I'm somewhat confused about the many versions of Visual C++ runtimes and patches installed on my PC (Windows 7 x64). I know that many programs install Visual C++ runtime redistributable packages (vcredist), it all starts with FSX itself installing vcredist 2005. Then, for instance, the PMDG MD-11 installs another version, and the Windows Updates do the rest by installing patches for installed versions.The Microsoft download center offers all kinds of vcredist, from 2005 over 2005 SP1 to 2008, then 2008 SP1 to 2010. When I look at the installed programs window of my PC, it looks like if I have several different versions of vcredists installed. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I'm confused what to keep, and if I could uninstall one or the other, or if e.g. 2010 sums up all lower versions and is the only one I need.What I can imagine is that because of my x64 Windows, I'd need to set up both the redists for x86 and x64. I need to somehow re-install the VC++ runtimes because of the errors I sometimes get (just to make sure everything is in place) and need to know now what to do to have the right vcredist on my system.Any suggestions?

Maybe I'm wrong here, but I'm confused what to keep, and if I could uninstall one or the other, or if e.g. 2010 sums up all lower versions and is the only one I need.

No. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. It's Microsoft's "wonderful" system for allowing each program to still access what it needs without constraining the Microsoft developers to keeping things compatible. If you delete any of those bits yoyu've got installed, the program which wants them won't work any more. For example, FS9 needs VS2003 libraries, FSX needs 2005 libraries, and assorted other, later utilities may need 2008 or 2010.

What I can imagine is that because of my x64 Windows, I'd need to set up both the redists for x86 and x64. I need to somehow re-install the VC++ runtimes because of the errors I sometimes get (just to make sure everything is in place) and need to know now what to do to have the right vcredist on my system.

I wouldn't have thought you needed to reinstall any, but if you want to just reinstall the ones you have. They'll maybe repair themselves.RegardsPete

Yeah, Pete's right - a given program requires the version of the VC++ (or whatever other language/API) libraries that it was compiled with - that's where there's so many versions installed on a system that has a lot of programs... Don't uninstall any of the ones you have or programs will stop working. The different versions aren't like patches where the most recent one contains everything from the older ones. This is true even within the same base "product" - for example VS2008, VS2008 SP1, VS2008 SP1 ATL Security Update are all different sets of VS2008 runtimes - installing the latest one does not let you run all programs that need VS2008. The Microsoft download page is very confusing about this, I agree - I had to talk with several C++ programmers before I understood what was actually going on with the runtime packages.All the versions of these files work as part of something called the Windows Side by Side assembly - the files get stored in C:\Windows\winsxs - this is how it handles having a bunch of different versions of files that have the same name (aka "DLL Hell") Personally I hope they just make everything go in the individual application folder at some point - HD space is so cheap/huge now that it shouldn't matter if you duplicate certain small files like these in each app's folder.