Welcome, developer. You have stumbled upon one of the most specific and strangely elusive artifacts in the Visual Studio ecosystem.
Prerequisites:
- Operating system: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (up to version 1607, but newer Windows 10/11 may still work with compatibility settings).
- Disk space: ~2.5 GB free.
- Administrator rights: Required for installing system-wide redistributables.
- .NET Framework 4.6: The installer will automatically fetch this if missing, but pre-installing is faster.
vs_isolatedshell.exe /Layout D:\VS2015ShellOffline
Most developers know the "Integrated" shell—the one that lets you add a language service to the existing Visual Studio interface. But Elias needed the "Isolated" version. He needed to brand it. He needed his company’s logo on the splash screen, not Microsoft’s. He needed the application to look like his product, not like a plugin for someone else's.
The Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 Shell (Isolated) is a standalone version of the Visual Studio 2015 IDE that allows developers to create custom development environments for specific tasks or projects. Unlike the full version of Visual Studio 2015, which includes a wide range of tools and features, the Shell (Isolated) version is a stripped-down version that provides only the essential components.
Locate Version 2015: Scroll to the "Visual Studio 2015" section to download the vs_isoshell.exe installer. Installation Prerequisites
“It is good software all round but I have had a few issues with it... it is very user friendly though.” Spiceworks Community · 10 years ago Technical Details Developer: Microsoft Corporation. Target OS: Windows (Desktop, Mobile, Cloud).
Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 Shell (Isolated) — Short Review and Download Guidance
Summary