What Is the VC_Red File on Windows and Should You Delete It?

Today, we are talking about the file – VC_Red. Let’s see the case that users have met.

I just found a program named VC_RED in of the folders of my computer local C: drive. Can you guys let me explain what is that file? Is it by chance a virus? Any help is highly appreciated, as I am sure that the file wasn’t there a few days ago.

VC_Red

What is VC_Red? The VC_RED.MSI (Windows installer) and VC_RED.CAB (cabinet) files are part of the redistributable package of Visual C++ 2008 that has been installed on the computer.

The Visual C++ software package is installed on your computer as part of the installation process of another software that has known VC++ dependencies to run. The VC_Red file itself does not pose a known security threat to computer security.

Should You Delete VC_Red

Technically, you can delete the VC_Red file in the uncompressed Visual C++ distribution directory. However, it only takes up little disk space, and it will not introduce any known vulnerabilities in the Windows system, it’s recommended to keep the files in your computer instead of manually deleting them.

How to Fix the VC_Red Issue

When you run the vc-red.msi file, you may receive some error messages, such as – vc_red.msi is not a valid installation package, vc_red.msi could not be found. Most MSI errors are caused by missing or damaged files. Now, let’s see how to fix the issue.

Fix 1: Perform a Windows Update

You can perform a Windows update to fix the VC Red file. Here is how to do that:

Step 1: Right-click the Start menu and choose Settings.

Step 2: On the Settings window, select Update & Security.

Step 3: Under the Windows Update section, click the Check for updates button to check if there are any new updates. Then Windows will search for available updates. Just follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.

After installing the latest Windows updates, restart your computer and check if the VC_Red error gets fixed.

Fix 2: Perform a System Restore

If you have created a system restore point or system image backup with Windows snap-in tools, you can try using the restore point or image file to restore your computer to fix the VC_Red issue. Here are steps for system restore:

Step 1: In the search menu, input control panel and search for it, then open it.

Step 2: Click Recovery to continue.

Step 3: In the pop-up interface, please choose Open System Restore to continue.

Step 4: In the Restore system files and settings interface, you can click Next to continue.

Step 5: Choose the time to restore your computer to the state it was in the selected event and click Next to continue.

Step 6: You need to confirm the restore point and click Finish. After the system restore is finished, try to shut down your computer again.

When the system restore process is finished, you can reverse your computer to a previous state. Then you can check if the error has gone.

Final Words

Here is all the information on the VC_Red file. I hope that this post can be helpful to you.