How to Downgrade Visual Studio 2019: A Beginner’s Guide

Visual Studio 2019 is an incredibly powerful and robust IDE used to develop desktop, mobile, web, and cloud applications for various platforms. However, you may want to use an earlier version of the software, such as Visual Studio 2017 or 2015. In this article, we will guide you through the process of downgrading Visual Studio 2019 to an earlier version. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Uninstall Visual Studio 2019

Before installing an earlier version of Visual Studio, you need to uninstall the current version from your computer. To do this:

1. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu.
2. Click on Programs and Features.
3. Find Visual Studio 2019 from the list of installed programs.
4. Select Visual Studio 2019 and click Uninstall.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.

Note: Uninstalling Visual Studio 2019 may take several minutes, depending on your system configuration. Be patient and don’t interrupt the process.

Step 2: Download an Earlier Version of Visual Studio

After uninstalling Visual Studio 2019, you need to download the earlier version of the IDE you want to use. To do this:

1. Visit the Microsoft website and search for Visual Studio 2017 or 2015.
2. Locate the version you want to download and click on the download link.
3. Save the installation file to your computer.

Note: Make sure you download the correct version of Visual Studio for your operating system (32-bit or 64-bit).

Step 3: Install the Earlier Version of Visual Studio

Now that you have the installation file for the earlier version of Visual Studio, you can begin the installation process. To do this:

1. Double-click on the installation file you downloaded in Step 2.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.
3. Choose the installation options you prefer, such as the location to install the software and the components you want to include.
4. Click Install to start the installation process.
5. Once the installation is complete, click Finish.

Note: The installation process may take several minutes, depending on your system configuration.

Step 4: Update Visual Studio

After you have installed the earlier version of Visual Studio, you need to update it to the latest version to ensure that you have all the bug fixes and security updates. To do this:

1. Open Visual Studio and go to Help > Check for updates.
2. Visual Studio will check for updates and download any available updates.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the updates.
4. Once the updates are installed, restart Visual Studio.

Note: You may need to repeat this process several times to download all the available updates.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shown you how to downgrade Visual Studio 2019 to an earlier version. We hope this guide has been helpful and that you can now use the version of Visual Studio that suits your needs best. Remember to check for updates regularly to ensure that your software is up-to-date with the latest security and bug fixes. Happy coding!