Mastering Visual Studio 2015: Uninstalling Third-Party Apps Installed via Secondary Installers

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Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 was a powerful integrated development environment (IDE) that supported a wide array of software development tasks. As part of its comprehensive suite, it offered capabilities for cross-platform and mobile application development. To facilitate this, the installation process for Visual Studio 2015 included a secondary installer. This component was specifically designed to deploy various essential third-party tools and SDKs necessary for building applications targeting different platforms like Android and iOS (via Xamarin).

The secondary installer provided a streamlined way to get all the required dependencies in one go, making it convenient for developers setting up their environment. However, a common scenario encountered by users is that upon uninstalling Visual Studio 2015 itself, some or all of these third-party applications might not be automatically removed. This can lead to clutter on the system, consume disk space unnecessarily, or even cause conflicts with newer versions of the same tools installed independently. Understanding which tools were included and how to properly remove them is crucial for maintaining a clean and functional development machine.

Understanding the Secondary Installer’s Role¶

Visual Studio 2015’s architecture included modular components, and the secondary installer was key to its versatility. It acted as a wrapper or manager for installing external dependencies that weren’t core Microsoft components but were vital for specific workload scenarios, particularly those related to mobile and cross-platform development. These tools ranged from essential mobile SDKs and NDKs to version control systems, build automation tools, and runtime environments. Because these were often standard tools with their own update cycles and installation mechanisms, the secondary installer would typically run their native installers in the background.

While this integration was beneficial during setup, it meant that the lifecycle management of these third-party tools remained largely independent of Visual Studio itself. When Visual Studio 2015 was uninstalled through the standard Windows “Programs and Features” (or “Add or Remove Programs”) utility, it primarily focused on removing Microsoft components. The uninstallers for the third-party tools, having been run by their own installers, might not be automatically triggered or properly cleaned up by the Visual Studio uninstallation process. Consequently, developers might find lingering installations of software they no longer need once Visual Studio 2015 is gone.

Identifying and Removing Common Third-Party Applications¶

Several prominent third-party applications were often included via the Visual Studio 2015 secondary installer to support mobile and cross-platform development workflows. These tools are widely used in the software industry and include essential components for Android development, version control, and JavaScript runtime environments. Fortunately, the most common ones were installed in a standard manner that registered them with the Windows operating system’s program management features.

Applications like the Android Software Development Kit (SDK), Apple iTunes, Git, Google Chrome, Joyent Node.js, and Oracle Java Development Kit (JDK) typically create entries within the Add or Remove Programs or Programs and Features interface in the Windows Control Panel. This standard practice allows users to manage these applications individually, including uninstalling them directly through the operating system’s built-in tools. If you need to remove these specific components after uninstalling Visual Studio 2015, the first and simplest step is usually to check this list and initiate the uninstallation from there. Searching for the application name within the list should quickly reveal its presence if it was installed in this standard manner.

Uninstalling Android Native Development Kit (NDK)¶

The Android Native Development Kit (NDK) serves a different purpose than the SDK. While the SDK provides tools for building Android applications using Java or Kotlin, the NDK allows developers to implement parts of their apps using native code languages like C and C++. This is particularly useful for performance-intensive tasks or reusing existing native code libraries. When installed via the Visual Studio 2015 secondary installer, the Android NDK was often placed in a location relative to the Visual Studio installation path, rather than a standard system-wide location registered in the Control Panel.

Unlike many other components, the Android NDK typically did not create an entry in the Add or Remove Programs list. Its installation was more akin to extracting files into a specific directory structure. For Visual Studio 2015 (version 14.0), the default installation location for the NDK was within the Visual Studio installation directory itself. Specifically, it could often be found under %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Apps. Within this Apps folder, the NDK would reside in a subdirectory, commonly named something like android-ndk-r10 or a similar version identifier reflecting the specific revision of the NDK included with that version of Visual Studio.

