If you didn't own the paid version of Visual Studio 2010, the SSDT installer would download a free, lightweight "Visual Studio 2010 Shell" to host the database environment. ⚠️ Why You Should Not Use 2010 Tooling Today

For a secure, up-to-date, and feature-rich experience, you should use the latest version of SSDT, which is integrated into modern Visual Studio versions (2017, 2019, 2022). You no longer need a separate installer for the core database project functionality.

What are you running?

Before downloading the installation packages, it is crucial to understand how SSDT 2010 fits into the Microsoft data platform ecosystem.

Install the baseline . Apply Service Pack 1 (SP1) to patch the core IDE.

Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, or newer legacy OS. .NET Framework 4.0 installed. Installation Process Run the SQL Server 2012 setup.exe .

: Direct deployment targeting Azure SQL Database and Managed Instances.

Maya found the official download page: Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools – June 2010 (version 10.3.20506.0). She also noticed a warning: This version is deprecated and only supported for legacy projects. For new development, use SSDT for Visual Studio 2019 or 2022.

Verify the file's against official Microsoft manifests. Run the installer inside an isolated virtual machine (VM) . Scan the download with updated security software. Step-by-Step Installation Guide

A: No, SSDT 2010 requires Visual Studio 2010 (Professional, Premium, or Ultimate edition) to be installed on the machine.

In the installation details panel on the right, verify that is checked. Click Modify or Install to apply changes. Cross-Platform Alternative: Azure Data Studio

Search explicitly for SQL Server Data Tools December 2012 or Visual Studio 2010 Service Pack 1 .