The Multibyte Character Set (MBCS) MFC Library allows you to build legacy C++ applications that do not use Unicode in Visual Studio. While Microsoft initially deprecated MBCS libraries, they are fully supported and can be managed directly through modern installation and configuration settings. 1. Download and Install the Library
How you acquire the library depends entirely on the version of Visual Studio you are running. For Visual Studio 2017, 2019, 2022, and Later
The Multibyte MFC library is no longer a separate download. It is built directly into the Visual Studio Installer as an optional component. Close all open instances of Visual Studio.
Open the Visual Studio Installer from your Windows Start menu. Locate your installation and click Modify.
Under the Workloads tab, check the box for Desktop development with C++.
Look at the Installation details panel on the right side of the window.
Check the box for C++ MFC for latest v143 build tools (x86 & x64) (or your specific build tool version). (Note: In modern Visual Studio versions, this unified component automatically installs both the Unicode and MBCS versions of the library).
Click Modify in the bottom right corner to download and update your system. For Visual Studio 2013
If you are maintaining old software on this specific environment, you must download a standalone installer.
Navigate to the official Microsoft page for the Multibyte MFC Library for Visual Studio 2013.
Download and run the standalone installer file named vc_mbcsmfc.exe. 2. Configure Your Project to Use MBCS
Once the files are installed on your machine, you must instruct your project to compile using the multibyte encoding scheme rather than the default Unicode configuration. Multibyte MFC Library for Visual Studio 2013 – Microsoft
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