Is it possible to develop in C/C++ for windows and not to link against the msvcr100.dll? I understand that this is the standard c library for windows, but I was wondering how all the programs on my computer could run if I hadn't Visual Studio or the Redistributable package installed? Right-click your project in the Solution Explorer window, Properties, C/C++, Code Generation, Runtime Library setting. Change it to /MTd. Repeat for the Release configuration, pick /MT You will now link the static version of the CRT, any functions you use get directly linked into your EXE instead of getting them