Visual Studio 2022: Copilot Remembers Previous Requests in October Update

Microsoft has updated its Visual Studio 2022 development environment with the October update. It now offers a wider selection of Large Language Models (LLMs) in chat and introduces GitHub Copilot Memories – a memory capability for the AI assistant. Additionally, Microsoft has published a guide for C++ developers on how to update their projects to the next release, Visual Studio 2026.

AI Updates for Visual Studio 2022

Under the name Copilot Memories, the AI assistant GitHub Copilot can now "remember" things: If developers correct the Copilot's behavior, explicitly state a standard, or ask it to remember something, they will be prompted to save the corresponding preference. This is saved in one of three possible files: .editorconfig for coding standards, CONTRIBUTING.md for best practices, guidelines, and architectural standards, or README.md for high-level information about the project. These saved preferences also apply to the rest of the team working on the project.

Heise Conference on .NET 10.0

Improved classes in .NET 10.0, Native AOT with Entity Framework Core 10.0, and more: .NET professionals will discuss these topics at the online conference betterCode() .NET 10.0 on November 18, 2025. Following that, there will be six full-day workshops on topics such as C# 14.0, artificial intelligence, and web APIs.

Furthermore, in the October 2025 update, developers can now also use Anthropic's language models Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Claude Haiku 4.5. Claude Sonnet 4.5 is said to be particularly stable and versatile in software development, while Claude Haiku 4.5 is characterized by increased performance at lower costs.

In addition to these, other new AI features are also included, which Microsoft introduces on its developer blog.

Updating C++ Projects to Visual Studio 2026

Specifically for C++ projects, Microsoft has written a guide on how they can be migrated to Visual Studio 2026. Currently, the next major release is only available within the Insider program but is approaching general availability.

Microsoft therefore recommends that C++ developers try out the new version in Visual Studio 2026 Insiders, which can be installed in parallel with a stable Visual Studio version. This allows C++ developers to initially stick with their existing MSVC toolset version and use the new setup wizard to install missing tools as needed for their projects. When they are ready, they can finally update their MSCV Build Tools to version 14.50, which include the MSVC compiler in version 19.50.

(mai)