Localized ‘Program Files’ and ‘Users’ folders under Windows Vista

If you are wondering why and how Windows Vista or Windows 7 non English versions show different names for ‘Program Files’ folder using Windows Explorer and cmd.exe. The answer is Desktop.ini file hidden inside the folder:
[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21781

This tells Windows Shell (Explorer) to show localized name instead of English ‘Program Files’.

Microsoft Visual C++ supported target Windows versions

Microsoft Visual C++ supported target Windows versions – Supported Platforms – Target Platforms.

MSVC versions:

  • 6.0 Visual C++ 6.0.
  • 7.X Visual C++ .NET 2002, 2003 (7.0, 7.1).
  • 8.0 Visual C++ 2005.
  • 9.0 Visual C++ 2008.
  • 10.0 Visual C++ 2010.
  • 11.0 Visual C++ 2012.

6.0

7.X

8.0

9.0

10.0

11.0
Windows 95

ok

ok

hack
Windows 98

ok

ok

ok
Windows Me

ok

ok

ok
Windows 2000

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok¹
Windows Server 2000

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok¹
Windows XP

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok²
Windows Server 2003

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok²
Windows Server 2003 R2

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok²
Windows Vista

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok
Windows Server 2008

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok
Windows 7

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok
Windows Server 2008 R2

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok
Windows 8

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok
Windows 8 RT / ARM / METRO

ok
Windows Server 2012

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

ok

6.0

7.X

8.0

9.0

10.0

11.0

NOTES:

  • This information is provided “as is”.
  • It is possible to build for any lower target (in some configurations), but it is not officially supported.
  • Most of this information is acquired by testing and analyzing System Requirements of various Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages
  • Visual C++ 2005 supports Windows 2000 beginning from Service Pack 3.
  • Visual C++ 2005 SP1 does not support Windows 98 and Me, but compiled exe usually works on these OSes.
  • Visual C++ 2008 supports Windows 2000 beginning from Service Pack 4.
  • Visual C++ 2010 supports Windows XP beginning from Service Pack 3. Source: Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) and Visual Studio 2010 – Visual C++ Supported Platforms
  • Windows 95 is Windows 95 and Windows 95 Second Edition.
  • Windows 98 is Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition.

¹ To target Windows 2000 must use Visual Studio Multi-Targeting (VS 2008 toolkit). Using VS 2010 tools will not run on Windows 2000.

² To target Windows XP and Server 2003 use Multi-Targeting. Microsoft promised to release “an update to Visual Studio 2012 that will enable C++ applications to target Windows XP”.

Updated Aug 15, 2010.
Updated Sep 5, 2012.