Microsoft: Visual Studio 2019 Community Edition Offline !!top!! Download

Technical Report

Subject: Acquisition and Deployment of Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 Community Edition (Offline Installer)

Date: October 26, 2023

Prepared For: IT Department / System Administrators / Development Team

Purpose: To provide a procedural guide for creating an offline installation package for Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 Community Edition. This method is essential for deploying the software on machines without internet access or for maintaining a consistent installation baseline across multiple workstations. Method 2: Using the Visual Studio Installer GUI

8. Troubleshooting Common Offline Issues

| Problem | Solution | |---------|----------| | Bootstrapper says "Layout corrupted" | Delete the layout folder and re-run the command. | | Missing language pack | Add --lang parameter or download the missing pack via --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.LanguagePack.en-US | | Installer still tries to download | Ensure you launched vs_community.exe from inside the layout folder, not the original bootstrapper. | | Certificate errors | Update Windows root certificates or install the latest Windows updates. |

Method 2: Using the Visual Studio Installer GUI (Simpler but Limited)

If you are uncomfortable with command lines: Minimal example (all languages

  1. Run the vs_community.exe bootstrapper normally.
  2. The Visual Studio Installer will launch. On the Workloads tab, select everything you need.
  3. On the bottom right, click the Download all, then install dropdown.
  4. Select Download all, then install.
  5. The installer will download all required files to a temporary cache (usually C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\VisualStudio\Packages).
  6. After download completes, cancel the installation. Copy the entire cache folder to your backup location or USB drive.

Disadvantage: This method is messy, duplicates files, and is harder to customize. Method 1 is strongly preferred.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before You Start

Step-by-step: Create an offline layout

  1. Download the Visual Studio 2019 Community bootstrapper:
    • File name: vs_community.exe
  2. Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as administrator).
  3. Create a layout folder and run the layout command:
    • Minimal example (all languages, all packages): 
      vs_community.exe --layout C:\VS2019Offline --lang en-US
    • Select specific workloads to reduce size (example for .NET desktop and C++): 
      vs_community.exe --layout C:\VS2019Offline --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --lang en-US
    • Add specific components by ID if needed: 
      vs_community.exe --layout C:\VS2019Offline --add Microsoft.Component.Windows10SDK.18362 --add Microsoft.Net.Component.4.7.2.SDK --lang en-US
  4. Wait for the layout creation to finish. The tool will download required packages into the layout folder.

4. How to Obtain the Official Offline Download (Layout)

Microsoft does not provide a single monolithic ISO for VS 2019 Community anymore. Instead, you create your own offline cache using the Visual Studio Bootstrapper. File name: vs_community.exe

Option 1: Official Web Installer (Bootstrap)

This is the standard method provided by Microsoft. You download a small file, run it, and select the workloads you need. It will download the rest of the files during installation.

(Note: You may need to sign in with a free Microsoft account to access the "Older Downloads" section. Look for "Visual Studio Community 2019" in the list.)