Visual Studio 2022 features a text editor, profiler, interface for GUI apps, IntelliSense, and code completion. Programmers use this tool to develop a wide variety of desktop and mobile applications, websites and web services, and other computer programs. Furthermore, it aims to be accessible to software developers with varying experience levels.

If this sounds interesting to you, getting it set up on Windows can be tricky. As such, read on to learn how to install this IDE on Windows 10 while avoiding common pitfalls.

Why Should You Install Visual Studio 2022?

Visual Studio is a powerful IDE that supports several programming languages. Moreover, it integrates database and cloud computing tools, including Azure, SQL, and SQLite. Visual Studio 2022 promises several upgrades from the 2019 version, including better performance and reduced demand for memory.

Other reasons to install Visual Studio are:

  • Improved code completion.
  • Better accessibility.
  • A Hot Reload button for more productive development.
  • C++20 support and build tools.
  • More powerful debugger.
  • A free community edition.

The Visual Studio 2022 Installation Guide

If you're ready to go, here's how to get started with Visual Studio 2022 on Windows 10.

1. Download the Installer

Microsoft provides an installer on the Visual Studio website for installing the latest versions of their IDE. Navigate to the Visual Studio web page and select the version you want to download. The installer is the same regardless of which version you choose.

Download page being displayed on the Visual Studio website

2. Upgrade and Launch the Installer

After downloading the installer, navigate to the download location on your computer and open the executable. Ensure you have a stable internet connection as the installer might make a quick upgrade.

Once the installer has upgraded, it will launch the download menu. The menu shows the currently installed versions of Visual Studio and the versions available for download.

3. Select the Visual Studio Version You Want to Install

Visual Studio installer showing various versions

The installer provides several versions of Visual Studio for you to download. As such, you can download the Enterprise, Professional, and Community editions of Visual Studio 2017, 2019, and 2022. We will focus on the 2022 version in this article. However, the process is largely similar for all the versions.

Click on the Install button on the section for your choice Visual Studio 2022 edition and wait for the installer to load the installation menu. You can also import or export a configuration for components and workloads using the More button. Nevertheless, we will ignore this button and make a new selection of components for ourselves.

4. Add Components to the Base Installation

Visual Studio installer showing workloads

Visual Studio is a general-purpose IDE that supports more than 36 programming languages. In addition, it provides several APIs, SDKs, and frameworks from Microsoft.

Consequently, the full installation can become bloated and take up unnecessary space on your computer storage. To prevent this, the installer allows you to choose which features you want to add to the core editor.

Visual Studio provides hundreds of individual components to install. However, selecting them can quickly become unwieldy and tiresome. Fortunately, the installer groups these components into workloads with clear names and descriptions. Some of the more notable workloads include:

  • .NET Desktop Development: For C#, F#, and Visual Basic application development. It includes a GUI interface for creating windows forms applications and the .NET profiler.
  • Game Development With Unity: For C# programming on the Unity game engine. It includes the Unity Hub installer.
  • Azure Development: Installs all the components needed for the Azure cloud computing service.
  • Desktop Development With C++: For building powerful cross-platform desktop apps with the C++ programming language. It includes MSVC v143 build tools and C++ profiling tools.
  • Visual Studio Extension Development: Provides all the tools needed to create add-ons, plugins, and extensions for the Visual Studio 2022 IDE.

In addition to components, you can also add language packs such as Spanish, Chinese or Turkish. Finally, you can select the installation locations for Visual Studio 2022. We recommend leaving it as the default unless you wish to install it on a separate storage device.

5. Install the Selected Components

After selecting your desired components, click on the Install button in the menu’s bottom-right corner. You can also view how much storage space the installation would require within that section.

Furthermore, you can select one of two installation configurations. Install while downloading is recommended for fast internet connections. Alternatively, you should opt for Download all, then install if you have a slower internet connection.

The Visual Studio 2022 Post-Installation Setup

Visual Studio start menu

The installation for Visual Studio 2022 may take several minutes to an hour, depending on your internet connection. After the installation, you can open up the IDE by searching for it in your Windows search bar.

Once opened, you can customize the editor's layout and appearance to your tastes. Navigate to the View tab at the top portion of the editor to discover the various windows available to you.

One of the most important windows is View > Solution Explorer, which shows your files and project hierarchy. Most programmers prefer to dock this window on the left portion of the editor.

Another important window is View > Output which shows your build results. You can dock this window on the bottom portion of the editor.

Furthermore, you can change the editor theme by navigating to Tools > Theme and choosing your preferred theme. You can also change the font type and size by navigating to Tools > Options > Environment > Fonts and Colors and adjusting the settings to your taste.

Visual Studio editor showing font settings.

Top Visual Studio Extensions for Beginners

Your Visual Studio experience is not complete without several extensions to aid your programming. These extensions add various functionalities to the IDE, including code analysis, IntelliSense, and aesthetically pleasing themes.

You can install extensions into Visual Studio by navigating to the Extensions > Manage Extensions tab and browsing through them in the search bar. Some of the best Visual Studio 2022 extensions you can obtain as a beginner programmer include:

  • Resharper: This code analysis and refactoring extension from JetBrains greatly improves the productivity of C# and C++ programmers. It also performs code generation, formatting, and cleanup.
  • Visual Studio Spell Checker: This extension checks the spelling of words in comments, string literals, variable names, and plain text. It provides helpful corrections to misspelled words without obstructing the programmer.
  • Trailing Whitespace Visualizer: This extension highlights trailing white spaces within your code and deletes them with a simple keyboard shortcut.
  • Visual Assist: Unreal Engine programmers value this extension for refactoring, code analysis and IntelliSense. It boosts Visual Studio’s functionalities, making the IDE even better for programmers.
  • Code Maid: This free extension simplifies code files for all languages Visual Studio supports. It cleans up unused white space, organizes imports, and reorganizes file layouts to match static analysis tools.

Programming In Visual Studio

Finally, you have installed Visual Studio on your Windows computer and are itching to test it. Creating a windows form application is one of the best beginner projects you can try out on Visual Studio.

Fortunately for you, Visual Studio 2022 provides all the tools you need for this project. This project also provides an excellent opportunity to learn C# programming.

If you feel like a full-fledged IDE is too much for your purposes, you can try text editors for Windows users. One popular option is Visual Studio Code, which is a lightweight but powerful editor. It can also hook into Visual Studio's tools for building and debugging capabilities.