drivers I listed are from Steam server that comes with your games when you download said game that need them.


For Nvidia PhysX you have to get that from Nvidia website, some games uses it.