The exclusive setup writes logs to %TEMP%\UE4PrereqSetup_timestamp.log . Parse these logs in your deployment scripts to catch return code 1641 (reboot required).
The operating system needed to be recent: a stable 64-bit Windows build that supported the UE4 toolchain. He chose the LTS kernel of his distro on another machine for testing, but all production would run under Windows x64—the environment most editors and compilers knew best. He installed the Visual C++ redistributables and then Visual Studio, selecting the Desktop Development with C++ workload. It felt oddly ceremonial as each checkbox filled: Windows 10 SDK, MSVC v141 toolset, and the optional CMake and profiling tools. He smiled—this was the scaffolding his code would climb. ue4 prerequisites x64 setup exclusive
The aspect is most visible in step 3. If a user has an outdated VC++ redist (say version 14.28), the UE4 setup will not assume it’s fine. It will forcibly install the exclusive version it needs, potentially overwriting side-by-side manifests. He chose the LTS kernel of his distro
if they wish to reduce file size or manage dependencies through other means, though this is generally not recommended for public distribution. Unreal Engine Common Maintenance He smiled—this was the scaffolding his code would climb