[GD-General] Missing DLL: MSVCP70.DLL

[Colin F. <cp...@ea...>]

I compiled a plain C++ application using Microsoft Visual
C++ .NET.  I sent the executable to someone, and the person
said that the program failed to execute because the DLL
"MSVCP70.DLL" was not found on their system.

Is there any way within MSVC++ .NET to change settings so that
the dependency on 7.0 generation DLLs is eliminated?

This project used to be an MSVC++ 6.0 project.  The only change
I made after switching to MSVC++ 7.0 was adding plain C++
source files.  I don't use "managed memory" or other new 
language extensions.  I am not using .NET stuff in any way.

It would be painful to switch back to MSVC++ 6.0 just because
the project has a hundred source files in a nice directory
hierarchy that is reflected in the source view tree control.
(I had to write a program to generate the XML project file;
I wasn't about to do all the GUI clicking by hand!  If I 
went back to VC6, I'd have to write another program to 
form the project file.  Easy, but a bit distracting.)

I know that people can easily acquire these 7.0 DLLs, but if
someone downloads my program, and it fails to execute due to
missing these DLLs, I have already failed as a programmer.
I refuse to consider shipping DLLs.  I don't know how installing
DLLs works these days, but I hope it's more complicated than
copying to C:\Windows\System or C:\winnt\system32 or whatever.
If RealNetworks or Jupiter Co. can clobber DLLs that easily,
then people are really screwed.

Here are my questions:

(1) Can I continue to use MSVC++ 7.0 and yet compile executables
  that do not require 7.0 generation DLLs?  (For example, the
  executable could use 6.0 generation DLLs.)

(2) Okay, if I decide that going back to MSVC++ 6.0 is too
    painful, then what is the bast way to allow end-users to
    install the required DLLs?

    (I think I may have done this on my Windows 98 machine,
    because I tested the program there and it did not complain
    about needing the 7.0 DLLs...  But I forgot the steps.)

Perhaps this isn't "DLL Hell" in the strictest sense of the term,
but it does feel a little warm!

--- Colin