Installing Visual Studio 2019/2022

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through downloading and installing Visual Studio 2019 or Visual Studio 2022. Visual Studio is the integrated development environment (IDE) required to compile and work with modding projects. This guide covers both Visual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio 2022, though Visual Studio 2022 is recommended for newer systems.

By the end of this tutorial, you will have:

A properly configured Visual Studio installation
All necessary C++ development tools
The correct Windows SDK
An environment ready for programming

Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial, ensure you have:

A Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer
Administrator privileges on your system
At least 8GB of RAM (16GB recommended)
At least 20GB of free disk space
A stable internet connection for downloading Visual Studio

Installing Visual Studio 2022 (Recommended)

Step 1: Download Visual Studio 2022

1. Visit the Visual Studio website

Go to [1](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/)
Click on "Download Visual Studio 2022"

2. Choose your edition

Community Edition (Free) - Recommended for individual developers
Professional Edition (Paid) - For professional development teams
Enterprise Edition (Paid) - For large organizations

3. Download the installer

Click "Download" for your chosen edition
Save the installer file (usually named `vs_community.exe`, `vs_professional.exe`, or `vs_enterprise.exe`)

Step 2: Run the Visual Studio Installer

1. Launch the installer

Navigate to your Downloads folder
Double-click the Visual Studio installer file
If prompted by User Account Control, click "Yes"

Step 3: Select Workloads

1. Choose Desktop Development with C++

In the installer, select the "Desktop development with C++" workload

2. Optional: Additional Components

C++ CMake tools for Windows - Helpful for modern C++ projects
IntelliCode - AI-assisted code completion

3. Verify Windows SDK Selection

Ensure "Windows 10 SDK" or "Windows 11 SDK" is selected
The latest version is recommended (usually selected by default)

Step 4: Installation Process

1. Start Installation

Click "Install" to begin the installation process
The installer will download and install all selected components

2. Wait for Completion

The installer will show progress for each component

3. Restart if Required

Some components may require a system restart
Follow the prompts to restart your computer

Installing Visual Studio 2019 (Alternative)

Step 1: Download Visual Studio 2019

1. Access Visual Studio 2019 Downloads

Go to [2](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/older-downloads/)
Scroll down to "Visual Studio 2019" section
Click "Download" for your preferred edition

2. Download the installer

Save the installer file (usually `vs_community.exe` for Community edition)

Step 2: Install Visual Studio 2019

1. Run the installer

Double-click the downloaded installer
Click "Yes" if prompted by User Account Control

2. Select Workloads

Choose "Desktop development with C++"
Ensure Windows 10 SDK is included
Click "Install"

3. Complete Installation

Wait for the installation to complete
Restart your computer if prompted

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured Visual Studio for Source SDK development. Your development environment now includes:

Visual Studio 2019 or 2022 with C++ development tools
Windows SDK for your operating system
All necessary compilers and build tools
A properly configured IDE ready for programming

Remember to keep Visual Studio updated regularly to ensure compatibility with the latest tools and security updates.

Sources

[3](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/) - Retrieved on 2025-01-19
[4](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/older-downloads/) - Retrieved on 2025-01-19
[5](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/install-visual-studio) - Retrieved on 2025-01-19