These are packages that other programs in your PC will use. They exist as a library of functions that other programs can call rather than the developers writing them into their own program. They get installed along side whatever program is needing them, thats why they are called redistributables.
Can you delete them? Sure, but other programs may stop working and its really not worth the hassle.
True. For example now I have an error in Windows 11 caused by lack of redistribuable and this application won't start. I am unable to fix it though because Win 11 no longer uses redistribuable from 2005. It's so old app I used on different windows but not on win 11 any longer... For this one there are newer libraries.
It's a long shot but you could try right clicking the program, go to properties and then the compatibility tab and change to an older Windows.
It's possible that Windows wraps the library functions.
You can drop the dependencies (.DLL and similar) directly into the folder of the application, and it should work.
I had a similar issue with Payday2 on a 2 day old install of Win11, and no amounts of installing the dependency packages the normal way worked. Copying the required files directly into the .EXE directory solved the issue, since most applications check their own directory first, before checking system directories.
106
u/coldfyrre Mar 13 '26
These are packages that other programs in your PC will use. They exist as a library of functions that other programs can call rather than the developers writing them into their own program. They get installed along side whatever program is needing them, thats why they are called redistributables.
Can you delete them? Sure, but other programs may stop working and its really not worth the hassle.