Member Avatar for coachHinesfan

Hello everyone. I recently installed windows 7 Professional and I have moved my stuff( documents etc ). I tried to install Visual C++ 2005 Express edition but it has compatibility issues. I wanted to download Visual C++ 2008 Express edition. I just wanted to ask if anyone has installed it and if so, if it had some compatibility issues with Windows 7 that will take time to fix.
Thank You.

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Short answer: Visual C++ 2008 Express runs on Windows 7. For a smooth install, run the installer with Administrator rights, make sure the .NET framework prerequisites are present (Windows 7 includes .NET 3.5 but enable it if needed), and apply Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 and any Microsoft updates afterward. Newer free editions (later Express releases or the Community editions released after 2013) give better out-of-the-box support and include more modern toolchains if upgrading the IDE is an option.

Practical steps to try before retrying the VC++ 2008 install:

  • Right‑click the setup executable and choose "Run as administrator".
  • Temporarily disable antivirus/EMET-style protection during setup if the installer aborts.
  • Ensure Windows Update is up to date and enable .NET 3.5 (Control Panel -> Programs -> Turn Windows features on or off).
  • If a prior failed install exists, remove it from Programs and Features and clear leftover installer files from %TEMP% before retrying. After a successful base install, apply VS2008 SP1.

Important caveats Express editions: VC++ 2008 Express does not include MFC/ATL and typically lacks out-of-the-box 64‑bit compilers. To build x64 binaries you will need the appropriate Windows SDK (which supplies x64 compilers) or use a compiler suite that supports x64 (see next paragraph). If MFC/ATL is required, install a Professional edition or a later Visual Studio that includes those libraries.

Alternatives and a note on ’s suggestion: MinGW (or MinGW‑w64) supplies a native GCC toolchain and is lightweight; Cygwin gives a POSIX environment and different runtime behavior; NetBeans, Code::Blocks, or Visual Studio Code can be paired with those toolchains. Choose MinGW-w64 for native 64‑bit support, Cygwin when you need a Unix-like environment, and Visual Studio Express/Community or a full VS when you want integrated MSVC toolchains and IDE features. Check installer logs in %TEMP% if errors persist to identify the failing component.

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Member Avatar for Adamsappleone

Hello everyone. I recently installed windows 7 Professional and I have moved my stuff( documents etc ). I tried to install Visual C++ 2005 Express edition but it has compatibility issues. I wanted to download Visual C++ 2008 Express edition. I just wanted to ask if anyone has installed it and if so, if it had some compatibility issues with Windows 7 that will take time to fix.
Thank You.

You may get a better response by posting here;

http://www.daniweb.com/forums/forum8.html

Edited by Adamsappleone because: n/a
Member Avatar for coachHinesfan

Please check the c++ forum to post or check the thread.
Thank You.

Member Avatar for jbennet

You should be able to install MinGW or Cygwin just as under vista, and then use those toolchains with the Netbeans IDE and its C++ plugin.

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