Unable to install old 32-Bit redistributables after installing new 64-Bit redistributables for ifx

[rwg]

After installing the new 64-Bit redistributables for ifx (w_ifort_runtime_p_2025.0.0.1166.exe and c++ redistributables 14.42.34438.0) I can not install the old redistributables for ifort (w_ifort_runtime_p_2023.2.0.49500.exe) so all my old 32-Bit programs (in my case mixed c and fortran) abort with a popup like: Application Error: The application failed to start correctly (0xc000007b). Click OK to close the application.

If  I change the order of installation (first old fortran and c++ redistributables 14.36.32532.0 .and then the new redistributables) everything is fine.

Is this a known bug or can there be another reason for this error?

[andrew_4619]

Well redistributable are normally for the most part backwardly compatible so I would imaging the installer checks for newer versions installed already and then says no by deliberate design. Would you expect current redistributables to support 16 bit applications?

The wider issue is that 32 bit is dead and has been dead for some time now. You need to bite the bullet and rebuild for 64 bit which is normally not too big a deal. Either that or decide your applications are dead and bin them.

[rwg]

I understand but this means that after installing any program with the new fortran redistributables no other program which needs the old redistributables will run on that pc. I don't think that's intended.

[andrew_4619]

An old program can in general use new redistributables the problem is 32bit (and indeed 16bit!!) is obsolete and have been obsolete for quite some time. 

[rwg]

Thanks for your reply, but you accept that installation of one 64 Bit (ifx fortran) program breaks the installation of all 32 Bit (ifort fortran) programs?

I don't want that installation of my program will impede the installation of other programs. Rather I will install the old ifort redistributables and then the new ifx redistributables to prevent my customers from this. Intel can avoid this if they only put the 32 Bit redistributables of ifort into the redistribubles of ifx so that their promise (then newest redistributables supports ifort and ifx) becomes true.

But all this is only hypothetical so far or has it been confirmed by the development team that after installing the ifx redistributables you will no longer be able to install 32-bit Fortran programs?

[andrew_4619]

"So you accept that installation of one 64 Bit (ifx fortran) program breaks the installation of all 32 Bit (ifort fortran) programs?" well from my personal perspective is people that want to build long obsolete systems should find an old machine with Windows XP in a dark and dusty basement corner and stick to using that.  Other opinions may exist. In may experience over many years you can resist change to avoid the extra work for so long and then you have to accept the changes and update how you do things.

[Andrew_Smith]

This is not ideal. Since there is no installed components are common to either platform installed by the 32 bit and 64 bit redistributable installers, there should be no interaction.

[andrew_4619]

The solution I guess would be an end of life  32bit redist package.  Kludging everyone's system with obsolete 32 bit redist would not seem like a correct solution going forward. I am also not sure the is much incentive for Intel to work on making such an option but we will wait an see what transpires if a mod looks at this thread.

[rwg]

Thanks for your input. My opinion on this is fundamentally different. Preventing the installation of operating system-supported 32-bit applications by installing a single 64-bit application is incomprehensible to me and certainly to all of our customers.

However, I don't want to delve deeper into this topic until I can be sure that installing w_ifort_runtime_p_2025.0.0.1166.exe really makes it impossible to install older 32-bit programs created with ifort. Can someone from the Intel team please comment on this?

[Andrew_Smith]

If you are using an installer for your 32 bit application, then why not bundle the Intel 32 bit runtimes with that installer. They can be placed within your applications path rather than using the location the Intel installer would choose. It simplifies the user experience.

[rwg]

That's right. But I don't worry about my application. The point is that every(!) application on the whole world build with ifort as 32 bit application (in the past and in the future) becomes uninstallable/unexecutable on every PC on the whole world after executing w_ifort_runtime_p_2025.0.0.1166.exe on that PC.

[Steve_Lionel]

I do see old installers listed at Intel® C++ and Fortran Compilers Redistributable Libraries by Version - You could use the 2024.2.1 version that installs both 32 and 64 bit.  But as noted it would likely not install if a later 64-bit only version was installed already. Intel should publish a separate 32-bit only installer.

[rwg]

That is a possible solution. But I think it's much easier if the new redistributables for ifx also installs the latest 32-bit redistributables of ifort. Then everything will work out of the box. This will repair currently failing ifort 32-bit applications and avoid failing installations in the future and no one has to handle two different redistributalbes.