Jason Chlus explains how Visual Studio 2026 streamlines upgrades, project modernization, and dependency management. Learn how integrated Copilot modernization and Azure migration help developers stay productive.

Spend Less Time Upgrading, More Time Coding in Visual Studio 2026

Upgrading to a new major version of an IDE can often be tedious. Visual Studio 2026 is designed to simplify this process, letting you migrate from Visual Studio 2022 quickly while retaining your custom workloads, SDKs, extensions, and settings.

Fast and Seamless Installation

Automatic recreation of your Visual Studio 2022 environment in Visual Studio 2026
Installs are handled easily via the Installer Available tab or downloadable bootstrapper
Supports multiple SDKs and toolsets, enabling IDE updates without impacting project compatibility

Streamlined Setup with Setup Assistant

When a project is opened in Visual Studio 2026:

Setup Assistant detects project dependencies
Supports rapid retargeting to new toolsets/SDKs or installation of missing ones
For C++ developers: identifies required MSVC Build Tools and Windows SDKs, one-click install/retarget in the installer
For .NET developers: links to appropriate .NET SDK via global.json pinning for easy download

Modernization with GitHub Copilot

Visual Studio now integrates a Copilot-powered modernization agent:

Uses AI to identify outdated dependencies and frameworks
Provides recommendations and automates code changes to upgrade projects and migrate to Azure
Activate via right-click (Modernize) or Copilot Chat command (@modernize)
Azure migration features unlock security, scalability, and efficiency by moving workloads to the cloud

Live Modernization Demos

Frequent and Reliable Updates

Monthly updates via Stable channel deliver features, fixes, and improvements
“Update on Close” automatically keeps your IDE current after each session
Option to install side-by-side with previous Visual Studio versions

Enhanced Control and Recovery

Improved repair options automatically detect and fix incomplete installations
Quick rollback restores previous environment within minutes
Options to always update, postpone, or revert ensure stability and developer control

How to Get Started

Download Visual Studio 2026 and import your existing configuration files for a familiar environment
Use Setup Assistant and Copilot features to maintain and modernize your projects with minimal downtime

For complete details and technical guides, visit the official Visual Studio Blog.

This post appeared first on “Microsoft VisualStudio Blog”. Read the entire article here