When you are ready to install Visual Studio 2019 on the target offline machine, follow these steps:
Right-click vs_community.exe and select .
Creating a local layout for Visual Studio 2019 Community Edition ensures that the development environment remains consistent and allows for installation in secure environments without internet connectivity. It is recommended to archive the offline folder onto a network share or USB drive for future deployments or repairs.
If you only need .NET desktop development, use: vs_community.exe --layout C:\VS2019Layout --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --includeRecommended --lang en-US 3. Install on the Offline Machine When you are ready to install Visual Studio
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found there by double-clicking them (this prevents "invalid signature" errors when offline). Run the installer from the layout folder using the flag to ensure it doesn't try to connect to the internet: C:\VS2019Layout\vs_community.exe --noweb Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Microsoft Learn Important Notes
or simply double-click vs_setup.exe – it will detect the offline layout automatically. If you only need
Install in secure environments (air-gapped systems) without internet access.
Go to the official Visual Studio 2019 download archive (Microsoft Learn) Direct link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/releases/2019/history (Microsoft requires a free dev tools account to download older versions – login with any Microsoft account).
Notes & tips:
To download only specific workloads (recommended to save space): For .NET Desktop & Web Development (roughly 5–10 GB):
The command will download all required packages into c:\vs2019_offline . This can take depending on your internet speed and selected components.
Note: A full layout can exceed 35–45 GB, so ensure you have sufficient disk space. Copied to clipboard Microsoft Learn Important Notes or
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about downloading, creating, and using the offline installation media for Visual Studio 2019 Community Edition.