Document ID: MSVC-REDIST-2019-X64
Version: 1.0
Date: April 24, 2026
To put it simply, the Visual C++ Redistributable is a set of runtime library files required by programs built with Microsoft’s Visual C++ development tool. When a developer writes a program in C++, they often rely on standard libraries (chunks of pre-written code) to handle basic functions. Instead of embedding a copy of these libraries into every single program (which would waste storage space), they design the program to call upon the system’s shared Redistributable packages.
The 2015-2019 (and later 2022) versions are particularly significant because Microsoft unified the runtime. Previously, Visual C++ 2013, 2012, 2010, and 2008 were all separate. From 2015 onward, Microsoft made the binaries binary-compatible. This means the 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 redistributables all use the same runtime DLLs (like vcruntime140.dll and ucrtbase.dll).
Once you have downloaded the executable, follow these steps precisely.
As of 2026, the 2015–2019 redistributable is no longer receiving updates. Microsoft maintains the 2015–2022 redistributable (v14.30+) as the unified package. Developers targeting modern Windows should:
The transition is seamless: apps compiled with VS 2015–2019 will run on the newer redistributable without recompilation.