To uninstall the Android NDK in this scenario, the process is manual:
1. Navigate to the Visual Studio 2015 installation directory. The default path is usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0 or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0 on 64-bit systems.
2. Locate the Apps subdirectory within the Visual Studio root folder.
3. Inside the Apps directory, find the folder corresponding to the installed Android NDK version, typically named android-ndk-rXX where XX is the revision number (e.g., android-ndk-r10).
4. Delete this entire folder (android-ndk-rXX). You may need administrator privileges to perform this deletion.

Caution: Ensure you are deleting the correct folder and that it is indeed the NDK installed by Visual Studio 2015. If you have multiple versions of the NDK installed for other purposes (e.g., Android Studio), be careful not to delete those.

Uninstalling Apache Ant¶

Apache Ant is a Java-based build tool. It’s widely used in the Java development ecosystem and was included in Visual Studio 2015 to support building certain types of projects, particularly those related to Android development workflows that traditionally relied on Ant scripts before the widespread adoption of Gradle. Similar to the Android NDK, Ant installations managed by the secondary installer might not register themselves in the standard Windows program list.

Ant’s installation often involves simply placing its files in a directory and setting an environment variable, ANT_HOME, to point to this directory. The system’s PATH variable is then updated to include the bin directory within ANT_HOME, allowing Ant commands to be executed from any command prompt. Because it doesn’t use a standard Windows installer package (like MSI), it doesn’t appear in Programs and Features.

To uninstall Apache Ant manually:
1. Open a Windows Command Prompt.
2. Type set ant and press Enter. This command displays any environment variables that start with “ant”. Look for the ANT_HOME variable. Its value will be the installation path of Ant.
3. Note down the path specified by the ANT_HOME variable.
4. Close the Command Prompt.
5. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the path you noted in step 3.
6. Delete the entire folder indicated by the ANT_HOME variable. You will likely need administrator permissions for this.
7. Optional but Recommended: Remove the ANT_HOME environment variable and the Ant bin directory from the system or user PATH variable. This step prevents the system from looking for Ant in a non-existent location and helps maintain a clean environment. You can do this by searching for “Edit the system environment variables” in the Windows search bar, clicking “Environment Variables…”, and then editing the variables in the top (User variables) or bottom (System variables) panes as appropriate.

Verification: After deleting the folder and cleaning up environment variables, open a new Command Prompt (existing ones might still have the old variables loaded) and type ant -version. If Ant is successfully uninstalled and removed from the PATH, the command prompt should report that ‘ant’ is not recognized as an internal or external command.

Uninstalling Websocket4Net¶

Websocket4Net is a .NET library that provides a client implementation for the WebSocket protocol. While not a standalone third-party application in the same sense as the SDKs or build tools, it was a component included within certain parts of the Visual Studio 2015 installation to enable specific functionalities, particularly related to real-time communication features potentially used in diagnostic tools or specific project types. The original article specifically mentions its installation in the context of Windows 7, suggesting it might have been a dependency needed for certain features on that older operating system.

Since Websocket4Net is distributed as a DLL (Dynamic Link Library), it doesn’t have an executable installer or a dedicated uninstaller listed in Programs and Features. Instead, it was integrated directly into the Visual Studio installation directory structure. The primary location for such integrated components is often within the IDE’s common extensions or diagnostic tool folders.

To uninstall or remove the Websocket4Net component included with Visual Studio 2015:
1. Locate the main installation folder for Microsoft Visual Studio 2015. As mentioned previously, this is typically %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0 or %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0.
2. Navigate through the subfolder structure within the Visual Studio root directory. According to the original information, the path is Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\WebClient\Diagnostics\ToolWindows.
3. Inside the ToolWindows folder, locate the file named WebSocket4Net.dll.
4. Delete the WebSocket4Net.dll file. Administrator permissions may be required to delete files from this directory.

Note: Deleting this DLL should only be done after Visual Studio 2015 itself has been uninstalled, as its presence is tied to the IDE’s internal structure. If you still have VS 2015 installed and attempt this, it might break certain features. However, if you are cleaning up after an uninstall, this step helps remove the leftover component.

