Uninstalling Visual C++ redistributables - how?

Question

Cleaning up a PC, how do I uninstall/remove any MS Visual C++ re-distributable program files from a win7 system?

• what folder are they installed in?
• Is it just the uninstall option from the programs and features page? or
• are there entries in the registry that must also be removed?

??

Answer 1

Yes, I know that.

I've also found that re-distributables installed by Video Studio (VS) under win7 will not run (program starts, but hangs when screen displays needing the redistributables are called: task mgr needed to end it) when the whole installation is migrated to win 10.

Under a clean win10 installation, simply installing VS also installs the redistributables it wants to use with win10.  And VS normally allows many different versions to be installed on the same PC.  A clean install built from the ground up including several versions of VS - that works (commentary from many users on the application forum)

But a clean win10 install breaks some other essential elements of my software environment:  a migrated installation doesn't - apart from the re-distributables for VS.

So my plan for the 4th attempt at upgrade is to remove all the VS installs, and the re-distributables they use before attempting a migrated win10 upgrade again:  to retain all the working migrated items, and to effectively create for VS a clean slate as tho it was a clean install of win10.  And then install the VS versions I want.

This approach seems to be a much better method than the days of installs of every item of software I've got when a clean install of win10 is done.  But it's all dependent being able to remove every re-distributable on the machine, and any reference to them in the registry, before I start.

Thus, how to remove them???

As you don't know what Visual C++ Redistributable is to do with each program, you will have to uninstall everything.

You say clean install 10, then you say 4th attempt at upgrade.

Which is it?

If you want to use the programs in 10, as for whatever reason you seem to think they are not compatible, reinstall them.

Make older apps or programs compatible with Windows 10

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/15078/windows-10-make-older-apps-or-programs-compatible

Answer 2

...........Corel's video studio program...........

Lets start over ... 

What version of Corel's video studio .. Do you own?

Who told you that if Win10 become your disliked OS that you have a chance to return at Win 7, with out you investing first at buying additional hard drive and perform cloning of the Win 7 current installation ?

You seem blindly seeking to get Win10 Installed with out to consider the next day.

My advice forget the Win10 web installer.

Get Win10 Retail and test them in a new hard drive.

Do not touch or damage the HDD with the Win 7 OS.

Answer 3

Bill,

I Understand that I will have to uninstall all of them, and having done it once, it's tedious (see remarks about attempt 3 below).  I mentioned not regurgitating history, but here is a summary and may be it explains things a bit better;

I've established that the only software using redist is Corel's video studio program.

Video studio supports win10 and allows multiple installation.  There is a user forum whose administrators and members verify that multiple installations run correctly on that platform.  It's a result I am aiming for in a migration to windows10.

So, why uninstall the re-distribuatbles??

Various information pages say redistributables need to run under the version (of runtime) they were installed for.  And I found that out the hard way after I had migrated a win 7 installation to win10 (attempt 1):  5 versions of Corel's video Studio program all broke at the same place, in the middle of displaying the Share page: the program hung up doing that, and the only way out was kill using task manager.  Everything els

e worked.  I reverted to win 7 using recovery from backup file after 4 weeks of unsuccessful frustrating attempts to establish a cause (MS answers involved in that).

A clean install of win10 (attempt 2) installed the redistributables as part of new installs of VS - different ones shown in P&F - and the program ran correctly.  As part of the main program install, the security query about downloading them identified a probable cause of the migrated situation, and MS Answers confirmed that the runtime is part of the OS and different for each OS, and thus the opening statement above. But a clean install broke too many other essential items in the software environment, and I reverted to win 7 again.

Attempt 3 was a migrated install and this time after the migration I uninstalled the re-distributables (using the item you screenshotted) before doing anything else.  When I installed video studio again (version x10), it ran correctly.  Heartened, I installed version 2018 (the program allows multiple installations, but only one can run at any one time) and it also ran correctly.  But a check on the earlier x10 version showed it now broke at the same place as before: as tho the newest VS installation had captured the re-distributable required by the earlier version.  Something clearly carried over in the migration, even tho new redist were installed.  Reverted to win7 again.

So before my 4th attempt at migration, because of that prior "carry over result", my question is about whether the standard P&F uninstall is all that's needed to uninstall one of those programs.  The answer seems to be yes, but that doesn't explain the prior 'captured redist' result.  Maybe something else does???

Answer 4

Hi,

In order,

1.  I own all of them: X9 thru 2020 (5 versions)

2.  My system backup uses Acronis True Image, presently v2018, configured for whole partition or disk: takes about 40 minutes to do in max compressed form.  Getting the C: image of win7 back after win10 is "off the rails" is as simple as recovering the backup image using the Acronis True Image bootable recovery disk.  It works, takes about 10 minutes to restore, and has saved my **** many times.

3.  I am using a retail version of win10 home;  bought in USB form Nov 2019, from memory v1909, but also downloaded as an iso file from the MS site and burnt to disk for use.

The C: drive disk is an SSD, and the C drive OS programs and data are all that is on it:  as far as possible application programs and data are on the other 3 HDD.  I do have boot manager running, but have not configured it for dual boot: win 7 and win 10.  I use it to ensure I am able get an F8 safe mode start if I need it.  When a win10 upgrade happens, boot manager is also upgraded;  it displays win10 as the OS, rather than win7.