Get help with Visual Studio

Check out the system requirements for current and previous versions of Visual Studio.

To minimize incompatibility and ensure a smooth installation experience, we recommend the following steps to prepare your computer for Visual Studio.

• Apply the latest Windows Updates.
• Reboot before beginning the Visual Studio installation.
• Ensure there is enough space on your SystemDrive before installing Visual Studio.

Follow the steps in Create an offline installation of Visual Studio.

See Use command-line parameters to install Visual Studio.

Previous releases of Visual Studio are available on the older downloads page.

Visual Studio 2017 and later do not offer ISO files. Instead, see the instructions on how to create a layout at Create an offline installation of Visual Studio.

When reporting an issue by using Developer Community, most logs are automatically collected. If you are asked to provide additional logs, you can use this tool to collect information from Microsoft Visual Studio and .NET Framework installations.

Follow these instructions to uninstall or Remove Visual Studio.

No, Community edition is free to use for many scenarios. Learn more about Visual Studio Community.

In case your Community edition installation prompts you for a license, you might have to sign in to unlock the IDE. Follow these instructions to sign into Visual Studio.

Visual Studio is available for purchase through a variety of channels, including Volume Licensing, the Visual Studio Marketplace, and Microsoft Store.

Compare subscription benefits and pricing to understand the benefits of each Visual Studio subscription. Check out the subscription benefits page for more help deciding which subscription is right for you.

Microsoft Store

Retail Visual Studio subscriptions available through the Microsoft Store include:
Visual Studio Enterprise
Visual Studio Professional
Visual Studio Test Professional

If you’re looking to make a one-time purchase of Visual Studio without a subscription or any of the benefits that are included with a subscription, visit the Microsoft Store for the latest Visual Studio Professional.

Visual Studio Marketplace

With monthly subscriptions, you can get access to the latest versions of Studio and Azure DevOps, without a long-term contract. Billing is handled through Microsoft Azure. If you don’t have an Azure subscription yet—it’s free to set up and you can do this while you make your first purchase.
Visual Studio Professional – monthly subscription
Visual Studio Enterprise – monthly subscription
Read more about monthly Visual Studio Subscriptions billing.

Volume Licensing

Volume Licensing subscriptions are available when an organization needs to purchase a large number of subscriptions. Read more about purchasing through Volume Licensing.

If you have purchased a Visual Studio subscription and that subscription is still active, then you are entitled to the latest release of Visual Studio. (Ex. You purchased Visual Studio 2019, your subscription is still active, you are entitled to Visual Studio 2022)

If you have purchased a standalone license to a previous version of Visual Studio Professional, then you are not entitled to the latest release of Visual Studio Professional. (Ex. You purchased a standalone license of Visual Studio Professional 2019, your subscription is still active, you are not entitled to Visual Studio 2022)

Also, if you purchased a Visual Studio Subscription in the calendar year 2015 but did not renew it, you don’t have access to Visual Studio 2019 and later versions.

To learn more about the product lifecycle, support, and servicing visit the Visual Studio Product Lifecycle and Servicing page

The Visual Studio licenses are in the Visual Studio Licenses Directory. More detailed information on Visual Studio licensing is available in the licensing white paper.

Visual Studio requires Administrator rights during the installation process. Such requirements originate from the SQL Server installation routine, requiring certain user permissions. Once Visual Studio has been installed successfully, you will not require Administrator rights anymore.

For more information, check out this article on resolving the SQL Server installation failure due to insufficient permissions.