Cannot find C++ project templates after installing Visual Studio 2015

Question

After installing Visual Studio 2015, when I go to File -> New Project, I cannot find any project templates related to Visual C++. How can I get them?

Answer 1

You can add the missing templates by:

1. Go to File(in visual studio).
2. Select New project.
3. Under Templates Select Open Visual Studio Installer.
4. Now you can add any component.

Works on Visual Studio 2017. Don't know about others.

Answer 2

If you have an MSVS update 3 installed then you may have face with one of the problem of this update. See more here Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 Known Issues. Here is a quote from this document

In some cases, applying Update 3 can cause the optional feature selections for Visual C++ (e.g. Common Tools for Visual C++ 2015) to become deselected and uninstalled.

Answer 3

You can do that by modifying the Visual Studio, and you can do that using these steps:

1. Go to Control panel
2. In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, select the product you want to repair and then click Change/Remove
3. In the Setup wizard, click Next
4. Click Repair
5. Then Modify - now you can select C++ to add it.

Answer 4

Visual Studio 2015 has made a number of setup components optional. This means that the default installation set is very small and the user can select any additional components he wants to install. Visual C++ is one of the optional install components.

Most of the optional install components can also be acquired through regular product work-flows. For example, when you go to File -> New Project dialog and are not able to find any Visual C++ templates, you will at least see an item that allows you to acquire Visual C++ tools. It does this by launching the setup experience with the "Visual C++" tools pre-selected.

For more information, please see this link: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/vcblog/archive/2015/07/24/setup-changes-in-visual-studio-2015-affecting-c-developers.aspx