http://www.allegro.cc/files/?v=4.4

Download the files for MSVC 9, and then configure your project to search the directories in them, allegro\bin for library searches, and allegro\include for header searches.

To static link, link against these libraries :

alleg44-monolith-static-mt.lib
loadpng.lib
zlib.lib

kernel32.lib
user32.lib
gdi32.lib
comdlg32.lib
ole32.lib
dinput.lib
ddraw.lib
dxguid.lib
winmm.lib
dsound.lib

(The first three will probably have different names, just use the static version, and use -mt or -md depending on how your project is configured to link to the C runtime).

Hi Edgar,

Currently I'm getting this error...

"This application has failed to start because allegro.dll was not found. Re-installing the application max fix this problem."

Here's everything I've done so far in trying to get it to work from the ground-up...

Install Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition.

Download the Allegro 4.4.2 library (allegro-4.4.2-msvc-9.0.zip).

Unzip allegro-4.4.2-msvc-9.0.zip to "C:\allegro-4.4.2-msvc-9.0".

Start Visual C++ 2008.

Go to: Tools --> Options.
Go to: Projects and Solutions --> VC++ Directories.
Under "Show directories for:" select "Include files".
Create a new line and select the Allegro pre-built library's include folder, "C:\allegro-msvc9-4.2.3\include".
Under "Show directories for:" select "Library files".
Create a new line and select the Allegro pre-built library's lib folder, "C:\allegro-msvc9-4.2.3\lib".
Click OK to close Options.

Create a new Visual C++ 2008 Empty Project...
File --> New --> Project..., General, Empty Project
Enter a name for the project and click OK. In this example we'll call the project "TestProject".
Go to: Project --> Properties.
Go to: Configuration Properties --> Linker --> Input.
Under "Additional Dependencies" enter "allegro-4.4.2-monolith-static-mt.lib" and click OK.
Go to: Project --> Add New Item..., select C++ file, call it main.cpp, and click "Add".
Add the following code to main.cpp...

#include <allegro.h>
#include <stdio.h>

int main(void) {

set_color_depth(16);
if (set_gfx_mode(GFX_AUTODETECT_WINDOWED, 800, 600, 0, 0) != 0) {
allegro_message("Couldn't set graphics mode!\n");
return 1;
}

textprintf_centre_ex(screen, font, screen->w/2, 196, makecol(0, 0, 0), makecol(0, 0, 0), "Hello world!");

while (key[KEY_ESC] == 0) { // wait for ESC to be pressed
}

allegro_exit();
return 0;
}
END_OF_MAIN()

Click --> Debug --> Start Debugging (or press F5 or click on the green "play" button). You will be prompted to build the project. Click Yes.

Hmm, I tried adding the path but I still get the same error. I cannot find any file on my computer named "allegro.dll".

Under "Additional Dependencies" I changed "allegro-4.4.2-monolith-static-mt.lib" to "allegro-4.4.2-md.lib" and then I get the error "This application has failed to start because MSVCR90.dll was not found. Re-installing the application max fix this problem."

Thanks again for the help.

I know that with Allegro 4.2.3 I had to do the following to get static linking working...

Download dx70_min.zip and extract to "C:\dx70_min".
Go to: Tools --> Options
Go to: Projects and Solutions --> VC++ Directories
Under "Show directories for:" select "Include files".
Create a new line and select "C:\dx70_min\include".
Under "Show directories for:" select "Library files".
Create a new line and select "C:\dx70_min\lib".

Project Properties --> Configuration Properties
C/C++ --> Preprocessor --> Preprocessor Definitions: ALLEGRO_STATICLINK
C/C++ --> Code Generation --> Runtime Library: /MT
Linker --> Input --> Additional Dependencies:
alleg_s_crt.lib kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib comdlg32.lib ole32.lib dinput.lib ddraw.lib dxguid.lib winmm.lib dsound.lib
Linker --> Command Line --> Additional Options: /LTCG

I just made those changes (except I specified "allegro-4.4.2-monolith-static-mt.lib" instead of "alleg_s_crt.lib") and now I get these errors:

main.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _key
main.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _font
main.obj : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _screen

Yep, just those 3 errors, well, those 3 and one more fatal error simply stating there are unresolved externals. When I comment out what the errors are referring to, Allegro symbols, we go back to that first error message...

"This application has failed to start because allegro.dll was not found. Re-installing the application max fix this problem."

I must not have configured something in MSVS9 properly. I got it figured out with 4.2.3 with the help of a hold your hand tutorial and pretty pictures as it's easy for a newb to get lost in the sea of menus in Visual Studio. If I can get this figured out I'm so going to create a hold your hand tutorial for this.

Yeah, for a bit I think I was messing with debug and running release and vice-versa, but I then started configuring both settings the same and was mindful of those settings. If only I could formulate the instructions to make it work! I have to be missing some setting(s). I tried linking various pre-built 4.4.2 lib files and various combinations of settings with no luck, then went back to just dynamic linking with 4.2.3 and no problems. I installed MSVS9 on a different system with a clean install of Windows to have a 2nd machine to tinker with. I may mess with it more, but I'm starting to feel maybe I should ditch the obsession of static linking everything, stick with dynamic linking with 4.2.3, and after this current project, move onto Allegro 5 or something else. So I'll need to include some dlls with the release, big deal, right? Still, wish I could figure this damn thing out. Granted, I should have been working more on my game more instead of obsessing about static linking everything! Doh!

Yeah, just tried again with another new project and same result. Maybe I'll try MSVS10 or MinGW with the corresponding pre-built libraries.

You could ask Michał Cichoń to fix the packages. In the meantime, just use whatever works. When you want to release your game, you could probably use the 4.4 static MinGW binaries.