title: MS Visual C++ runtime library - what for?
body: <p>What's in MS Visual C++ runtime library? I mean, I googled it, and I always found things like help, app xxxx gives me MS Visual C++ runtime library error, with no explanation.</p>
  
  <p>I thought that Windows C runtime libraries come with Windows? Not with VC++? Thanks.</p>
  
  <p>EDIT:
  First, thanks for answers. I thing now I have bad idea of runtime libraries in windows. I mean, the first part, that Windows internally has its win32 API and so, that's OK, I knew it. Also, that Win32API are from kernel and user parts.</p>
  
  <p>But I always thought that functions like GDI are accessed as DLL  (which I still believe they are). But I thought even functions like <code>printf</code> and so are in some windows file.</p>
  
  <p>So, am I right, when I know get it  that "simple" functions like <code>printf</code> need to be linked directly and than use only Kernel part of OS directly, and more sophisticated Windows API functions are linked as dlls, therefore ARE NOT distributed with compiler but with OS? And they subsequently access Kernel?</p>
  
  <p>I mean, lets say GDI, I tell it to draw picture, it makes all the hard work in user mode and than call kernel function which puts it all in framebuffer?</p>
  
  <p>And last thought, why is this even solved this way? I mean, if VC++ runtime is just layer between C and WinAPI, why cant VC++ call directly WinAPI?</p>