Microsoft Visual Studio 15.6 End of Life
Support dates and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
Microsoft Visual Studio 15.6 reached end of life on 7 May 2018. It no longer receives security fixes.
Support timeline
Official dates from the Microsoft Visual Studio release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 5 Mar 2018 | — |
| End of life | 7 May 2018 | 8.3 years ago |
| Latest release | 15.6.7 · 26 Apr 2018 | final |
Where to go from 15.6
Recommended target: Microsoft Visual Studio 18.8.
The newest actively supported branch is Microsoft Visual Studio 18.8 (latest release 18.8.2).
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Visual Studio 15.6 still safe to use?
Microsoft Visual Studio 15.6 reached end of life on 7 May 2018, 3,016 days ago, and is no longer covered by standard support. Running it means no guaranteed security fixes.
Can I still download Microsoft Visual Studio 15.6?
Yes — the final release (15.6.7) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade Microsoft Visual Studio 15.6 to?
Upgrade to Microsoft Visual Studio 18.8, the newest actively supported branch.