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Visual Studio + Build Tools silencer scripts

Batch scripts to silence visual studio and build tools network communication

Should be rerun after each update of vs and/or build tools

Last updated: 01.07.2026

Contents

disableHosts

VisualStudio / (BuildTools)

Adds entries of known visual studio (and some other) telemetry hosts to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Just one direction (add active entries).

!!!
Triggers a "SettingsModifier:Win32/PossibleHostsFileHijack"[1] Windows Defender warning on the host file itself after reboot.
!!!

Usage

$ disableHosts.bat

[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?name=SettingsModifier%3AWin32%2FPossibleHostsFileHijack&threatid=14994

disableMsBuildNetConnections

VisualStudio / BuildTools

Adds (blocking) firewall entries for all found MsBuild.exe in "C:\Program Files (x86)" and "C:\Program Files".

Usage

$ disableVctipNetConnections.bat [/x] [/b <path>] [/h] [/v]

Flags:

  • /x: Delete the specified rule(s) (instead of adding them).

Options:

  • /b: Optional custom path to the VS or BuildTools installation other than the default one. No "" at the end allowed.

disablePerfWatson

VisualStudio

Renaming all occurrences of PerfWatson2 found in "C:\Program Files (x86)" and "C:\Program Files" to disable them. At least in VS 2026 (18) PerfWatson2 throws annoying errors at each startup because of not found (disabled) services. Which is circumvented this way.

Usage

$ disablePerfWatson.bat

disableVctipNetConnections

VisualStudio / BuildTools

Adds (blocking) firewall entries for all found Vctip.exe in "C:\Program Files (x86)" and "C:\Program Files".

Usage

$ disableVctipNetConnections.bat [/x] [/b <path>] [/h] [/v]

Flags:

  • /x: Delete the specified rule(s) (instead of adding them).

Options:

  • /b: Optional custom path to the VS or BuildTools installation other than the default one. No "" at the end allowed.

disableVSNetConnections

VisualStudio

Disabling Visual Studio internet connections from

  • *\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
  • *\Common7\IDE\PerfWatson2.exe
  • *\Common7\ServiceHub\Hosts\ServiceHub.Host.CLR.x86\ServiceHub.VSDetouredHost.exe
  • *\Common7\ServiceHub\Hosts\ServiceHub.Host.CLR.x86\ServiceHub.IdentityHost.exe
  • %ProgramFiles% (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\resources\app\ServiceHub\Services\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Setup.Service\BackgroundDownload.exe
  • *\VC\Tools\MSVC\...\HostXX\xx\vctip.exe

Usage

$ disableVSNetConnections.bat [/all] [/b] [/d] [/p] [/s] [/t] [/x] [/cb <path>] [/h] [/v]

Targets:

  • /all: All following targets (default).
  • /b: Block Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\resources\app\ServiceHub\Services\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Setup.Service\BackgroundDownload.exe
  • /d: Block **\devenv.exe
  • /p: Block **\PerfWatson2.exe
  • /s: Block **\Common7\ServiceHub\Hosts\xx\xx.exe
  • /s: Block **\Team Tools\xx\xx.exe

Options:

  • /cb: Optional custom path to the VS or BuildTools installation other than the default one. No "" at the end allowed.

Flags:

  • /x: Delete the specified rule(s) (instead of adding them).

Other:

  • /v: More verbose.
  • /h: Print this.

Defaults to set all targets.

Remarks

Some local connections of devenv.exe seem to remain.

disableVSServices

VisualStudio

Disabling Visual Studio

  • VSInstallerElevationService
  • VSStandardCollectorService150

Usage

$ disableVSServices.bat [/all] [/ctr] [/ie] [/c|/e|/d|/x] [/h] [/v]

Targets:

  • /ie: Disable "VSInstallerElevationService"
  • /ctr: Disable "VSStandardCollectorService150"

Options:

  • /c: Check specified services
  • /d: Disable specified services
  • /e: Enable specified services
  • /x: Delete specified services

Other:

  • /v: More verbose.
  • /h: Print this.

Defaults to disable all targets. Be sure to rerun especially for /ubdl after each update.

disableVSTasks

VisualStudio

Disabling Visual Studio auto update tasks

  • \Microsoft\VisualStudio\VSIX Auto Update
  • \Microsoft\VisualStudio\Updates\BackgroundDownload
  • \Microsoft\VisualStudio\Updates\UpdateConfiguration_<userSid>

Usage

$ disableVSTasks.bat [/all] [/vsau] [/ubdl] [/ucfg] [/e] [/h] [/v]

Targets:

  • /vsau: Disable "Microsoft\VisualStudio\VSIX Auto Update
  • /ubdl: Disable "\Microsoft\VisualStudio\Updates\BackgroundDownload
  • /ucfg: Disable "\Microsoft\VisualStudio\Updates\UpdateConfiguration_<userSid>

Options:

  • /e: Enable specified scheduled tasks

VS flavour:

  • /vse: Edition. Default: Professional
  • /vsy: Year. Default: 2022

Other:

  • /v: More verbose.
  • /h: Print this.

Defaults to /d (Disable) all targets.

disableVSTelemetryAndFeedback

VisualStudio / (BuildTools)

Disable VisualStudio telemetry and feedback by registry modification and cleaning folders, files. (Currently, feedback disabling is commented out.)

Mostly just copy-and-pasted from somewhere else.

$ disableVSTelemetryAndFeedback.bat