setup.exe /NoRefresh /Quiet /NoRestart Or, if the repack uses a custom switch:
A: Most will, but Windows 11 has stricter security. Solution 1 (Compatibility mode for Windows 8) plus Solution 2 (disable antivirus) are essential. By following this guide, you should be able to overcome the infamous preparation.exe hurdle and successfully install Visual Studio 2013 from a repack. When in doubt, revert to the official Microsoft tooling—your future self will thank you for the stability and security. preparationexe visual studio 2013 repack
A: Yes. Look for Preparing_*.log in %temp% . It often contains the exact failed DLL or registry key. When in doubt, revert to the official Microsoft
If you are a student or hobbyist: The solutions above will successfully unblock most repacks, specifically (replace preparation.exe with the genuine file). But always run these repacks in an isolated virtual machine or on a non-production PC. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Q: Can I just delete preparation.exe? A: No. The main installer depends on it to pass environment checks. Deleting it will cause the setup to exit immediately. It often contains the exact failed DLL or registry key
A: The repack expects preparation.exe to be in the same directory as setup.exe . If you moved files, or the repack extracted incorrectly, this error appears.
| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | | The latest VS2022 installer can still install VS2013 toolset (C++ compiler version 12.0) via “Individual components” → “MSVC v120 - VS 2013 C++ compiler.” | | Docker Image | Microsoft provides a container image: mcr.microsoft.com/windows:vs-2013 . Run the build tools without installing the IDE. | | Microsoft Update Catalog | Download only the Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable and build tools (not the full IDE). | | Archive.org Official ISOs | Search for “en_visual_studio_ultimate_2013_x86_dvd_3175300” – these are untouched MSDN copies without repack modifications. |
If you absolutely must use a repack, verify its checksum (MD5, SHA-1) against original releases posted on MSDN forums. A crashed preparation.exe often leaves orphaned temporary files that block future installation attempts.