Introduction: What Is This File and Why Do You Need It? If you have ever installed a PC game from the late 2000s, a specialized engineering tool, or legacy business software on a 64-bit version of Windows, you have likely encountered a pop-up window asking for the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64) . Despite its long and intimidating name, this package is a critical piece of infrastructure for Windows.
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object $_.Name -like "*Visual C++ 2008*" While you can uninstall the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64) via Programs and Features , doing so is strongly discouraged unless you know exactly which applications depend on it. Introduction: What Is This File and Why Do You Need It
| File Name | Description | Typical Location (x64) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | msvcr90.dll | C Runtime Library | C:\Windows\System32 | | msvcp90.dll | C++ Standard Library | C:\Windows\System32 | | mfc90.dll | Microsoft Foundation Classes | C:\Windows\System32 | | mfcm90.dll | MFC Managed Code Support | C:\Windows\System32 | | atl90.dll | Active Template Library | C:\Windows\System32 | | VCOMP90.DLL | OpenMP Parallel Library | C:\Windows\System32 | Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object $_
By understanding what this package does, where to download it safely, and how to troubleshoot it, you can save hours of frustration. For most users, our recommendation is simple: Install both the x86 and x64 versions from official Microsoft links, then never think about them again. Let the legacy applications enjoy their ancient runtime; your modern Windows 10 or 11 system will run all the better for it. Let the legacy applications enjoy their ancient runtime;
vcredist_x64.exe /quiet /norestart To get a return code (0 for success, 1638 for already installed, 3010 for reboot required):
C:\Windows\System32\msvcr90.dll Right-click → Properties → Details tab. The file version should start with 9.0.30729.xxxx . Run:
