I've only developed in VC++ so far, so am not well versed in the way the .NET Framework works. I hope someone can answer what is probably a trivial question.
My VC++ program is able to load third party DLLs, and occasionally gives a "program has terminated in an unusual way" error. A quick search of the web suggests that this error often occurs when the Microsoft .NET framework is required by a program but is not present on the computer. In this case I think it is the third-party that has this dependency, not my own program as such.
What instructions should I give the user to ensure that they have the necessary/correct .NET framework installed on their PC? Do they simply need to install only themost recent version 4.5 and that will cure the problem for programs of any age, or could the third-party DLL insist on aolder version of the .NET framework? Is the .NET framework simply installed through Windows Update on all versions of Windows or does it need to be downloaded from Microsoft's web site in some circumstances?