PowerShell scripts for batch installing Visual Studio extensions

install-vsix.ps1

# Based on http://nuts4.net/post/automated-download-and-installation-of-visual-studio-extensions-via-powershell

param([String] $PackageName)
 
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
 
$baseProtocol = "https:"
$baseHostName = "marketplace.visualstudio.com"
 
$Uri = "$($baseProtocol)//$($baseHostName)/items?itemName=$($PackageName)"
$VsixLocation = "$($env:Temp)\$([guid]::NewGuid()).vsix"
 
$VSInstallDir = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\resources\app\ServiceHub\Services\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Setup.Service"
 
if (-Not $VSInstallDir) {
  Write-Error "Visual Studio InstallDir registry key missing"
  Exit 1
}
 
Write-Host "Grabbing VSIX extension at $($Uri)"
$HTML = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $Uri -UseBasicParsing -SessionVariable session
 
Write-Host "Attempting to download $($PackageName)..."
$anchor = $HTML.Links |
Where-Object { $_.class -eq 'install-button-container' } |
Select-Object -ExpandProperty href

if (-Not $anchor) {
  Write-Error "Could not find download anchor tag on the Visual Studio Extensions page"
  Exit 1
}
Write-Host "Anchor is $($anchor)"
$href = "$($baseProtocol)//$($baseHostName)$($anchor)"
Write-Host "Href is $($href)"
Invoke-WebRequest $href -OutFile $VsixLocation -WebSession $session
 
if (-Not (Test-Path $VsixLocation)) {
  Write-Error "Downloaded VSIX file could not be located"
  Exit 1
}
Write-Host "VSInstallDir is $($VSInstallDir)"
Write-Host "VsixLocation is $($VsixLocation)"
Write-Host "Installing $($PackageName)..."
Start-Process -Filepath "$($VSInstallDir)\VSIXInstaller" -ArgumentList "/q /a $($VsixLocation)" -Wait
 
Write-Host "Cleanup..."
rm $VsixLocation
 
Write-Host "Installation of $($PackageName) complete!"

install.ps1

# This script will download the latest version of each extension
# and install it in all supported versions of Visual Studio.
# It might take a few minutes to download and install each extension.

# To Run this Script:
#   Optional: Sign in at https://marketplace.visualstudio.com to avoid being blocked
#   due to Anonymous usage rate limits.
#   Close Visual Studio before running this script.
#   Run in PowerShell as Admin.
#   Example: PS C:\Installers\Visual Studio\VSIX> ./install

# Get more Package Names from the Visual Studio Marketplace URL itemName parameter.
#   Example: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=TheDan.FindChangesetByComment

$DownloadAndInstall= $PSScriptRoot+"\install-vsix.ps1"

& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "SergeyVlasov.VisualCommander"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "MBulli.SmartCommandlineArguments"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "mayerwin.RenameVisualStudioWindowTitle"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "VisualCppDevLabs.CQuickFixes2017"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "TomasRestrepo.Viasfora"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "MadsKristensen.MarkdownEditor"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "PeterMacej.MultilineSearchandReplace"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "GitHub.GitHubExtensionforVisualStudio"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "TheDan.FindChangesetByComment"
& $DownloadAndInstall -PackageName "caphyon.ClangPowerTools"

Thank you for this! Do you know of any way I can merge this into a single script or if there is a way to push to multiple devices in an Azure environment?

There are a list of extensions that I'd like to be able to push to my dev team using a remote management tool or by uploading a script in Azure to push to specific devices.

Do I have to use Edge or Internet Explorer to sign in, or will any browser (Chrome/Firefox etc) work?

This is in regards to the comment thread about avoiding the rate limits. Thank you.

I note that on line 13 the script sets the $VSInstallDir variable to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\resources\app\ServiceHub\Services\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Setup.Service which is correct.

However, on line 16, if this variable refers to the pathname of a folder that does not exist on the computer, it says Visual Studio InstallDir registry key missing. I am wondering, is the error message inconsistent?

In VS 2022, the VSIXInstaller is by default located at:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Professional\Common7\IDE\

If using the Developer PowerShell prompt, environment variable DevEnvDir can be used for that path.

This doesn't quite work (running an adapted version of this code):

==> default: Running provisioner: rust_analyzer_vs (shell)...
    default: Running: inline PowerShell script
    default: Where-Object : The property 'class' cannot be found on this object. Verify that the property exists.
    default: At C:\tmp\vagrant-shell.ps1:10 char:3
    default: +   Where-Object { $_.class -eq "install-button-container" } | `
    default: +   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    default:     + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Where-Object], PropertyNotFoundException
    default:     + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PropertyNotFoundStrict,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WhereObjectCommand
    default:

The issue is that not all links on the page have a class. Changing the Where-Object part to:

Where-Object { $_.PSObject.Properties.Match('class').Count -and `
        $_.class -eq "install-button-container" }

seems to work.

Thanks for the fix. I haven't used these scripts for a couple years, since we only use two or three extensions now, and recently we have no Internet access on our developer machines.