The primary purpose of this package is to provide the necessary DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries) and other components that applications built with Visual C++ 2008 need to run properly. These components include the C Runtime Library, the C++ Standard Library, and ATL (Active Template Library) among others.

Go back to the Microsoft Download Center and grab the vcredist_x86.exe file. Many 32-bit applications still run perfectly fine on 64-bit versions of Windows, but they require the x86 Visual C++ packages to do so. Installing both versions side-by-side will not harm your computer.

Even if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, you may still need to install the version of the Visual C++ 2008 SP1 redistributable alongside the 64-bit (x64) version.

Go to . Look for any existing entries labeled "Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable (x64)". Right-click them, select Uninstall , restart your machine, and try the installation again. Clear Temporary Files

Accept the license terms and click ; a restart may be required after the process finishes.

Install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package

: You see "The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect".

For these commands to work, you must provide the to the executable. You cannot just type vcredist_x64.exe /q from a different directory; you must specify the full path. For example: c:\vc2008redist\vcredist_x64.exe /q

⚠️ Executable files with odd, concatenated names from third-party sites can contain malware. Instead, always get the official redistributable from Microsoft.

Before executing any downloaded file, verify its authenticity: Right-click the downloaded .exe file. Select . Navigate to the Digital Signatures tab. Ensure the name of the signer is Microsoft Corporation .

While originally released years ago, security updates (such as KB2538243) were published as recently as 2024 to address MFC application vulnerabilities related to DLL planting. Official Download Sources

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