SideBySide errors in the event log due to missing Visual C++ components

[Bill in Co]

Prologue:

It seems some of the newer apps like to use their own customized DLL
versions of some of the standard windows DLLs, and can do so by using
SideBySide if the newer Visual C++ libraries are already installed. (As I
understand it, "SideBySide" was designed to support this in an attempt to
reduce "DLL Hell" for some applications needing their own customized DLL
versions).

After installing a couple of newer apps, I started getting these SideBySide
errors in the event log (due to missing VC90 components), so I installed a
newer version of the Visual C++ redistributable (Visual C++ 2008 in my
case), and that solved the error messages in the event log (this might
benefit someone else noting the same issue!).

However, I don't quite understand something. After installing the updated
VC++ redistributable the event log issue is resolved.

But don't the newer apps have to be reinstalled again to take advantage of
the newer DLL libraries, so that now the newer customized program DLL's can
now be installed? Or maybe they already were previously added, but were
just not usable, perhaps to the WinSxS subdirectory. ??

 

[Allan]

"Bill in Co" <surly_curmudgeon@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:XpudnYouEICxcxrRnZ2dnUVZ_hOdnZ2d@earthlink.com...
> Prologue:
>
> It seems some of the newer apps like to use their own customized DLL
> versions of some of the standard windows DLLs, and can do so by using
> SideBySide if the newer Visual C++ libraries are already installed. (As
> I understand it, "SideBySide" was designed to support this in an attempt
> to reduce "DLL Hell" for some applications needing their own customized
> DLL versions).
>
> After installing a couple of newer apps, I started getting these
> SideBySide errors in the event log (due to missing VC90 components), so I
> installed a newer version of the Visual C++ redistributable (Visual C++
> 2008 in my case), and that solved the error messages in the event log
> (this might benefit someone else noting the same issue!).
>
> However, I don't quite understand something. After installing the updated
> VC++ redistributable the event log issue is resolved.
>
> But don't the newer apps have to be reinstalled again to take advantage of
> the newer DLL libraries, so that now the newer customized program DLL's
> can now be installed? Or maybe they already were previously added, but
> were just not usable, perhaps to the WinSxS subdirectory. ??
No, the newer programs are only looking for the Visual C++ runtime libraries
in the SxS folder at the time when they are run; they were built that way on
purpose to load the library *dynamically*. The Side-by-Side assemblies
include a manifest file associated with the library which acts as a helper
for the calling application program.

 

[Bill in Co]

Allan wrote:
> "Bill in Co" <surly_curmudgeon@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:XpudnYouEICxcxrRnZ2dnUVZ_hOdnZ2d@earthlink.com...
>> Prologue:
>>
>> It seems some of the newer apps like to use their own customized DLL
>> versions of some of the standard windows DLLs, and can do so by using
>> SideBySide if the newer Visual C++ libraries are already installed. (As
>> I understand it, "SideBySide" was designed to support this in an attempt
>> to reduce "DLL Hell" for some applications needing their own customized
>> DLL versions).
>>
>> After installing a couple of newer apps, I started getting these
>> SideBySide errors in the event log (due to missing VC90 components), so I
>> installed a newer version of the Visual C++ redistributable (Visual C++
>> 2008 in my case), and that solved the error messages in the event log
>> (this might benefit someone else noting the same issue!).
>>
>> However, I don't quite understand something. After installing the
>> updated
>> VC++ redistributable the event log issue is resolved.
>>
>> But don't the newer apps have to be reinstalled again to take advantage
>> of
>> the newer DLL libraries, so that now the newer customized program DLL's
>> can now be installed? Or maybe they already were previously added, but
>> were just not usable, perhaps to the WinSxS subdirectory. ??
>
> No, the newer programs are only looking for the Visual C++ runtime
> libraries
> in the SxS folder at the time when they are run; they were built that way
> on
> purpose to load the library *dynamically*. The Side-by-Side assemblies
> include a manifest file associated with the library which acts as a helper
> for the calling application program.

TNX for responding, Allan. I guess I still don't understand something.
What specifically would they need that would not be present if only the
older version of the C++ runtime libraries had been installed?

For example, I thought there were just some common Microsoft DLLs (like
perhaps a CRT dll, or whatever), that might have been revised and enhanced
to allow for more features IF (perhaps) some new function call parameters
were made to them, or something like that. Is that basically it? (I have a
limited programming background)