Microsoft Build Tools 2022 Here
"Build Tools = compilers + MSBuild – the kitchen sink." Did this help you? Let me know your favorite Build Tools 2022 tips in the comments.
| What you need | Workload ID | |---------------|-------------| | Just MSBuild | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.MSBuildTools | | C++ desktop | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools | | .NET desktop build | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktopBuildTools | | Windows 10/11 SDK | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows11SDK.22621 | microsoft build tools 2022
# For x64 native & "C:\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat" cl.exe /EHsc /Fe:hello.exe hello.cpp FROM mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2022 AS build ADD https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vs_buildtools.exe vs_buildtools.exe RUN vs_buildtools.exe --quiet --wait --norestart --installPath C:\BuildTools ` --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools ` --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows10SDK.20348 WORKDIR C:\src COPY . . RUN C:\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe MyApp.sln Pitfalls to Avoid (Saves Hours) | Pitfall | Solution | |---------|----------| | Missing SDK | Build fails with "windows.h not found" . Explicitly add the Windows SDK component. | | Path too long | Install to C:\BuildTools (not Program Files ). Long paths break older projects. | | No vswhere.exe | Unlike full VS, Build Tools alone may lack vswhere . Install Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.CMake.Project if you need instance detection. | | Running in PowerShell without --wait | Installer returns immediately → build runs against incomplete tools. Always use Start-Process -Wait or the --wait flag. | Verifying Your Installation Run this quick check after install: "Build Tools = compilers + MSBuild – the kitchen sink
You get a vs_BuildTools.exe (~2 MB bootstrapper). vs_BuildTools.exe --quiet --wait --norestart --installPath C:\BuildTools ` --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.MSBuildTools ` --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools ` --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64 ` --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows10SDK.20348 ` --includeRecommended Workload IDs for common scenarios: | | Path too long | Install to
$msbuild = "C:\BuildTools\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe" & $msbuild -version