Visual Studio 2012 Update 5 Preparation.exe ((free)) • Trusted

Yes. Once Update 5 is successfully applied, the preparation executable is no longer needed. However, keep it backed up if you manage multiple machines.

visual studio 2012 update 5 preparation.exe is a executable file that is part of the Visual Studio 2012 installation process. Here's a detailed write-up on what it does: visual studio 2012 update 5 preparation.exe

If the tool fails repeatedly, the most pragmatic solution is to abandon the preparation tool entirely: uninstall Visual Studio 2012, reboot, perform a clean install from the VS2012.5.iso (which includes all updates slipstreamed), and import your settings. That approach bypasses the need for the preparation tool altogether—but that’s a story for another article. visual studio 2012 update 5 preparation.exe