| Product(s): | WaterGEMS, WaterCAD, HAMMER, SewerGEMS, SewerCAD, StormCAD, CivilStorm |
| Version(s): | 10.XX.XX.XX and higher |
| Area: | Installation |
The Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Redistributable versions 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015 are installed as prerequisites with the above OpenFlows software (depending on the version). Some of these Microsoft products have reached "end of Support". Will the OpenFlows products work without having these Visual C++ products installed?
The Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Redistributables (VC++) are required to be installed in order for the OpenFlows software to work properly. If you uninstall a required VC++ version, the software will not work properly.
The OpenFlows products themselves are built on a specific Visual Studio version (such as 2013), but some OpenFlows application versions may still rely on older versions of C++ runtimes for some 3rd party libraries. This applies to all OpenFlows products currently available for download and supported per the Bentley Lifecycle Policy, as of the date of this article revision.
We recognize that some organizations may flag these older C++ runtimes (and prohibit their installation due to security policies) due to the fact that they are not supported by Microsoft any longer. However, please note that Bentley follows recommendations from our strict Security Team audit and as of the release date of the particular OpenFlows application version, they determined that these particular components are safe. As we release new versions of the OpenFlows products, we will phase out the older, unsupported VC++ versions. Starting with the 2024 releases of the Water, Storm and Sewer applications, the outdated 2013 VC++ is no longer required:
Required VC++ prerequisites for each OpenFlows version
| OpenFlows Application Version | Required VC++ Prerequisites |
| Water/Storm/Sewer 24.00.03.XX | v14.38.33130 (2015-2022*) |
| Water/Storm/Sewer 24.00.02.XX | v14.38.33130 (2015-2022*) |
| Water/Storm/Sewer 24.00.01.XX | v14.38.33130 (2015-2022*) |
| Water/Storm/Sewer 24.00.00.XX | v14.38.33130 (2015-2022*) |
| Water/Storm/Sewer 23.XX.XX.XX | v14.32.31326 (2015-2022*) |
| Water/Storm/Sewer 10.04.XX.XX | v14.32.31326 (2015-2022*), v12.0.40664 (2013), v11.0.61030 (2012), v10.0.40219 (2010), v9.0.30729 (2008), v8.0.61000 (2005) |
| Water/Storm/Sewer 10.03.XX.XX | v14.0.23026 ( 2015-2022*), v10.0.40219 (2010), v9.0.30729 (2008), v8.0.61000 (2005) |
| FlowMaster 2025 | v14.44.35208 (2015-2022*) |
| FlowMaster 10.3 | v14.0.23026 (2015-2022*) |
| CulvertMaster 10.3 | v14.0.23026 (2015-2022*) |
| PondPack 10.2** | v14.0.23026 (2015-2022*), v8.0.61000 (2005) |
* Note: with Visual Studio 2015 Microsoft decided to unify the C++ runtime redistributable. Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022, share a common runtime that is binary compatible between the different Visual Studio releases. They are cumulative so you only need the Visual Studio 2022 one or later to support all previous applications built with all these toolsets. The end-of-support for Visual Studio 2015 is not tied to this unified redistributable. If you have “Receive updates for other Microsoft products” enabled in Windows Update > Advanced Options, then Windows will update the redistributable as part of the regular Windows Update process.
See: Lifecycle FAQ - Visual C++ Redistributable and runtime libraries
** Note: since version 10.02.00.01 of PondPack still requires the Visual C++ 2005 (v8.0) prerequisite (and will not operate correctly without it), your company may prohibit its installation (since Microsoft no longer supports it). We do not currently have a release date available for a new version that does not require this version of the C++ runtime package. Please note that as part of your OpenFlows Storm license (Advanced tier and higher), you also have access to OpenFlows CivilStorm, which includes pond design features such as PondMaker. The latest version of CivilStorm only requires the latest, v14 version of the Visual C++ runtimes.
Microsoft Support Status for each VC++ version
|
Visual Studio version |
Lifecycle Stage |
Supported Baseline |
End of Support |
|
Mainstream |
April 2027 |
||
|
Extended |
October 2025 |
||
|
Extended |
April 2024 |
||
|
Extended |
January 2023 |
||
|
Visual Studio 2010 and earlier |
Out of Support |