Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 Install and Uninstall (PowerShell)

This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform silent or interactive installs and uninstalls of Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 using the Powershell App Deployment Toolkit. The PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit can be used to replace your WiseScript, VBScript and Batch wrapper scripts with one versatile, re-usable and extensible tool. This tool is an absolute must for Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager (MEMCM) / (SCCM) Administrators or anyone who is responsible for packaging and deploying software.

How to Install Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 Using the PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit

  1. Download the Powershell App Deployment Toolkit 3.8.4:
  2. Download the zip file to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
  3. Open Windows PowerShell by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell and selecting Run as Administrator
  4. Enter the following command to remove the Zone.Identifier:
    • Unblock-File -Path C:\Downloads\PSAppDeployToolkit_v3.8.4.zip
  5. Enter the following command to extract the contents of the zip file:
    • Expand-Archive -Path C:\Downloads\PSAppDeployToolkit_v3.8.4.zip -DestinationPath C:\Downloads\PADT
  6. Enter the following commands to copy the AppDeployToolkit & Files folders to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022”:
    • Copy-Item -Path "C:\Downloads\PADT\Toolkit\AppDeployToolkit" -Destination "C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022\AppDeployToolkit" -Recurse
    • Copy-Item -Path "C:\Downloads\PADT\Toolkit\Files" -Destination "C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022\Files"

You should now see the AppDeploymentToolkit folder with files & the empty Files folder at “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022”

Next we’ll want to download the EXE installer for Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 & create a response file.

  • Navigate to: https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vs_BuildTools.exe
  • Download the vs_BuildTools.exe to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
  • Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
  • Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
  • Enter the following command to extract the setup files:
    • vs_BuildTools.exe --layout .\vs_BuildTools_Setup
  • Copy the contents of the “C:\Downloads\vs_BuildTools_Setup” folder to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022\Files\”
  • Open Notepad or your favorite text editor
  • Add the following lines:
{
  "installChannelUri": ".\\ChannelManifest.json",
  "channelUri": "https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/channel",
  "installCatalogUri": ".\\Catalog.json",
  "channelId": "VisualStudio.17.Release",
  "productId": "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Product.BuildTools",

  "includeRecommended": true,
  "includeOptional": true,
  "quiet": true,
  "norestart": true,

