Installing Visual Studio
You can install Visual Studio by using the installation media (for example, DVDs) or by downloading files from the product download page for Visual Studio.
For information about system requirements for installing each edition of Visual Studio 2012 and supported upgrade paths, see Compatibility.
For information about how to use Visual Studio 2012 to develop applications that target platforms, see Compatibility.
For information about what features are available in each edition of Visual Studio 2012, see Compare Editions.
This document provides the following installation information:
Installing Visual Studio
Troubleshooting Installation Problems
Enterprise Network Deployment
After Visual Studio Is Installed
Registering Visual Studio
Repairing Visual Studio
Installing Selectable Items
Checking for Service Releases and Product Updates
Related Topics
Installing Visual Studio
You must have administrator credentials to install Visual Studio. However, you do not have to have these credentials to use Visual Studio after it is installed.
If an earlier version of Visual Studio is installed on the computer, read about how to run multiple versions. For more information, see Installing Visual Studio Versions Side-by-Side and Determining Which Version of the .NET Framework Is Installed.
Installing By Using Installation Media
Start to install Visual Studio by running the installation application, which is located in the root directory on the Visual Studio installation media.
Edition |
Installation Application |
|---|---|
Visual Studio Ultimate |
vs_ultimate.exe |
Visual Studio Premium |
vs_premium.exe |
Visual Studio Professional |
vs_professional.exe |
Installing By Downloading from the Product Website
Start installing Visual Studio by going to Visual Studio Downloads on the MSDN website and then choosing the edition you want to download.
Installing Visual Studio Offline After Downloading
In most cases you should be able to install Visual Studio from the download site with no problems. However, in some cases you may need to download all the update packages before installing them, for example on a virtual machine or an offline machine. The following steps explain how to download all the update packages you need for an offline installation.
After you have downloaded the update executable from the MSDN website to a location on your file system, execute the following command from a command prompt: <executable name> /layout.
This command downloads all the packages for the install.
The /layout switch also allows you to download all the install packages. This may be useful if you wish to install components that were not installed originally.
After you execute the command, you should see a Visual Studio screen that asks you for the download location. Enter the location and click Download.
When the package download is successful, you should see a Visual Studio screen that says Setup Successful! All specified components have been acquired successfully.
In the file location you specified, find the executable file and the package folder. This is everything you need to create install media.
You can now run the install from the file location or the install media.
Installing Visual Studio in Virtualized Environments
If you run Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V enabled and an accelerated graphics adapter, you may experience system slowdowns. This may affect customers who want to use the graphics-rich Visual Studio 2012 environment while they use Hyper-V for testing.
To avoid these slowdowns, you can ensure that the system supports a feature known as "Nested Page Tables" (AMD), "Rapid Virtualization Indexing" (AMD), or "Extended Page Tables" (Intel). This feature is present on AMD Phenom and Opteron processors, and on Intel Nehalem processors (Core i7 series, Xeon 5500 series). The processor feature is the preferred option because it enables full graphics performance and functionality without system slowdowns.
For more information, see the following page on the Microsoft website: Video performance may decrease when a Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 based computer has the Hyper-V role enabled and an accelerated display adapter installed.
Using Command-Line Parameters
The following table lists command-line parameters that are available when you run the installation application.
Parameter |
Description |
|---|---|
/? or /help |
Displays command-line parameters. |
/q or /quiet |
Suppresses the user interface (UI) for the installation application. If Visual Studio is already installed and you specify no parameters except this one, the installation application runs in Maintenance mode. |
/Uninstall |
Uninstalls Visual Studio. |
/layout Directory |
Copies the files on the installation media to the directory that you specify. |
/p CustomInstallPath |
Installs all re-targetable packages in the directory that you specify. |
/noweb |
Prevents installation from the Internet. |
/Log Filename |
Specifies a location for the log file. |
/full |
Installs all product features. |
/norestart |
Prevents the installation application from restarting the computer during or after installation. See Return codes for return codes to look for. |
/PromptRestart |
Prompts the user before restarting the computer. |
/ForceRestart |
Always restarts the computer after installation. |
/AdminFile AdminDeployment.xml |
Installs Visual Studio using the data file that you specified for administrative installation. |
/ChainingPackage BundleName |
Specifies which bundle is chaining this bundle. |
/P ProductKey="key" |
Specifies the volume license key. |
Troubleshooting Installation Problems
For more information about possible installation issues, see Troubleshooting Setup and Installation Errors for Visual Studio.
