Find and get information on Visual Studio versions 2017 and newer with optional additional criteria such as version, channel, or installed workloads.
Publisher’s description
What is Visual Studio Locator?
Visual Studio Locator by Microsoft Corporation is open-source Windows software. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 32-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 3.1.7, released on July 5, 2023. The version history goes back to June 2, 2022: 4 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 3.7 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 336,250 times. The source code on GitHub (microsoft/vswhere) has 995 stars.
Project description on GitHub: “Locate Visual Studio 2017 and newer installations”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- No update for more than a year
In short: Visual Studio Locator is an open-source Windows tool for 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down.
Is Visual Studio Locator safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
C54F3B7C9164EA9A0DB8641E81ECDDA80C2664EF5A47C4191406F848CC07C662· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the microsoft/vswhere repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Security policy10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Code review9
- Branch protection8
- Static code analysis1
- Actively maintained0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 4 versions ›4 versions over 1 year · about 3.7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1.7Latest | July 5, 2023 | — | 32-bit Portable |
| 3.1.4 | April 25, 2023 | — | 32-bit Portable |
| 3.1.1 | November 15, 2022 | — | 32-bit Portable |
| 3.0.3.9285 | June 2, 2022 | — | 32-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudio.Locator -echoco install vswhere -yscoop install main/vswhereProgram files (.exe): vswhere.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Microsoft Corporation
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/microsoft/vswhere
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 3.1.7
- Released
- July 5, 2023
- Added to the catalogue
- August 17, 2022
- Versions listed
- 4
- Updates / year
- 3.7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 336,250
- GitHub stars
- 995
- GitHub forks
- 105
- winget ID
- Microsoft.VisualStudio.Locator
- Chocolatey package
- vswhere
- Scoop package
- main/vswhere
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Visual Studio Locator free?
Yes. Visual Studio Locator is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is Visual Studio Locator safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Visual Studio Locator with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does Visual Studio Locator run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Visual Studio Locator?
The versions page lists all 4 versions with links to their official installer files, back to June 2, 2022.
Can I use Visual Studio Locator without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
