Disconnect your machine from Wi-Fi or unplug your Ethernet cable. Open an elevated Command Prompt ().
because it makes deep changes to system directories and the registry. If you trust your repack source, you may need to temporarily disable your antivirus or "Run as Administrator." Is VS 2013 Still Worth It? Microsoft Learn
Let's clarify the three main concepts that often get conflated around this topic.
Create an AdminDeployment.xml file to configure which components are installed automatically.
Instead of downloading unverified repacks, developers can safely build their own reliable offline environments using official, trusted deployment techniques: 1. Leverage Official Subscriptions or Trusted Archives Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 fails - Stack Overflow preparationexe visual studio 2013 repack
It is important to note that preparation.exe is a legacy component. Official installers for newer versions of Visual Studio (2017, 2019, 2022) use an entirely different, more modern installer engine that doesn't rely on this file.
| | Description | Legitimacy | Best For | |---|---|---|---| | Official Microsoft ISO | The original, unmodified offline installer downloaded from Microsoft. For VS2013, these are typically large files (e.g., 7.08 GB for Ultimate with Update 4). | High – From official source | Unattended installation, multi-PC deployment, archiving | | VC++ Redistributable (Official) | The official runtime libraries needed to run applications built with VS2013. You may need both x86 and x64 versions on a 64-bit system. | High – From Microsoft | Running apps that require the runtime | | Third-Party Repack | A modified installer, often compressed or bundled, created by an individual or group, not Microsoft. | Low to Medium – Caution required | Convenience, but risky from unknown sources |
If any of these match your experience, proceed to the solutions below.
, and disconnecting the internet during the next attempt to prevent automatic (and often broken) update checks. learn.microsoft.com 2. Working with the Executable (Preparation.exe) Disconnect your machine from Wi-Fi or unplug your
Note that not all repacks support this. Check the repack’s readme.txt or setup.ini for available switches.
A "repack" is a modified, customized version of the installer crafted using repackaging and deployment tools (such as Advanced Installer, InstallShield, or Orca). These repacks are designed to:
Preparation.exe is a self-extracting executable file that is part of the Visual Studio 2013 installation package. Its primary function is to prepare the system for the installation of Visual Studio 2013 by checking for prerequisites, updating the registry, and configuring the environment. The Preparation.exe file is usually located in the root directory of the Visual Studio 2013 installation media or in the folder where the installation files are extracted.
: Ensure no other .NET Framework installations are running simultaneously, as Visual Studio's preparation phase relies heavily on these components. Context for Repacks Preparation.exe | Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 | STRONTIC If you trust your repack source, you may
: If you are using a "repack" or custom ISO, ensure the SHA-1 checksum matches the official Microsoft release. Corrupted downloads frequently cause "Failed to copy payload" errors for this file.
If components are missing, the setup may hang, requiring manual clearing of C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer . 6. Alternative: Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable
: Use a tool like 7-Zip to extract the repack ISO or compressed file into a dedicated folder (e.g., C:\VS_REPACK ).