Before running the main setup on an offline machine, you must install the security certificates packaged within the layout folder. If you skip this, Windows may block the installation due to missing internet verification. Open your offline layout folder ( Layout ). Open the subfolder named .
vs_community.exe --layout C:\vs2019layout --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --includeRecommended --lang en-US Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Phase 3: Install on the Offline Machine
An offline layout offers several distinct operational advantages for developers and IT administrators:
Use the cd command to navigate to the folder where your vs_community.exe file is saved. For example: cd C:\Users\YourUsername\Downloads Use code with caution. Before running the main setup on an offline
An offline installer—also known as a network layout—offers several advantages over the standard web-based installer:
⚠️ Do not use the “Visual Studio 2022” link – that’s a newer major version.
vs_community.exe --layout c:\vs2019_offline --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --lang en-US Open the subfolder named
: Ideal for secure corporate environments, remote locations, or isolated development labs.
Install from the layout on the offline machine:
This method allows you to download specific workloads, language packs, or everything. right-click each certificate file
You need the initial setup file for Visual Studio 2019 Community. Go to the Visual Studio Older Downloads page .
Open and navigate to the folder containing vs_community.exe . Then run:
An offline installation layout—also known as a network layout—offers several advantages for developers and system administrators:
Once the command line finishes downloading all the necessary files, your offline installer is ready. You can move the destination folder ( C:\VS2019Offline ) to a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, or a local network share. To perform the actual installation on your target machine:
When installing in completely air-gapped environments, Windows might not be able to verify the digital signatures of the installer packages. Go to the certificates subfolder inside your offline layout, right-click each certificate file, select , and place them into the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store before running setup. Updating Your Offline Layout