  "addProductLang": [
    "en-US"
    ],

    "add": [
        "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.AzureBuildTools",
        "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.DataBuildTools",
        "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktopBuildTools",
        "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.MSBuildTools",
        "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NodeBuildTools",
        "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.OfficeBuildTools",
	"Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.UniversalBuildTools",
	"Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools",
	"Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtensionBuildTools",
	"Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.WebBuildTools",
	"Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.XamarinBuildTools"
    ]
}
  • Save the file to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022\Files\” and name it: CustomInstall.json
  • Copy the PowerShell script below to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022 & name it Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1
<#
.SYNOPSIS
	This script performs the installation or uninstallation of Visual Studio Build Tools 2022.
	# LICENSE #
	PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit - Provides a set of functions to perform common application deployment tasks on Windows.
	Copyright (C) 2019 - Sean Lillis, Dan Cunningham, Muhammad Mashwani, Aman Motazedian.
	This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
	You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
.DESCRIPTION
	The script is provided as a template to perform an install or uninstall of an application(s).
	The script either performs an "Install" deployment type or an "Uninstall" deployment type.
	The install deployment type is broken down into 3 main sections/phases: Pre-Install, Install, and Post-Install.
	The script dot-sources the AppDeployToolkitMain.ps1 script which contains the logic and functions required to install or uninstall an application.
.PARAMETER DeploymentType
	The type of deployment to perform. Default is: Install.
.PARAMETER DeployMode
	Specifies whether the installation should be run in Interactive, Silent, or NonInteractive mode. Default is: Interactive. Options: Interactive = Shows dialogs, Silent = No dialogs, NonInteractive = Very silent, i.e. no blocking apps. NonInteractive mode is automatically set if it is detected that the process is not user interactive.
.PARAMETER AllowRebootPassThru
	Allows the 3010 return code (requires restart) to be passed back to the parent process (e.g. SCCM) if detected from an installation. If 3010 is passed back to SCCM, a reboot prompt will be triggered.
.PARAMETER TerminalServerMode
	Changes to "user install mode" and back to "user execute mode" for installing/uninstalling applications for Remote Destkop Session Hosts/Citrix servers.
.PARAMETER DisableLogging
	Disables logging to file for the script. Default is: $false.
.EXAMPLE
    PowerShell.exe .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Install" -DeployMode "NonInteractive"
.EXAMPLE
    PowerShell.exe .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Install" -DeployMode "Silent"
.EXAMPLE
    PowerShell.exe .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Install" -DeployMode "Interactive"
.EXAMPLE
    PowerShell.exe .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Uninstall" -DeployMode "NonInteractive"
.EXAMPLE
    PowerShell.exe .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Uninstall" -DeployMode "Silent"
.EXAMPLE
    PowerShell.exe .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Uninstall" -DeployMode "Interactive"
.NOTES
	Toolkit Exit Code Ranges:
	60000 - 68999: Reserved for built-in exit codes in Deploy-Application.ps1, Deploy-Application.exe, and AppDeployToolkitMain.ps1
	69000 - 69999: Recommended for user customized exit codes in Deploy-Application.ps1
	70000 - 79999: Recommended for user customized exit codes in AppDeployToolkitExtensions.ps1
.LINK
	http://psappdeploytoolkit.com
#>
[CmdletBinding()]
Param (
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
	[ValidateSet('Install','Uninstall','Repair')]
	[string]$DeploymentType = 'Install',
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
	[ValidateSet('Interactive','Silent','NonInteractive')]
	[string]$DeployMode = 'Interactive',
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
	[switch]$AllowRebootPassThru = $false,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
	[switch]$TerminalServerMode = $false,
	[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
	[switch]$DisableLogging = $false
)

Try {
	## Set the script execution policy for this process
	Try { Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy 'ByPass' -Scope 'Process' -Force -ErrorAction 'Stop' } Catch {}

	##*===============================================
	##* VARIABLE DECLARATION
	##*===============================================
	## Variables: Application
	[string]$appVendor = 'Microsoft Corporation'
	[string]$appName = 'Visual Studio Build Tools 2022'
	[string]$appVersion = ''
	[string]$appArch = ''
	[string]$appLang = ''
	[string]$appRevision = ''
	[string]$appScriptVersion = '1.0.0'
	[string]$appScriptDate = 'XX/XX/20XX'
	[string]$appScriptAuthor = 'Jason Bergner'
	##*===============================================
	## Variables: Install Titles (Only set here to override defaults set by the toolkit)
	[string]$installName = ''
	[string]$installTitle = 'Visual Studio Build Tools 2022'

	##* Do not modify section below
	#region DoNotModify

	## Variables: Exit Code
	[int32]$mainExitCode = 0

	## Variables: Script
	[string]$deployAppScriptFriendlyName = 'Deploy Application'
	[version]$deployAppScriptVersion = [version]'3.8.4'
	[string]$deployAppScriptDate = '26/01/2021'
	[hashtable]$deployAppScriptParameters = $psBoundParameters

	## Variables: Environment
	If (Test-Path -LiteralPath 'variable:HostInvocation') { $InvocationInfo = $HostInvocation } Else { $InvocationInfo = $MyInvocation }
	[string]$scriptDirectory = Split-Path -Path $InvocationInfo.MyCommand.Definition -Parent

	## Dot source the required App Deploy Toolkit Functions
	Try {
		[string]$moduleAppDeployToolkitMain = "$scriptDirectory\AppDeployToolkit\AppDeployToolkitMain.ps1"
		If (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $moduleAppDeployToolkitMain -PathType 'Leaf')) { Throw "Module does not exist at the specified location [$moduleAppDeployToolkitMain]." }
		If ($DisableLogging) { . $moduleAppDeployToolkitMain -DisableLogging } Else { . $moduleAppDeployToolkitMain }
	}
	Catch {
		If ($mainExitCode -eq 0){ [int32]$mainExitCode = 60008 }
		Write-Error -Message "Module [$moduleAppDeployToolkitMain] failed to load: `n$($_.Exception.Message)`n `n$($_.InvocationInfo.PositionMessage)" -ErrorAction 'Continue'
		## Exit the script, returning the exit code to SCCM
		If (Test-Path -LiteralPath 'variable:HostInvocation') { $script:ExitCode = $mainExitCode; Exit } Else { Exit $mainExitCode }
	}

