The most popular and lightweight solution is to use the . The Windows SDK 7.1 contains the exact same compiler tools found in Visual Studio 2010, including support for both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) development. Unlike the Visual Studio 2010 Express edition, the SDK also includes the AMD64 compiler tools.
If you are using a modern version of Visual Studio (such as Visual Studio 2019 or 2022), you can install legacy toolsets directly through the . Open the Visual Studio Installer . Click Modify on your current installation. Navigate to the Individual Components tab. Search for MSVC v100 - VS 2010 C++ build tools . Check the box and click Modify to download and install.
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" x86 -vcvars_ver=10.0
Disclaimer: As Visual Studio 2010 is legacy software, always ensure you are downloading installers from legitimate sources to avoid security risks.
If you do not have an MSDN subscription, Microsoft bundled the standalone Visual Studio 2010 C++ compilers and MSBuild 4.0 inside the . Installing this SDK provides the exact v100 toolset binaries. Visit the official Microsoft Download Center.
This update, a file approximately 121 MB in size, is typically named vc-compiler-kb2519277.exe . Like the SDK itself, its official download page may be retired, but the file can often be found through the Microsoft Update Catalog or by searching for the KB article number .
: Presence of newer .NET Frameworks or Visual C++ Runtimes.
During custom installation, uncheck the IDE components and select only the .
If you do not strictly require the 2010 compiler, right-click your project in Visual Studio and select "Retarget solution"
The initial release of Windows SDK 7.1 had a bug that removed compilers if Visual Studio 2010 SP1 was present. Microsoft released a patch to fix this. Download the .