Steamworks Common Redistributables - What Is It? Easily Explained

2023 Author: Sheila Hailey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:17

"Steamworks Common Redistributables " is not an integral part of Steam, but a collection of shared files.

• These include compilers, programming interfaces (API) and other game technologies such as Microsoft Visual C ++,. NET, DirectX 9, OpenAL, XNA and PhysX.
• For example, programs that are fully or partially programmed in C ++ can be started on the system if, for example, the "Microsoft C ++ Redistributable Runtime" files are installed.
• In the past, the respective game developers had to include the installation script in the download of the respective game.
• This could result in multiple games downloading and installing the same script for the same shared files each time.

Steam developer Valve now manages the installation scripts for these shared files and summarizes them under the "Steamworks Common Redistributables":

• Whenever a program needs one of the shared files mentioned above, it will be installed.
• If another program then also needs these files, it can simply access them without having to reinstall them.
• This saves storage space, download bandwidth and time.

Every now and then these "Steamworks Common Redistributables" have to be updated and then you can see the corresponding entry under your Steam downloads.

Force Steam to reinstall the Steamworks Common Redistributables

You can force Steam to reinstall the shared files on your computer by deleting the following registry value:

• For 64-bit Windows:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Wow6432Node \ Valve \ Steam \ Apps \ CommonRedist

• For 32-bit Windows:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Valve \ Steam \ Apps \ CommonRedist

Do I have a 64-bit or 32-bit Windows installation?

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"Steamworks Common Redistributables" - what does that mean for me?

Nothing at all! Just let Steam update the file collection. This allows games to be installed and run on Steam in the first place. The "Steamworks Common Redistributables" are harmless and completely normal in Steam.