Security and compliance are paramount considerations when downloading legacy software. Since Visual Studio 2015 no longer receives security updates, any development machine running it is potentially vulnerable to known exploits, especially when working with untrusted code or connecting to remote repositories. Enterprises often restrict its use to isolated virtual machines or air-gapped networks. Consequently, the download and installation process should be accompanied by a risk assessment: verify that the development environment is not internet-facing, apply all available cumulative updates for VS 2015 (Update 3 being the final service release), and consider using host-based firewall rules to limit outbound connections from the IDE.
: Download the Windows 10 SDK (version 10586) manually from Microsoft’s SDK archive, then retry installation.
If you successfully complete the Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 Professional download and install on Windows 10/11, here are maintenance tips: