api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll

[Katie Boundary]

Some very important filters, such as KNLmeansCL and nnedi3, depend on this obscure dll file. It's supposedly part of MS Visual C++ 2015. However, it seems to be missing from my XP x64 Edition partition even after installing all of the MS Visual C++ runtimes (or at least all the ones that'll install and run on XP x64). After a little bit of digging, it seems that the problem has something to do with Windows Updates. Specifically, it seems that there's one update that's needed in order for Visual C++ 2015 to work correctly. This is a bit of a problem now that the XP update servers are offline and projects like Windows Update Restored and Legacy Update are janky and don't always work correctly.

I'm currently updating my XP x64 partition through WUR. When it's done, I'll let you all know if that fixed anything.

Anyway, this is a good example of why we need statically linked versions of all major AVIsynth filters.

UPDATE: Downloading and installing all Windows updates and reinstalling Visual C++ 2015-2019 didn't fix anything.

[Kurt.noise]

Anyway, this is a good example of why we need statically linked versions of all major AVIsynth filters.
Obviously, you dont know what you're talking about...

I'm currently updating my XP x64 partition through WUR.
Anyway, why using a such old system ? It's time to upgrade...we are in 2025.

[wonkey_monkey]

AviSynth+ for Spectrum ZX81 when?!

[Katie Boundary]

Obviously, you dont know what you're talking about...

Wrong. I know exactly what I'm talking about.

Anyway, why using a such old system ? It's time to upgrade...we are in 2025.

MS hasn't made a decent version of Windows in the past 20 years. Until they do, upgrading is impossible. There are only downgrades.

[lvqcl]

Here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-for-universal-c-runtime-in-windows-c0514201-7fe6-95a3-b0a5-287930f3560c

[GeoffreyA]

MS hasn't made a decent version of Windows in the past 20 years. Until they do, upgrading is impossible. There are only downgrades.

I used XP till 2019 and was loth to upgrade, but had to because I built a new computer. To my surprise, using OpenShell to restore the classic Start menu, and ShutUp10 to curtail some of its excesses, I got Windows 10 looking much like XP but inheriting some improvements, such as Windows 8's copy dialogue and Task Manager, both worth their weight in gold. With some fiddling, I even got Quick Launch back.

But I won't be upgrading to Windows 11.

[StainlessS]

I even got Quick Launch back.

Some notes on Quick Launch toolbar.


On Taskbar, AddToolBar
Name folder [without the quotes] "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch"


Add Programs to Quick Launch Toolbar
If you want to add the applications you use the most to the Quick Launch toolbar, do the following:
Press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run dialog box.
Type the following path and press Enter.
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
or
%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch


Windows Explorer will open the Quick Launch folder.
Now you can drag your favorite application shortcuts and drop them here.

Move Quick Launch Toolbar to Left
If you want to move the Quick Launch toolbar to the left, right-click the taskbar and
uncheck “Lock the Taskbar” from the popup menu.
Click on the left edge (two vertical dotted lines) of the Quick Launch toolbar,
and drag it over to the left as far as it will go.

EDIT: If I remember right, you may see program name labels and text on task bar, right click on TaskBar and switch off
"Show Labels", "Show Text", or something like that, leaves just the icons on Quick Launch.
Maybe also temporarily have to taskbar right click untick "Show Task View Button" until you've got the quick Launch whotsit as you like it.


EDIT: If you use NetSpeedMonitor, then may have to temp untick TaskBar/Toolbars/NetSpeedMonitor before adding QuickLaunch.
I mentioned NetSpeedMonitor in post #10 of this thread, here it is below, (the text left of red icon).
All it does is show current network speed (I have it only monitoring WiFi internet).

https://i.postimg.cc/y8cF2pV2/Net-Speed-Monitor.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Very basic, but that is why I like/love it (it does monitor total up/down usage stats too, but I turn that off).
I found a guide on installing the utility, only really intended for XP, but installs OK on W7 and W10 if you follow the guide [EDIT: x86/x64].
Guide here:- https://www.guidingtech.com/display-internet-speed-taskbar-windows/

Also, I mentioned OpenShell (apparently now named Open-Shell-Menu) a fork of the old deceased ClassicShell, I've been using it on window 10
for a month or more and I kinda like it, here tis on GitHub:- https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/releases

AviSynth+ for Spectrum ZX81 when?!
I do miss my Sinclair ZX81 [Spectrum was a different machine], built from kit using a soldering iron, Boosted the 1KB RAM to a massive 32KB with a wobbly RAM pack + BlueTac.

[GeoffreyA]

StainlessS, if I remember rightly, that was the very method I used to add Quick Launch back in 2019. I won't upgrade to 11; it has been completely removed, and this is something I use all the time.

[Emulgator]

Same here, fiddled Quick launch back into Win7, then Win10, and finally there it was again:
One push to start an application, M$ !
And launching of more than 1 instance of Explorer side by side becomes possible again.
Open Shell, and get as close as possible to a Win2000 functionality.
And thanks for the Netspeed Monitor tip.

[StainlessS]

And launching of more than 1 instance of Explorer side by side becomes possible again.
Windows key + E.

