Download and use Visual Studio if you don't have access to downloads
If your subscription is provided to you by your work or school, or you're in a special program that provides limited subscriptions, you might not have access to software downloads and product keys in the subscription portal.
Even if you don't have the ability to download Visual Studio from the portal and activate it with a product key, you can use it if it's part of your subscription. All you need to do is download Visual Studio from the Visual Studio website and sign in. This article details the steps for doing that.
Download Visual Studio from the Visual Studio page
The first step is to download the Visual Studio installer package from the Visual Studio page instead of from the subscription portal.
- Connect to https://visualstudio.microsoft.com.
- In the "Meet the Visual Studio family section, locate the version of Visual Studio you want to install.
- Select the Download Visual Studio drop-down and select the version included in your subscription.
- The installer package is downloaded to the default downloads folder on your computer.
- Start the installer.
Sign into Visual Studio
After Visual Studio is installed, you'll need to launch it to sign in.
- Launch Visual Studio.
- You're prompted to sign in to your account. Use the email address to which the subscription was assigned. (This address is normally the one where you received a notification that a subscription was assigned to you.)
That's all there is to it. As long as you're signed in your computer, Visual Studio recognizes you automatically. If you restart your computer, you're prompted to sign in again.
Support resources
- For assistance with sales, subscriptions, accounts, and billing for Visual Studio Subscriptions, see Visual Studio Subscriptions support.
- Need help with Visual Studio? Visit Visual Studio support.
See also
Next steps
Get the most out of your subscription. Activate these great benefits if they're included in your Visual Studio subscription: