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I just download the latest supported x64 VC++ redistributable from Latest supported redistributable version and upon examining the properties it appears that instead of the redistributable for 2017-2026 the downloaded file was for 2015-2022.
Same issue the the downloaded x86 redistributable.
What's going on here?
A high-level, general-purpose programming language, created as an extension of the C programming language, that has object-oriented, generic, and functional features in addition to facilities for low-level memory manipulation.
Those included in Visual Studio 2026 seem to be the same. And those in Visual Studio 2022 are older. (According to “File version”).
And yet the documentation refers to "Latest supported v14 (for Visual Studio 2017–2026)". If I remember correctly there were previous versions that did have the 2017-2026 description in the file's properties which is why I find this business confusing.
After the latest update, it seems that VC_redist.x64.exe has been fixed.
Deleting the descriptive string from the redistributables instead of correcting it was certainly one way to address the issue. I suppose it has the advantage of ensuring that they won't make that same mistake again. :)
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Thank you for raising this, the confusion you are seeing is understandable.
The download you are getting is actually correct and up to date. The reason it looks inconsistent is because of how the Visual C++ redistributable works now.
Starting from Visual Studio 2015, all versions (2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2026) use the same shared runtime (called v14). This means there is only one redistributable that keeps getting updated, instead of separate ones for each Visual Studio version.
Because of this, the documentation says “for Visual Studio 2017–2026”, which is describing which Visual Studio versions are supported by that runtime, not the actual name of the package.
The reason you still see “2015–2022” in the file properties is just because the internal name/description has not been updated consistently. It is a legacy label and does not reflect the full support range anymore.
The important part is the version number. In your screenshot it is 14.51.x, which confirms this is the latest runtime and newer than what shipped with older Visual Studio versions.
So in simple terms, nothing is wrong here:
If you rely on the version number rather than the name, it will match what the documentation refers to as the latest supported redistributable.
Please let us know if you require any further assistance, we’re happy to help. If you found this information useful, kindly mark this as "Accept Answer". So that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.
The text “2015–2022” in properties is outdated and can be ignored
Thank you for your response.
I am familiar with the fact that binary compatibility for the VC++ runtime was implemented some time ago.
This misleading text in the redistributables' file properties should be corrected to reflect the correct versions (i.e., 2026 instead of 2022). Whether or not 2015 or 2017 is referenced seems to be subject to Microsoft's willingness to refer to VC++ versions that are currently out of support.
Thank you for your feedback, that makes sense and I understand your concern about the naming being unclear compared to the documentation. As mentioned earlier, the redistributable itself is correct and the version number confirms it is the latest and supports Visual Studio 2015 through 2026.
We will now proceed with closure of the thread. If you encounter any further issues, please feel free to raise a new thread.
For what its worth, I posted this issue to developer community at https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/t/Visual-C-Redistributable-metadata-stil/11101322