Windows: api-ms-win-core-path-l1-1-0.dll missing when executing Windows portable distribution (window 7 and incompatible python version)

[TwoRedCells]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Problem description

When attempting to execute the 64-bit Windows portable distribution, upon unzipping the directory structure and running bin/freecad.exe, I get System Error The program can't start because api-ms-win-core-path-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer...

I have tried starting execution from the main directory and from the bin directory.

• Windows 7 Professional SP1
• Intel i7-2600K, 16GB RAM

Full version info

Unable to open application.

Subproject(s) affected?

None

Anything else?

I assume the installer will work, but wanted to report this before I try the installer, since that may make the issue unreproducable in the future.

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct

[Syres916]

I assume when you state Portable Distribution you mean FreeCAD_0.21.2-2023-12-17-conda-Windows-x86_64-py310.7z ?
If so, then you'll notice it's built with Python 3.10.x which is not compatible with Windows 7 SP1. You'll have to use the proper installer which has Python 3.8.x from https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/releases

[kaiwas]

The problem is partially solved with this recipe.
https://github.com/nalexandru/api-ms-win-core-path-HACK
This is due to the fact that the required version of Python is not supported by Windows7. But this recipe worked before Python 10.
I again cannot run build based on version 11.
But freecad version 0.21.1 definitely works (0.21.2 seems to have problems)

[TwoRedCells]

Thank you. Perhaps the download page could be updated to reflect this, as the text "Windows 7 is the minimum supported version. For more info on installation, please check out the Wiki" is directly under the download link for "64-bit portable (.7z)", and the linked Wiki page does not mention this constraint.

[luzpaz]

Indeed as of today the download page does indeed say this:

How should we proceed ?

[luzpaz]

CC @yorikvanhavre @chennes

[yorikvanhavre]

Should we state that the portable version does not support win7 then? Or will this change when 1.0 is built? @adrianinsaval ?

[adrianinsaval]

Windows 7 will not be supported anymore, neither the portable nor the installer version. There are several security vulnerabilities in the dependencies that would be needed for windows 7 support, we must use newer software at this point.

Freecad should still compile using the old libpack though so windows 7 users may compile themselves if they really want to stick with that OS and use freecad 1.0

[yorikvanhavre]

Seems fair. Any other third-party provider can still support it then.
Then I propose we wait for the 1.0 RC and we change the text to, what will it be, minimum windows 10?

[adrianinsaval]

I think windows 8 should still work but I'm not actually sure