o.0

VC++ 2010 isn't a beta anymore, and if you really want you can still get VC++ 2008...

You want this: http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/visual-cpp-express

Just download, install, and enjoy.

Visual Studio is in beta....? It's been around for many, many years; it's definitely not a beta.

Edit: And I see Kllrnohj's post on the following page ninja'd me on that.

Okay it isn't in beta but It says for evaluation purposes only. ?

Get the *EXPRESS EDITION*

I freaking linked directly to it.

Jeez, if you can't figure out how to download VS...

Okay, with all of that downloading and setup behind me, I still have a question about Visual Studio. I wrote out a really simple program as a test, then right clicked its name and selected compile, compiled correctly, tried to run my program but all it did was flash up and then off, what can I do?

Either:

• Start without debugging (Ctrl+F5).
  
• Run the program from the command line.
  
• Set a breakpoint on the closing brace or return statement of your main function (click in the gutter to the left of the line and a brown highlight should appear - alternatively, select the statement/line and hit F9).

Or just put a "getchar();" before your main() returns.

The reason it pops up and then vanishes is because the program finishes - use something like getchar() or set a break point like Ben suggested to prevent the program from finishing before you can see its output.

@ben: Ctrl-F5 no longer works in 2010 as it did in 2008. The console window now immediately closes with ctrl-F5 just like F5. I thought that was a setting, but I can't seem to find it.

Okay, I will try that thanks.