Visual Studio Express 2010 Jun 2026

| Aspect | Verdict | | :--- | :--- | | | Ended. Mainstream support ended in 2015. Extended support ended in 2020. | | Security | Risky. No security updates. Do not use on a production or internet-facing machine. | | Windows 11 Compatibility | Unlikely to install or run correctly without compatibility mode hacks. | | NuGet | Modern NuGet (Package Manager) does not work. You must manually reference DLLs. |

A streamlined environment for C# development.

It supported the then-new .NET Framework 4.0 and could also target older versions like .NET 2.0 or 3.5. System Requirements visual studio express 2010

The WPF designer in 2010 was significantly more stable and feature-rich than the 2008 version, making it a good choice for simple desktop UI applications.

The IDE was rebuilt using the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), offering a smoother, more modern code editor. | Aspect | Verdict | | :--- | :--- | | | Ended

Despite its age, there are niche cases:

Used for developing native Win32 applications, though it lacked advanced libraries like ATL/MFC. | | Security | Risky

Targeted for creating Windows Forms and console applications using Visual Basic.

Unlike the monolithic paid versions (Professional, Ultimate), the 2010 Express products were split by language:

Last reviewed: April 2026