Why Do We Still Have So Many Visual C++ Installed?

[Bad213Boy]

This has puzzled me for ever and never got around to ask. As far back as I can remember with Windows, many games and drivers used Microsoft Visual C++. Most older games use to offer you the choice of installing them. Lately games have been installing them without asking. Is this because it's needed for theft protection like DRM and Securom?

Also, why hasn't Microsoft no implemented these in the standard Windows Updates yet? It's so stupid. A lot of times when I have games installing them they end up causing more problems later down the line. A lot of times I get C++ Library errors when trying to uninstall something I don't need anymore. So I have uninstall all the C++ I have installed and reinstall them. On top of that, some of the C++ files get orphanated like the infamous msdia80.dll file left in on your C:\ drive. Why hasn't this been fixed if even today I'm still forced to install C++ 2005 & x86 & x64, C++ 2008 x86 & x64, C++ 2010 x86 & x64, and all their corresponding SP1 service packs. It's been like this forever and It's soooo freaking stupid.

Here's a link of what you have to install and how to fix the orphanated msdia80.dll file.
Ultimate FIX to msdia80.dll problem: VC++, x64 Windows Vista / Windows 7

What's the purpose of having programs and drivers install them when Microsoft should just include them in Windows Update? They didn't even fix how they're installed properly.

[[XC] Lead Head]

It's because a certain program requires exactly that specific version of DLL contained within the C++ redistributable. It improves compatibility; before if a new piece of software installed an updated version of a DLL over the old one, another program that was using an older version of that DLL would stop functioning.

The C++ Redist. method allows each program to utilize DLLs of the specific version it wants, without risk of something updating or messing with them.

[Bad213Boy]

Every once in awhile I still get these C++ Library errors. It's just a pain in the butt. I wish there was a better way of doing this. It should be layered so you still keep the old DLL instead of overwriting then. Something needs a smarter installing processes then. Being able to rename files on the go as you install them would be solve that problem wouldn't it?

When I already have a folder on my desktop named New Folder, then create another one with the same name it shows up as New folder (2). It should be done the same way. So obviously there is some code in Windows programing that does this automatically. This could then allow C++ to have 1 download and multiple updates. Which could all be done in Windows Update?

I don't know. I'm no programer so maybe I'm stretching. But it still seems like there should be a more standardized simpler download instead of several different ones. I'm sure it can be done, I just don't know how.

[[XC] Lead Head]

The problem is that the program that needs that file won't know its called DLL(2), it will be looking for DLL