Use the standalone C++ Build Tools for a CLI-only portable-ish setup.
💡 : If you must use the full 2015 IDE on multiple machines, consider using a Virtual Machine (VM) or a Windows To Go drive to keep the entire OS environment portable. To help you better, would you like: A guide on setting up VS Code Portable ? To know if a specific legacy project can run in VS 2022? Links to the official VS 2015 ISO downloads? Visual Studio 2015 Portable
: Minimal registry footprint compared to the massive 10GB+ official installer. Use the standalone C++ Build Tools for a
Microsoft does not offer an official "portable" version of the full Visual Studio 2015 Integrated Development Environment (IDE) To know if a specific legacy project can run in VS 2022
The move toward portability isn't just about saving disk space. It offers several practical advantages for modern workflows: