msvcup

by Jonathan Marler

A standalone tool for installing the MSVC toolchain and Windows SDK without Visual Studio.

v20260408 MIT zip x64

Install with winget

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and run:

winget install JonathanMarler.msvcup

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1Open PowerShell or Command Prompt
2Paste and run the command above
3Follow any on-screen prompts to complete installation

About msvcup

msvcup is a standalone tool for installing the MSVC toolchain and Windows SDK without Visual Studio. The Visual Studio Installer manages thousands of components, modifies the registry, and can take hours to configure. msvcup treats the toolchain as a versioned asset rather than global system state. The build environment is defined by code, not a GUI. - Fast: Runs in milliseconds when already installed. Put it at the start of every build script. - Reproducible: Lock file ensures everyone gets the same toolchain. - Isolated: Every package is installed to its own versioned directory. No registry modifications. No conflicts. - Cross-compilation: Target x64, arm64, or x86 out of the box. - Minimal: Download only what's needed to get a working native toolchain/SDK.

msvcvcvc++visual-c++

Advanced Install Options

Install (latest)winget install JonathanMarler.msvcup
Install (pinned version)winget install --id JonathanMarler.msvcup -e --version 20260408
Upgradewinget upgrade JonathanMarler.msvcup
Uninstallwinget uninstall JonathanMarler.msvcup

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install msvcup using winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run: winget install JonathanMarler.msvcup. Winget comes pre-installed on Windows 10 (1809+) and Windows 11.
What is msvcup?
A standalone tool for installing the MSVC toolchain and Windows SDK without Visual Studio.
Is msvcup free to use?
msvcup is distributed under the MIT license. Check the publisher’s site for full licensing details.
How do I update msvcup with winget?
Run winget upgrade JonathanMarler.msvcup in PowerShell or Windows Terminal to upgrade to the latest available version.
How do I uninstall msvcup?
Run winget uninstall JonathanMarler.msvcup to remove msvcup from your system.