MSVC Toolset Minor Version Number 14.40 in VS 2022 v17.10

Daniel Griffing

As we approach delivery of Visual Studio 2022 v17.9, the MSVC toolset version is 14.39. In Visual Studio 2022 version 17.10, the MSVC Toolset minor version will continue with 14.40 and continue incrementing in the ‘14.4x’ series.

The file version and directories in Visual Studio v17.10 and subsequent installations will appear as follows:

[VSInstallDir]\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.4x.BBBBB

Where:

• ‘4x’ is a digit 40-49, where the ‘x’ value will continue to increase in future Visual Studio releases, starting with ‘40’ in VS 2022 v17.10.
• ‘BBBBB’ is a build-specific version 5-digit number, which increases with each release/update/servicing update.

We will make separate announcements about MSVC compiler toolset versions beyond 14.4x (i.e., versions >= 14.50) at an appropriate time in the future.

Build System and Library Impact

In Visual Studio 2022 version 17.10 and later, in-box project system support is being updated to support MSVC toolsets in the 14.4x version range. Specifically:

• The C++ Project System (MS Build) is being updated to support ‘14.4x’ MSVC toolsets under the v143 Platform Toolset.

• We have validated that CMake support in Visual Studio 2022 supports the minor version change.

Custom build systems, projects, libraries, and VS Extensions checking for valid MSVC build version will need to be adjusted to allow for ‘14.4x’. For example, code which checks the _MSC_VER predefined macro and assumes that all Visual Studio 2022 versions of MSVC having a value below 1940 will need to be updated.

Table 1. Mapping of VS 2022 update releases to current MSVC versions

Side-By-Side MSVC Toolsets

We recognize that it may not be possible to immediately address existing built-in checks in build environments. To mitigate issues encountered, until built-in checks are updated, we recommend using an older MSVC Toolset in VS 2022 via the Side-By-Side Minor Version MSVC Toolsets feature.

In addition to the mechanism provided in the linked blog post, it is also possible to select a SxS toolset in the C++ Project system on a per-project basis via Project Properties > Advanced > MSVC Toolset Version. The drop-down will contain the installed MSVC Toolsets under the v143 Platform Toolset.

Send us your feedback

Your feedback is invaluable to us as we strive to enhance your experience. Please feel free to leave your comments below. Alternatively, you can share your thoughts through the Visual Studio Developer Community, where we have created this feedback item related to this announcement. We are also available on Twitter (@VisualC) and can be reached via email at visualcpp@microsoft.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Daniel Griffing Principal Engineering Manager, C++ Compiler Front-end

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