The Microsoft Visual Studio Developer Preview Pre-Clean Tool is a utility designed to prepare your system for a fresh installation by removing remnants of earlier preview builds. It helps prevent installation conflicts and unexpected behavior during setup. Post Draft: Visual Studio 2012 Pre-Clean Tool
Heading: Fix Installation Errors with the Visual Studio Pre-Clean Tool
If you're hitting roadblocks while installing Visual Studio 2012—like persistent error messages or setup failures—a previous installation might be the culprit. The Visual Studio Pre-Clean Tool is designed to sweep your registry and system files to ensure a clean slate. What does it do?
Removes Pre-Release Remnants: Clears out old SDKs, dependencies, and preview components that can block new installations.
Clears Residual Data: Wipes temporary files, caches, and invalid registry entries from prior builds.
Improves Reliability: Restores your machine to a "known-good" state so the official installer can run without interference. How to Download & Use:
Find Official Sources: Always download from the Microsoft Download Center or your Visual Studio Subscriptions page to avoid malware. microsoft visual studio 2012 pre clean tool download upd
Run as Admin: Right-click the tool and select Run as Administrator to ensure it has the permissions needed to modify system files.
Check for Updates: Once cleaned, ensure you are using the most stable version, such as Visual Studio 2012 Update 4, as older versions reached the end of support in early 2023.
Pro Tip: If the Pre-Clean tool doesn't resolve your issue, modern versions of Visual Studio include the InstallCleanup.exe tool located in your installer directory (%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer) which can perform a more thorough removal. Uninstall or Remove Visual Studio - Microsoft Learn
Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 Pre-Clean Tool is a utility originally included with pre-release versions of Visual Studio 2012 (such as the Developer Preview) to prepare systems for a clean installation by removing remnants of earlier builds. What is the Pre-Clean Tool?
While often confused with standard uninstallation, the Pre-Clean Tool is a script used by the installer to detect and remove conflicting pre-release components, SDKs, and residual data like temporary caches that might cause setup failures. If you encounter errors like "Visual C++ 2012 x86 Minimum Runtime cannot be found," it is often due to corrupted installer scripts or a faulty ISO. Super User Recommended Cleanup Methods
Because the original Pre-Clean tool was specific to early builds, modern users experiencing installation or update issues should use the following official alternatives: InstallCleanup.exe The Microsoft Visual Studio Developer Preview Pre-Clean Tool
: This is the current "last resort" tool for removing all installation files and product information for a Visual Studio instance.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\InstallCleanup.exe : Run it from an administrator command prompt with the flag to force a complete removal. KB2781514 Update
: Many "cleanup" needs are actually resolved by this specific update, which fixes flaws where users lose the ability to open C++ or JavaScript projects after updating to .NET Framework 4.5. : Available at the Official Microsoft Download Center Manual Directory Reset
: For minor corruption, you can manually clear templates by navigating to the Common7\IDE folder and deleting ItemTemplatesCache ProjectTemplatesCache before running devenv /Setup from a VS command prompt. Microsoft Learn Latest Official Downloads
For the most stable experience with Visual Studio 2012, ensure you are running
, as these are the only versions that received long-term support. Microsoft Learn Visual Studio 2012 Update 5 The Visual Studio 2012 Uninstall Tool: This is
: Provides fixes for Team Project Rename and various source control errors. Older Downloads
: Official access to legacy versions requires a free subscription at My.VisualStudio.com Microsoft Support step-by-step guide
on how to run a force-cleanup using the command line for a specific error? Can not install visual studio ultimate 2012 - Super User
There is no single official Microsoft executable simply named "Pre Clean Tool." You are likely looking for one of the following two utilities used to fix installation blocks:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0Cause: Previous admin vs. user context mismatch.
Solution: Run the tool from an elevated command prompt, not just via right-click.
Run the tool with the /? flag:
vs_preclean.exe /?
Look for the version string at the top of the output.