	#endregion
	##* Do not modify section above
	##*===============================================
	##* END VARIABLE DECLARATION
	##*===============================================

	If ($deploymentType -ine 'Uninstall' -and $deploymentType -ine 'Repair') {
		##*===============================================
		##* PRE-INSTALLATION
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Pre-Installation'

		## Show Welcome Message
		Show-InstallationWelcome

		## Show Progress Message (with the default message)
		Show-InstallationProgress
   
		##*===============================================
		##* INSTALLATION
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Installation'

        ## Install Visual Studio Build Tools 2022
        $ExePath = Get-ChildItem -Path "$dirFiles" -Include vs_setup.exe -File -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        If($ExePath.Exists)
        {
        Write-Log -Message "Found $($ExePath.FullName), now attempting to install $installTitle."
        Show-InstallationProgress "Installing Visual Studio Build Tools 2022. This may take some time. Please wait..."
        Execute-Process -Path "$ExePath" -Parameters "--quiet --nocache --wait --in $dirFiles\CustomInstall.json" -WindowStyle Hidden   
        }
       
		##*===============================================
		##* POST-INSTALLATION
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Post-Installation'

	}
	ElseIf ($deploymentType -ieq 'Uninstall')
	{
		##*===============================================
		##* PRE-UNINSTALLATION
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Pre-Uninstallation'

		## Show Welcome Message
		Show-InstallationWelcome

        ## Show Progress Message (With a Message to Indicate the Application is Being Uninstalled)
        Show-InstallationProgress -StatusMessage "Uninstalling $installTitle. Please Wait..."


		##*===============================================
		##* UNINSTALLATION
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Uninstallation'

        ## Uninstall Visual Studio Build Tools 2022
        $VSBuildTools = ((Get-InstalledApplication -Name 'Visual Studio Build Tools 2022').UninstallString -split '" ').Trim('"')
        If ($VSBuildTools) {
        $VSBuildToolsUninst = $VSBuildTools[0]
        $VSBuildToolsParams = $VSBuildTools[1]
        Execute-Process -Path $VSBuildToolsUninst -Parameters "$VSBuildToolsParams"" --quiet --norestart" -WindowStyle Hidden
        }

        ## Uninstall Windows Software Development Kit
        $WinSDK = Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\*" -Include winsdksetup.exe -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        If($WinSDK.Exists)
        {
        Write-Log -Message "Found $($WinSDK.FullName), now attempting to uninstall Windows Software Development Kit."
        Execute-Process -Path "$WinSDK" -Parameters "/uninstall /quiet" -WindowStyle Hidden
        }

        Remove-MSIApplications -Name 'Microsoft Web Deploy 4.0'
        Remove-MSIApplications -Name 'Windows SDK'
        Remove-MSIApplications -Name 'Windows Mobile Connectivity Tools'
        Remove-MSIApplications -Name 'Workflow Manager Client 1.0'
        Remove-MSIApplications -Name 'Universal CRT Tools'
        Remove-MSIApplications -Name 'Windows App Certification Kit Native Components'
        Remove-MSIApplications -Name 'Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime'

        ## Uninstall Microsoft Visual Studio Installer
        $VSInstaller = ((Get-InstalledApplication -Name 'Microsoft Visual Studio Installer').UninstallString -split '" ').Trim('"')
        If ($VSInstaller) {
        $VSInstallerUninst = $VSInstaller[0]
        $VSInstallerParams = $VSInstaller[1]
        Execute-Process -Path $VSInstallerUninst -Parameters "$VSInstallerParams --quiet" -WindowStyle Hidden
        }

