MSVC version is 14.35 when i'd expect it to be 14.36

[alastairUK]

Description

I guess this is related to

#7700

#7487

and I am pretty sure it was working recently but today (6th July) I am seeing

ClCompile:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.35.32215\bin\HostX86\x86\CL.exe

in my build output when i'd expect it to be using 14.36.xxxx

Platforms affected

• Azure DevOps
• GitHub Actions - Standard Runners
• GitHub Actions - Larger Runners

Runner images affected

• Ubuntu 20.04
• Ubuntu 22.04
• macOS 11
• macOS 12
• macOS 13
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022

Image version and build link

Starting: Initialize job
Agent name: 'Hosted Agent'
Agent machine name: 'fv-az794-465'
Current agent version: '3.220.5'
Operating System
Microsoft Windows Server 2022
10.0.20348
Datacenter
Runner Image
Image: windows-2022
Version: 20230625.1.0
Included Software: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/win22/20230625.1.0/images/win/Windows2022-Readme.md
Image Release: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/releases/tag/win22%2F20230625.1.0
Runner Image Provisioner
2.0.238.1
Current image version: '20230625.1.0'
Agent running as: 'VssAdministrator'
Prepare build directory.
Set build variables.
Download all required tasks.
Downloading task: NuGetToolInstaller (0.221.0)
Downloading task: NuGetCommand (2.222.0)
Downloading task: VSBuild (1.214.0)
Downloading task: VSTest (2.220.0)
Downloading task: CopyFiles (2.211.0)
Downloading task: PublishBuildArtifacts (1.223.1)
Checking job knob settings.
Knob: DockerActionRetries = true Source: $(VSTSAGENT_DOCKER_ACTION_RETRIES)
Knob: AgentToolsDirectory = C:\hostedtoolcache\windows Source: ${AGENT_TOOLSDIRECTORY}
Knob: AgentPerflog = c:\vsts\perflog Source: ${VSTS_AGENT_PERFLOG}
Knob: ContinueAfterCancelProcessTreeKillAttempt = true Source: $(VSTSAGENT_CONTINUE_AFTER_CANCEL_PROCESSTREEKILL_ATTEMPT)
Finished checking job knob settings.
Start tracking orphan processes.

Is it regression?

Version: 20230620.1.0

Expected behavior

I'd expect as the VS version is

Visual Studio Enterprise 2022 | 17.6.33815.320

That it would be using

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.36.xxxx

Not 14.35

Actual behavior

ClCompile:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.35.32215\bin\HostX86\x86\CL.exe

Repro steps

Compile a C++ project using MSBuild on Azure Devops and look at the build output

[shamil-mubarakshin]

Hello @alastairUK,
Thanks for reporting. Similar VC tools behavior is tracked in #7832, so I will close this issue as a duplicate.
Feel free to reach out in case of concerns

[alastairUK]

This workaround #7832 does work

ClCompile:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.36.32532\bin\HostX86\x64\CL.exe

But...

It takes a LONG time on Azure Devops to run the command listed in #7832

It takes 10m 12s when the build of my sln is only 2m 40s so it's not feeling like a great solution for my use case.

[fedormsv]

Same issue with 17.7: it stays prefers 14.36 to 14.37 if both are installed. It is somehow related to the presence of C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Professional\VC\Auxiliary\Build\Microsoft.VCToolsVersion.v143.props, that specifies old toolset. This file seems to be present only if previous multiple toolsets are available.

[alastairUK]

Strikes me that the default behaviour should always to use the latest version and any workaround should be for people wanting to use older versions of the compiler. As I mention above the workaround takes too long to run in Azure Devops