This guide is intended for build engineers, IT administrators, or developers who need to set up build environments on machines without internet access (e.g., secure labs, CI build servers, air-gapped networks).

vs_BuildTools.exe --noweb --quiet --wait --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools --includeRecommended

For incremental updates to target machines, use:

On the , run:

--layout parameter to download the necessary files. Microsoft Learn +1 Common Command Examples: Minimal .NET Desktop Tools: vs_buildtools.exe --layout C:\VSLayout --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktopBuildTools --lang en-US C++ Build Tools (approx. 3GB): vs_buildtools.exe --layout C:\VSLayout --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktopBuildTools --includeRecommended --lang en-US Complete Layout (45GB+): vs_buildtools.exe --layout C:\VSLayout Microsoft Learn +4 3. Install Certificates (Critical for Offline) If the target machine is completely offline, the installer may fail due to missing signatures. You must manually install the certificates located in the layout folder: Microsoft Learn Navigate to the