		##*===============================================
		##* POST-UNINSTALLATION
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Post-Uninstallation'


	}
	ElseIf ($deploymentType -ieq 'Repair')
	{
		##*===============================================
		##* PRE-REPAIR
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Pre-Repair'


		##*===============================================
		##* REPAIR
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Repair'


		##*===============================================
		##* POST-REPAIR
		##*===============================================
		[string]$installPhase = 'Post-Repair'


    }
	##*===============================================
	##* END SCRIPT BODY
	##*===============================================

	## Call the Exit-Script function to perform final cleanup operations
	Exit-Script -ExitCode $mainExitCode
}
Catch {
	[int32]$mainExitCode = 60001
	[string]$mainErrorMessage = "$(Resolve-Error)"
	Write-Log -Message $mainErrorMessage -Severity 3 -Source $deployAppScriptFriendlyName
	Show-DialogBox -Text $mainErrorMessage -Icon 'Stop'
	Exit-Script -ExitCode $mainExitCode
}

Ok, all the hard work is done and now you can install or uninstall Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 using one single PowerShell script. Simply change the DeploymentType parameter to install or uninstall. Logging functionality is built-in automatically and you can view the log files under “C:\Windows\Logs\Software”.


Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 NonInteractive Install (PowerShell)

NonInteractive means Very Silent, i.e. no blocking apps. This is automatically set if it is detected that the process is not running in the user session and it is not possible for anyone to provide input using a mouse or keyboard.

  • Open Windows PowerShell by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell and selecting Run as Administrator
  • Change the directory to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022”
    • PS C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022>
  • Enter the following command:
Powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Install" -DeployMode "NonInteractive"

Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 Silent Install (PowerShell)

Silent means no dialogs (progress and balloon tip notifications are suppressed).

  • Open Windows PowerShell by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell and selecting Run as Administrator
  • Change the directory to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022
    • PS C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022>
  • Enter the following command:
Powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Install" -DeployMode "Silent"

Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 Interactive Install (PowerShell)

Interactive means the install will show dialogs including progress and balloon tip notifications.

  • Open Windows PowerShell by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell and selecting Run as Administrator
  • Change the directory to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022”
    • PS C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022>
  • Enter the following command:
Powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Install" -DeployMode "Interactive"

How to Uninstall Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 Using the PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit

Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 NonInteractive Uninstall (PowerShell)

NonInteractive means Very Silent, i.e. no blocking apps. This is automatically set if it is detected that the process is not running in the user session and it is not possible for anyone to provide input using a mouse or keyboard.

  • Open Windows PowerShell by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell and selecting Run as Administrator
  • Change the directory to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022
    • PS C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022>
  • Enter the following command:
Powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Uninstall" -DeployMode "NonInteractive"

Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 Silent Uninstall (PowerShell)

Silent means no dialogs (progress and balloon tip notifications are suppressed).

  • Open Windows PowerShell by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell and selecting Run as Administrator
  • Change the directory to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022
    • PS C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022>
  • Enter the following command:
Powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Uninstall" -DeployMode "Silent"

Visual Studio Build Tools 2022 Interactive Uninstall (PowerShell)

Interactive means the install will show dialogs including progress and balloon tip notifications.

  • Open Windows PowerShell by Right-Clicking on Windows PowerShell and selecting Run as Administrator
  • Change the directory to “C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022
    • PS C:\Downloads\VSBuildTools2022>
  • Enter the following command:
Powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass .\Deploy-VSBuildTools2022.ps1 -DeploymentType "Uninstall" -DeployMode "Interactive"

Always make sure to test everything in a development environment prior to implementing anything into production. The information in this article is provided “As Is” without warranty of any kind.

Jason Bergner

I am an accomplished Software Engineer at Patch My PC, leveraging more than 18 years of hands-on experience in Configuration Manager administration and application packaging. I am driven by a genuine passion for solving complex problems and consistently strive to discover innovative and effective solutions. Sharing my extensive knowledge of application deployments is a true joy for me, and I am honored to contribute to the community here at Silent Install HQ.

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