Visual C++ 4.x
Visual C++ 4.x
WinWorld is an online museum dedicated to providing free and open access to one of the largest archives of abandonware software and information on the web.
WinWorld is an online museum dedicated to providing free and open access to one of the largest archives of abandonware software and information on the web.
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Version number 3.0 was skipped to achieve version number parity between Visual C++ 4.0 and MFC 4.0
What's the difference between 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2?
VC 4.0 (late ’95) – first “Developer Studio” release. Ships MFC 4.0, adds 32-bit class wizards, OLE DB support, and keeps a “Win32 (Win32s)” target so you can still reach Windows 3.1 via Win32s. Runs fine on Win 95 or NT 3.51.
VC 4.1 (Mar ’96) – subscription-only disc. Mostly a service pack: fixes for C++ RTTI, OLE drag-drop, the optimizer, plus better MFC OLE control wizards. Still includes the special Win32s-flavoured MFC40.DLL/MSVCRT40.DLL, so apps you build can run all the way down to Win 3.1 + Win32s. IDE host requirements unchanged (Win 95 or NT 3.51).
VC 4.2 (Aug ’96) – bigger jump. Compiler gets Pentium-pro/P6 tuning, STL update, and COMCTL 4.0 wrappers, but Win32s support is yanked. The new runtimes (MFC42.DLL, MSVCRT.DLL 6.0) assume Win 95 OSR2 or NT 4.0+, and the IDE itself won’t even install on NT 3.51. From 4.2 forward, Microsoft’s lowest supported target for MFC is Win 95/NT 4.
Longevity: MFC42.DLL that debuts in 4.2 becomes the workhorse runtime for a decade; it’s still bundled with VC 5.0, 6.0, Office 97/2000 and ships in Windows 2000/XP’s WinSxS cache. If you find a late-’90s Windows program today, odds are it’s looking for MFC42.DLL.