Replace enterprise with professional or community as needed.

Visual Studio 2017 (version 15.0) was a landmark release from Microsoft, introducing a lighter core installer and modular workloads. While Microsoft has since moved on to Visual Studio 2019 and 2022, many legacy enterprise applications, game development pipelines (Unity LTS with VS 2017), and embedded systems projects still require this specific version.

Last updated: May 2026. Visual Studio 2017 version 15.9 remains under extended support through April 2027. For the latest information, refer to the official Microsoft documentation archives at learn.microsoft.com.

To create a comprehensive offline installation package, one must open the Command Prompt, navigate to the directory of the downloaded bootstrapper, and execute a command similar to this:

The bootstrapper will scan your existing directory, identify missing or outdated components, and download only the newest files required to bring your offline layout up to date.

Unlike earlier versions of Visual Studio, Microsoft for Visual Studio 2017 and later versions. Instead, Microsoft adopted a modular, always-up-to-date web installer model. However, recognizing that many users face unreliable internet connections, low bandwidth, or need to install on offline computers, Microsoft provided a built-in command-line feature called "--layout" that allows you to download all necessary installation files to a local folder—and from there, you can optionally convert that folder into an ISO image.

To refresh your offline cache with the latest updates:

Copy the entire offline folder (or mount the ISO) to the target computer. Place it in a location with sufficient free space—remember that a typical installation requires 20–50 GB, and full installations can require up to 130 GB.

Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal Step 3: Run the Command to Create a Local Layout

Hit Enter. The bootstrapper will validate, download the manifest, and begin pulling all .vsix , .cab , and .msi files into the C:\VS2017_Offline folder. This can take depending on your speed.

The reasons for creating an offline installer are numerous:

: To save space, download only specific components, such as .NET desktop development: vs_community.exe --layout C:\vs2017layout --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --lang en-US

One of the most powerful features of the layout system is the ability to download instead of everything. This dramatically reduces the download size and the time required.

You can keep a permanent copy of a specific build for long-term project maintenance. Cons:

The is not just a relic; it is a strategic asset for developers working in air-gapped environments, legacy system maintainers, and quality assurance teams that need reproducible build environments. While creating one requires initial bandwidth and careful command-line work, the result is a portable, reliable, and fast installation method that frees you from Microsoft's download servers.

The Visual Studio Installer will open, presenting you with a list of available workloads. Select the workloads that match your development needs—the offline layout contains all the components you previously downloaded.

If you have been looking for an official ISO image of Visual Studio 2017, you have likely discovered that no such file exists on Microsoft's download servers. This article explains why Microsoft made this change, provides detailed step-by-step instructions for creating your own offline installer, and covers everything you need to know about installing VS 2017 in environments without reliable internet access.