Why does linking against static runtime libraries in Visual C++ 2008 still requires MSVCR71.dll at runtime?

Question

I'm building a dll statically linked against the c runtime libraries. Why then does it require MSVCR71.dll at runtime?

Answer 1

msvcr71.dll is Visual C++ 2003's C runtime. If you're building with 2008, there's no reason there should be a reference to this DLL. My guess is that you depend on another DLL which was built with 2003, and which uses the dynamically linked runtime.

Answer 2

You may be linking against the LIB import library for the DLL - check you are using linker option /MT and not /MD

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/abx4dbyh(v=VS.90).aspx

MSVCR71.dll doesn't look like the correct version of the runtime for VS2008. Are you linking against any other third party libraries that require the older runtime?