EDIT: And for Task Manager, CTRL/SHIFT/ESC
On Performace tab/CPU/Graph/ Right click Graph/Change Graph to/Logical_Processors, is kinda nice.

[wonkey_monkey]

Same here, fiddled Quick launch back into Win7

Is Pin to Taskbar so terrible? 🤔

[Katie Boundary]

Here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-for-universal-c-runtime-in-windows-c0514201-7fe6-95a3-b0a5-287930f3560c

Not applicable to XP

I used XP till 2019 and was loth to upgrade, but had to because I built a new computer. To my surprise, using OpenShell to restore the classic Start menu, and ShutUp10 to curtail some of its excesses, I got Windows 10 looking much like XP but inheriting some improvements, such as Windows 8's copy dialogue and Task Manager, both worth their weight in gold. With some fiddling, I even got Quick Launch back.

But were you able to get the Classic theme back?

[GeoffreyA]

But were you able to get the Classic theme back?

Not sure if the Classic theme can be brought back but will check. At any rate, 10's GUI is minimal, perhaps more so than XP, throwing away the posh glass of Vista and 7. Also, the unsightly, confusion-inducing Ribbon can be collapsed, but regrettably, the old Explorer toolbar, with Cut, Copy, and Paste, has been removed. For the Start menu, though, OpenShell can recreate the classic one from before XP, and that's the one I use.

EDIT: It seems there are ways to get the Classic theme back that take some digging and tweaking, or third-party software.

[Emulgator]

Is Pin to Taskbar so terrible?
QuickLaunch has tighter spacing, and so I get 30..40 icons nicely dense.

[Katie Boundary]

EDIT: It seems there are ways to get the Classic theme back that take some digging and tweaking, or third-party software.

Yes. The problem is that many of those tweaks and third-party programs haven't been updated in years, and have been broken by recent Windows Updates. It's a constant uphill battle :(

[StainlessS]

Yes. The problem is that many of those tweaks and third-party programs haven't been updated in years, and have been broken by recent Windows Updates. It's a constant uphill battle :(

OpenShell :- https://open-shell.github.io/Open-Shell-Menu/
Github [Updated Jan 4, 2025]:- https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

Features

Classic style Start menu for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11
Toolbar for Windows Explorer
Explorer status bar with file size and disk space
Classic copy UI (Windows 7 only)
Title bar and status bar for Internet Explorer

Config for Windows GUI, Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer[if selected in Installer].

My favourite was always W2K, I even used to switch off all of the fancy stuff in XP, but I do like the OpenShell stuff for W10.
In Windows Explorer, tick "Menu/View/Options/Classic Explorer Bar" to recover the explorer bar, and click on the Shell icon on the explorer bar to access settings for it.
Can save/load to xml settings for both Shell and Explorer.

Only real problem that I'm aware of is that M$ on W11, has said something like,
"systems using GUI shell mods, will have Windows update disabled to avoid problems".

[Katie Boundary]

Okay, I think I solved the dll mystery.

MSVC 2019 installs on XP.
MSVC 2022 doesn't install on XP.

This was the criterion that I was using to try to find "XP-compatible" versions of Visual C++. However, it is flawed. There is an EXTREMELY narrow range of MSVC 2019 versions that will install on XP, but not quite work properly with it. After removing MSVC 2019 version 14.29.30129 and replacing it with MSVC 2019 version 14.27.29112, all AVIsynth filters work as intended.

I'd like to thank Filehorse for maintaining a pretty impressive stockpile of old MSVC versions (https://www.filehorse.com/download-microsoft-visual-c-redistributable-package-32/old-versions/), without which I could not have made this discovery.

OpenShell :- https://open-shell.github.io/Open-Shell-Menu/
Github [Updated Jan 4, 2025]:- https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

Openshell was never the problem. The problem was the Classic theme. You know... gray buttons? Blue title bars? Beveled edges? Openshell on its own doesn't bring that back. There was a wonderful tool called SimpleClassicTheme or SCT that did, but it's been abandoned for years.

[GeoffreyA]

Back in 2022, compiling two binaries of an MFC program to work on XP and current x64 Windows, I had endless issues with DLL dependencies, which were not practical to manage. I also came across that point, though perhaps I'm misremembering, that the XP runtimes cut off at some version. In the end, switching to static linking solved everything. VS 2022 could still target XP last time I checked (December 2022), but the XP toolset has to be installed and static linking is best.

[Emulgator]

Runtimes: It seems still possible to jump directy to the files, if you find/know the pattern.
Some examples here:

[]https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/14.27.29112/VC_Redist.x64.exe[/]
[]https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/14.27.29112/VC_Redist.x86.exe[/]

[]https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/14.29.30133/VC_Redist.x64.exe[/]
[]https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/14.29.30133/VC_Redist.x86.exe[/]

[]https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/14.29.30156/VC_Redist.x64.exe[/]
[]https://aka.ms/vs/16/release/14.29.30156/VC_Redist.x86.exe[/]

Recent 20.04.2025:

[]https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/VC_redist.x86.exe[]
[]https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/VC_redist.x64.exe[]

I did not link, lets be quiet.