General Tips for Post-Uninstall Cleanup¶

Cleaning up residual files and applications after uninstalling a large IDE like Visual Studio, especially one that used secondary installers for third-party tools, can be a meticulous process. Here are some general tips to ensure a more thorough cleanup:

• Run Standard Uninstall First: Always start by using the official uninstaller provided by Windows (Programs and Features). This removes the core Visual Studio components and potentially some registered third-party tools.
• Check Program Files Directories: Even after uninstalling, manually browse the Program Files and Program Files (x86) directories. Look for folders named “Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0” and check common installation locations for the third-party tools discussed (Android, Ant, Node.js, Git, etc.) to see if any remnants were left behind.
• Check User Profile Data: Some development tools store configuration or SDK data in the user’s profile directory (%APPDATA%, %LOCALAPPDATA%, %USERPROFILE%\Documents). While less common for the main application binaries, check directories related to Android, Node, Git, etc., within your user profile if you suspect residual data.
• Environment Variables: As demonstrated with Ant, check system and user environment variables. Remove paths or variables pointing to directories that no longer exist after uninstallation. Incorrect environment variables can cause issues when installing newer versions of tools or running related commands.
• Registry Cleanup (Advanced): For advanced users, checking the Windows Registry (using regedit) for keys related to Visual Studio 14.0 or the specific third-party tools can help identify leftovers. However, modifying the registry is risky; only delete keys if you are certain they belong to the uninstalled software and you know what you are doing. Using dedicated registry cleaner tools is generally not recommended unless they are reputable and you have a backup.
• Restart Your Computer: After performing manual deletions or environment variable changes, restarting your computer is essential. This ensures that the operating system reloads environment variables and releases any file locks that might have prevented complete deletion.

Table Summarizing Uninstallation Methods:

Third-Party Application	Typical Uninstallation Method	Notes
Android Software Development Kit (SDK)	Programs and Features / Add or Remove Programs	Standard Windows uninstall process.
Apple iTunes	Programs and Features / Add or Remove Programs	Standard Windows uninstall process. Often installed system-wide.
Git	Programs and Features / Add or Remove Programs	Standard Windows uninstall process. Can also be uninstalled via its own installer if available.
Google Chrome	Programs and Features / Add or Remove Programs	Standard Windows uninstall process.
Joyent Node.js	Programs and Features / Add or Remove Programs	Standard Windows uninstall process. Can also be uninstalled via its own installer if available.
Oracle Java Development Kit (JDK)	Programs and Features / Add or Remove Programs	Standard Windows uninstall process. May require uninstalling multiple related Oracle/Java entries.
Android Native Development Kit (NDK)	Manual deletion of folder	Typically found in %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Apps\android-ndk-rXX.
Apache Ant	Manual deletion of folder + Environment Variables	Path found via set ant (ANT_HOME). Remember to clean up PATH variable.
Websocket4Net	Manual deletion of DLL file	Found in %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\WebClient\Diagnostics\ToolWindows\WebSocket4Net.dll.

This table provides a quick reference for identifying how each common third-party component installed by the VS 2015 secondary installer can typically be removed.

Third-Party Disclaimer¶

It is important to acknowledge that the third-party software products discussed in this article, such as Android SDK, NDK, Git, Node.js, Ant, JDK, iTunes, Chrome, and Websocket4Net, are developed and maintained by companies and organizations independent of Microsoft. The information provided regarding their uninstallation methods is based on how they were commonly integrated with Visual Studio 2015 and their typical installation characteristics. Microsoft offers no warranties, whether implied or explicit, concerning the performance, reliability, or the effectiveness of the uninstallation procedures for these third-party products. Users should refer to the documentation or support resources provided by the respective software vendors for definitive information regarding their products.

Managing your development environment by ensuring only necessary software is installed contributes to system stability and performance. Following these steps can help you clean up components left behind after uninstalling Visual Studio 2015.

Have you encountered other third-party tools installed by Visual Studio 2015 that were difficult to uninstall? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!