[SOLVED] delete Microsoft Visual C++ Redistibutable files

[kep55]

I was trying to clean out programs I don't use. I found 16 copies of the microsoft visual c++ redistributable on my machine. They range from 2005 (x64 thru multiple versions of 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015. Are all of these files necessary?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

you could just keep a single version of each, but it's really not necessary.
any future game or application that needed them should also provide them again.
plus they are very small downloads if ever needing to find them yourself again.

those, any DirectX install files, and anything in a "Redist" folder can usually be removed with no problem.
maybe just make sure they are installed before deleting them.

 

[hotaru.hino]

I was trying to clean out programs I don't use. I found 16 copies of the microsoft visual c++ redistributable on my machine. They range from 2005 (x64 thru multiple versions of 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015. Are all of these files necessary?

It's best to leave it alone. Some apps require a specific version and unless you know which app uses which version, said apps will break. They may be nice and tell you which version they want if they break, but that's about it.

 

[kep55]

Thank you hotaru.hino. Must be a microsoft thing to not tell the user why something doesn't work.

 

[hotaru.hino]

Thank you hotaru.hino. Must be a microsoft thing to not tell the user why something doesn't work.

This is a problem with the app developer, not Microsoft.