Enterprise Network Deployment
For information about how to deploy Visual Studio over a network, see Visual Studio Administrator Guide.
After Visual Studio Is Installed
After you have installed a Visual Studio edition, we recommend that you register your copy of the product and check for updates.
Registering Visual Studio
To register Visual Studio
On the menu bar, choose Help, Register Product.
Note
Windows Live credentials and the product identification number (PID) are required to register. The PID is displayed in the About dialog box on the Help menu.
Or, use the registration card in the product box.
Repairing Visual Studio
To repair Visual Studio
In Control Panel, on the Programs and Features page, choose the product edition that you want to repair, and then choose Uninstall/Change.
In the Setup wizard, choose Repair, choose Next, and then follow the remaining instructions.
To repair Visual Studio in silent or passive modes (that is, repair from source)
On the computer where Visual Studio is installed, open the Windows command prompt.
Enter the following parameters:
DVDRoot \vs_ProductName.exe </quiet|/passive> [/norestart]
If ERRORLEVEL 1 Echo ERRORLEVEL=%ERRORLEVEL%
Installing Selectable Items
To install selectable items
In Control Panel, on the Programs and Features page, choose the product edition to which you want to add one or more components, and then choose Change.
In the Setup wizard, choose Modify, and then choose the components that you want to install.
Choose Next, and then follow the remaining instructions.
Checking for Service Releases and Product Updates
To check for service releases
On the menu bar, choose Help, Check for Updates.
This step opens the Microsoft Update website, from which you can download service released.
Note
If you have changed the settings for Security and Privacy in the Internet Options dialog box in Internet Explorer, you might receive an error message when you try to check for updates. Reset the Security and Privacy settings to the default values, and then check for updates again.
To check for other updates
Open the Shipped Software Updates page for Visual Studio on the Microsoft website.
Browse for updates that may be available for your version.
Uninstalling Visual Studio
To uninstall Visual Studio
In Control Panel, on the Programs and Features page, choose the product edition that you want to uninstall, and then choose Change.
In the Setup wizard, choose Uninstall, choose Yes, and then follow the remaining instructions in the wizard.
To uninstall Visual Studio in silent or passive modes (that is, uninstall from source)
On the computer where Visual Studio is installed, open the Windows command prompt.
Enter the following parameters:
DVDRoot \vs_ProductName.exe </quiet|/passive> [/norestart]
If ERRORLEVEL 1 Echo ERRORLEVEL=%ERRORLEVEL%
If you cannot uninstall Visual Studio by using the uninstallation utility, you can perform a manual uninstallation by removing Visual Studio and then removing related components. For more information, see the Visual Studio Developer Center.
Related Topics
Title |
Description |
|---|---|
Provides information about how to install multiple versions of Visual Studio on the same computer. |
|
Provides information about how to install graphics that can be used in Visual Studio applications. |
|
Provides information about deployment options for Visual Studio. |
|
Provides information about how to install different language versions of Visual Studio. |
|
Troubleshooting Setup and Installation Errors for Visual Studio |
Provides information about how to get help if you encounter installation errors. |
Provides information about how to upgrade from a trial edition to a full edition of Visual Studio 2012. |
|
Provides information about how to locate the product key for your installation of Visual Studio. |
|
Links to documents that can help you use Visual Studio effectively. |
|
Lists certain features that are supported in various versions of Visual Studio. |