VS2015u1 no longer available

[TimP]

Since Microsoft released vs2015 update 2, I found that repairing the vs2015 installation involves a mandatory upgrade, requiring removal of the 2015u1 versions of C++ 2015 redistributable x64 and x86 and reboot.  There is no longer an option about which Windows Kits version is to be used, and (at least on Windows 10) it seems to install a suitable one by default.  I'm still waiting for a chance to reboot my Win8.1 and complete the repair.

I remember but can no longer find the post here which said that ICL -Qstd=c++11 and c++14 are likely not to work with vs2015u2 until ICL 16.0.3 is available.  I have made some successful tests of VS2015u1 and ICL and ifort 16.0.2 where I didn't use -Qstd=c++....

[TimP]

Here is one post about a possible incompatibility:

https://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/intel-c-compiler/topic/623368

[pbkenned1]

It used to be safe to upgrade to the latest Visual Studio updates, but unfortunately Microsoft introduced breaking changes in VS 2015 update 1 and update 2 that were not in preview candidates.  I don't know how to work around this other than wipe your existing VS2015 installation, and do a fresh install of the initial release.  Then avoid accepting an update until you know it's compatible with Intel C++. 

Patrick

[TimP]

I haven't run into any incompatibility between 2015u2 and ICL 16.0.2 in my tests, while there was incompatibility with multiple versions prior to 2015u1.  So it seems OK as long as I don't use those features of VS2015 which changed.

Microsoft's updates broke their own VS2015 installation at least twice, and I don't see any clear way to accept or reject their VS upgrades.  It's bad enough that it continually pops up windows asking to agree to try win10 again on a 2.5 year old laptop where there isn't full driver support.