Are Redist Install Packages from Steam offline installs?
In the past when i needed something like Visual C++ Redist for a game i would have to hunt down a offline install as generally the ones from Microsoft default would connected online to download.
While setting up Rebel Galaxy through steam one of the steps for the first time setup was running Redist installers, however unlike the installers i've had to use in the past i got no Install Shield-like installer showing if was checking what i currently had, downloading and/or installing.
Since for the most part i want to run Steam offline, i want to know if the Redist Install Packages from Steam are offline installs or if it's up to the developer to include an offline one (i don't know if it's Valve of the developer setting up those first time setup processes)
Best Answer
The redistributables are quietly/silently installed using commandline switches/flags. This makes it slightly faster & less annoying as it doesn't have to show the installer window or wait for us to click through the installer.
With "SteamWorks Common Redistributables" (SCR) they are setup by devs, but the install scripts and redistributable installers themselves are managed by Valve. The devs can apparently still manage their own installscript.vdf to do this, but it'd be much easier to just opt-in to SCR.
The installers themselves seem to use whatever names they were given by Microsoft or whomever develops & licenses them to others, so if it's a web-based installer it should be obvious (if you can find it in the Steam folder). e.g. "dxwebsetup.exe" vs "directx_MonYear_redist.exe".
I can't check as my PC is dead, but there's no good reason for Valve to use web installers, and in my years of poking around I never saw a web installer for a redist in any of the few hundred games I installed.
That being said we do need to note that devs can include custom or uncommon redistributables that they will package with their game. So, yes it's still possible to have web-based installers from the devs, but very unlikely because of bandwidth costs.
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How do I run Redist packages on Steamworks?
Using common redistributables is very simple. Simply head to the Redistributables tab which is available under the "Installation" tab in the Steamworks App Admin panel and check the checkboxes for the redistributables which your game or application requires. Don't forget to publish your changes when you're done!What happens if I uninstall Steamworks common redistributables?
deleting them would just make them reappear the next time you install a game. Dont delete it. Its necessary. Before, every game you downloaded came with their own set of Redistributables, DirectX, certain drivers and libraries needed for the game to run.Should I download Steamworks common redistributables?
Should I Delete Steamworks Common Redistributables? The short answer is no. Without Steamworks Common Redistributables your games would crash when you tried to launch them. Steamworks Common Redistributables do save you time and space when downloading games.How big is Steamworks common redistributables?
Tonight, I left Steam and my PC run for a while and when I came back, I noticed Steam made another update: Steamworks Common Redistributables which downloaded about 592MB file.FIX Microsoft VC Redist Package Steam in Windows 10/8/7 UPDATED
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