Detect if Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2012 is installed
Try
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DevDiv\VC\Servicing\11.0
as a starting point. I will be using this as a check for installing the VC++ 11 (VS 2012) runtime.
It depends on what version you are using. These two 2012 keys have worked well for me with their corresponding versions to download for Update 4. Please be aware that some of these reg locations may be OS-dependent. I collected this info from a Windows 10 x64 box. I'm just going to go ahead and dump all of these redist versions and the reg keys I search for to detect installation.:
Visual C++ 2005
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable (x64)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\1af2a8da7e60d0b429d7e6453b3d0182
Configuration: x64
Version: 6.0.2900.2180
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/8/B/4/8B42259F-5D70-43F4-AC2E-4B208FD8D66A/vcredist_x64.EXE
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable (x86)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\c1c4f01781cc94c4c8fb1542c0981a2a
Configuration: x86
Version: 6.0.2900.2180
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/8/B/4/8B42259F-5D70-43F4-AC2E-4B208FD8D66A/vcredist_x86.EXE
Visual C++ 2008
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x64 9.0.30729.6161 (SP1)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\67D6ECF5CD5FBA732B8B22BAC8DE1B4D
Configuration: x64
Version: 9.0.30729.6161 (Actual $Version data in registry: 0x9007809 [DWORD])
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/2/d/6/2d61c766-107b-409d-8fba-c39e61ca08e8/vcredist_x64.exe
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x86 9.0.30729.6161 (SP1)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\6E815EB96CCE9A53884E7857C57002F0
Configuration: x86
Version: 9.0.30729.6161 (Actual $Version data in registry: 0x9007809 [DWORD])
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/d/d/9/dd9a82d0-52ef-40db-8dab-795376989c03/vcredist_x86.exe
Visual C++ 2010
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable (x64)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\1926E8D15D0BCE53481466615F760A7F
Configuration: x64
Version: 10.0.40219.325
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/5/165255E7-1014-4D0A-B094-B6A430A6BFFC/vcredist_x64.exe
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable (x86)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\1D5E3C0FEDA1E123187686FED06E995A
Configuration: x86
Version: 10.0.40219.325
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/5/165255E7-1014-4D0A-B094-B6A430A6BFFC/vcredist_x86.exe
Visual C++ 2012
Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable (x64)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Dependencies\{ca67548a-5ebe-413a-b50c-4b9ceb6d66c6}
Configuration: x64
Version: 11.0.61030.0
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/B/16B06F60-3B20-4FF2-B699-5E9B7962F9AE/VSU_4/vcredist_x64.exe
Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable (x86)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Dependencies\{33d1fd90-4274-48a1-9bc1-97e33d9c2d6f}
Configuration: x86
Version: 11.0.61030.0
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/B/16B06F60-3B20-4FF2-B699-5E9B7962F9AE/VSU_4/vcredist_x86.exe
version caveat: Per user Wai Ha Lee's findings, "...the binaries that come with VC++ 2012 update 4 (11.0.61030.0) have version 11.0.60610.1 for the ATL and MFC binaries, and 11.0.51106.1 for everything else, e.g. msvcp110.dll and msvcr110.dll..."
Additional Caveat -- 2012 Update 4: Per user Krptodr
VC++ 2012 Update 4 (x86) shows under GUID {95716cce-fc71-413f-8ad5-56c2892d4b3a}
VC++ 2012 Update 4 (x64) shows under GUID {a1909659-0a08-4554-8af1-2175904903a1}
^^ The GUID's provided are for the installer package. However, these branch off into two other GUID's respective of their arch type. For further information please see the following source How to check if the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime is installed
Visual C++ 2013
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x64)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Dependencies\{042d26ef-3dbe-4c25-95d3-4c1b11b235a7}
Configuration: x64
Version: 12.0.40664.0
Direct Download URL: https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/10912041/cee5d6bca2ddbcd039da727bf4acb48a/vcredist_x64.exe
Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86)
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Dependencies\{f65db027-aff3-4070-886a-0d87064aabb1}
Configuration: x86
Version: 12.0.30501.0
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/2/E/6/2E61CFA4-993B-4DD4-91DA-3737CD5CD6E3/vcredist_x86.exe
Visual C++ 2015
Consider using the 2015-2019 bundle as an alternative
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x64) - 14.0.24215
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Dependencies\{d992c12e-cab2-426f-bde3-fb8c53950b0d}
Configuration: x64
Version: 14.0.24215.1
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/6/A/A/6AA4EDFF-645B-48C5-81CC-ED5963AEAD48/vc_redist.x64.exe
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x86) - 14.0.24215
Registry Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Dependencies\{e2803110-78b3-4664-a479-3611a381656a}
Configuration: x86
Version: 14.0.24215.1
Direct Download URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/6/A/A/6AA4EDFF-645B-48C5-81CC-ED5963AEAD48/vc_redist.x86.exe
Visual C++ 2017
Consider using the 2015-2019 bundle as an alternative
Caveat: There's either a new 2017 registry convention being used, or it hasn't been finalized, yet. As I'm guessing the upper-most keys of:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Dependencies\,,amd64,14.0,bundle]
and
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Dependencies\,,x86,14.0,bundle]
are subject to change, or at least have different nested GUIDs, I'm going to use list the key that ends with a GUID.
Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x64) - 14.16.27012
Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Dependencies\VC,redist.x64,amd64,14.16,bundle\Dependents\{427ada59-85e7-4bc8-b8d5-ebf59db60423}]
Configuration: x64
Version: 14.16.27012.6
Direct Download URL: https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/9fbed7c7-7012-4cc0-a0a3-a541f51981b5/e7eec15278b4473e26d7e32cef53a34c/vc_redist.x64.exe
Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x86) - 14.16.27012
Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Dependencies\VC,redist.x86,x86,14.16,bundle\Dependents\{67f67547-9693-4937-aa13-56e296bd40f6}]
Configuration: x86
Version: 14.16.27012.6
Direct Download URL: https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/d0b808a8-aa78-4250-8e54-49b8c23f7328/9c5e6532055786367ee61aafb3313c95/vc_redist.x86.exe
Visual C++ 2019 (2015-2019 bundle)
Caveat: There's another new registry convention being used for Visual C++ 2019. There also doesn't appear to be a standalone installer for Visual C++ 2019, only this bundle installer that is Visual C++ 2015 through 2019.
14.21.27702
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x64) - 14.21.27702
Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Dependencies\VC,redist.x64,amd64,14.21,bundle\Dependents\{f4220b74-9edd-4ded-bc8b-0342c1e164d8}]
Configuration: x64
Version: 14.21.27702
Direct Download URL: https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/9e04d214-5a9d-4515-9960-3d71398d98c3/1e1e62ab57bbb4bf5199e8ce88f040be/vc_redist.x64.exe
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x86) - 14.21.27702
Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Dependencies\VC,redist.x86,x86,14.21,bundle\Dependents\{49697869-be8e-427d-81a0-c334d1d14950}]
Configuration: x86
Version: 14.21.27702
Direct Download URL: https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/c8edbb87-c7ec-4500-a461-71e8912d25e9/99ba493d660597490cbb8b3211d2cae4/vc_redist.x86.exe
14.22.27821
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x86) - 14.22.27821
Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Dependencies\VC,redist.x86,x86,14.22,bundle\Dependents\{5bfc1380-fd35-4b85-9715-7351535d077e}]
Configuration: x86
Version: 14.22.27821
Direct Download URL: https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/0c1cfec3-e028-4996-8bb7-0c751ba41e32/1abed1573f36075bfdfc538a2af00d37/vc_redist.x86.exe
Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x86) - 14.22.27821
Registry Key: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Dependencies\VC,redist.x64,amd64,14.22,bundle\Dependents\{6361b579-2795-4886-b2a8-53d5239b6452}]
Configuration: x64
Version: 14.22.27821
Direct Download URL: https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/cc0046d4-e7b4-45a1-bd46-b1c079191224/9c4042a4c2e6d1f661f4c58cf4d129e9/vc_redist.x64.exe
Changelog:
October 26th, 2021 -- Updated to further clarify findings on October 21st.
October 21st, 2021 -- Added additional caveat details for VC++2012 Update 4 (x86) and (x64) GUID's per Krptodr's findings.
August 19th, 2019 -- Added a new version of 2015-2019 bundle version
June 13th, 2019 -- Added a new section for the 2015-2019 bundle version 14.21.27702 and added small notes to the 2015 and 2017 sections about considering the usage of the new bundle as an alternative.
December 14th, 2018 -- Updated MSVC2008 for Service Pack 1's 9.0.30729.6161 update per Jim Wolff's findings
November 27th, 2018 -- Updated info for MSVC2017 v. 14.16
September 12th, 2018 -- Added version caveat to 2012 Update 4 per Wai Ha Lee's findings
August 24th, 2018 -- Updated 2017's version for 14.15.26706, the updated Visual C++ dependencies packaged with VS 2017 15.8.1
May 16th, 2018 -- Updated 2017's version for 14.14.26405.0 as the new C++ 2017 entry
September 8th, 2017 -- Updated 2017's version for 14.11.25325.0 as the new Visual C++ 2017 entry
April 7th, 2017 -- Updated 2017's version of 14.10.25008.0 as the new Visual C++ 2017 entry
October 24th, 2016 -- Updated 2015's version info for 14.0.24215.1
August 18th, 2016 -- Updated 2015's version info for 14.0.24212
May 27th, 2016 -- Updated info for MSVC2015 Update 2
You can check for the Installed value to be 1 in this registry location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\VC\Runtimes\x86 on 64-bit systems. In code that would result in accessing registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\VC\Runtimes\x86. Notice the absence of Wow6432Node.
On a 32-bit system the registry is the same without Wow6432Node: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\VC\Runtimes\x86
There is no installcheck element in the bootstrapper package manifest shipped with Visual C++. Guess Microsoft wants to always install if you set it as a prerequisite.
Of course you can still call MsiQueryProductState to check if the VC redist package is installed via MSI, The package code can be found by running
wmic product get
at command line, or if you are already at wmic:root\cli, run
product where "Caption like '%C++ 2012%'"