Upgrade to a new Windows 8 pro and VS 2012 but not compile samples anymore

Question

The error is

C:\Users\Chang Li\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Splash screen sample\C++\SplashScreenSample.vcxproj : error  : Unable to read the project file "SplashScreenSample.vcxproj".
C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\V110\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(1810,3): The imported project "C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\WindowsXaml\v11.0\Microsoft.Windows.UI.Xaml.Cpp.targets" was not found. Confirm that the path in the <Import> declaration is correct, and that the file exists on disk.

Answer 1

I found the same when I upgraded to Win 8 RTM and VS2012 that my previous programs didn't compile.

I went through the compiler errors and fixed them as required.

On one project I had to start from scratch with a new project but copy across all my code.

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n.Wright

Answer 2

Assuming you are upgrading from pre-release versions of these tools, see:

Migration Guide from Release Preview to RTM
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=258744

Migration Guide from Consumer Preview to Release Preview
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=251943

Migration Guide from Developer Preview to Consumer Preview
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=242888

Answer 3

I might have upgraded from Developer Preview to RTM directly. But I am not sure. The Windows 8 upgrade was no any problem. It upgraded my drivers and kept my files in old documents. So the old VS 2012 folder and files was kept. 

I checked the folder, there was no below file in the v11.0 folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\WindowsXaml\v11.0\Microsoft.Windows.UI.Xaml.Cpp.targets

My VS 2012 Express was a complete reinstall (used another product key and email address) except used the same default setup folder.

SplashScreenSample.vcxproj was a sample I downloaded from Microsoft's web site. I guess it should be a version for final Win8. I also tried to load my own project that has been compiled on another Windows 8 RTM PC, but it has the same error.

So far it is not a upgrade problem. Shall I need to install vs 2012 to Run as Admin? Or Shall I install Windows 8 SDK?

This is weird.

 

Answer 4

wrightylplp,

In my case it is load project file error. So I can not even read the project file.

Answer 5

I found the problem.

I installed VS 2012 Express Windows Desktop at first. That is wrong to me.

Then I installed VS 2012 Express Windows 8 everything got fine.

What the confusion is! 

Windows Desktop vs Windows 8.

Why I chose Windows Desktop? Because VS 2012 Express is actually a Windows 8 Desktop software! It is not a Metro app. 

What is Windows 8? It is RT? Desktop? Both?  

Answer 6

Windows 8 is desktop and Metro.

I have VS 2010 and VS2012 installed on my machine, VS 2010 is for desktop programs and the other is for Windows store apps.

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n.Wright

Answer 7

VS 2012 Express for Windows 8 lets you write Windows Store apps for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. It includes a subset of the Windows 8.0 SDK.

VS 2012 Express for Desktop lets you write Win32 desktop apps for Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and the Server equivalents. It includes the full Windows 8.0 SDK. With VS 2012 Update 1 installed you can also target Windows XP (with a number of limitations using a variant of the Windows 7.1 SDK that is included in the download).

VS 2012 Express for Windows phone lets you write Windows phone 8 apps. It includes the Windows phone 8.0 SDK.

VS 2012 Pro, Premium, and Ultimate let you write both kinds of applications (Windows Store apps and Win32 desktop apps). It includes the full Windows 8.0 SDK. You can also use it with the Windows phone 8.0 SDK (a standalone download) to target Windows phone 8. You can install the VS 2012 Update 1 to also target Windows XP.

All versions of VS 2012 are a Win32 desktop application that runs on Windows 7 or Windows 8 (x86/x64). No version of VS 2012 can be installed on Windows RT (ARM). In other words, you can develop for Windows RT (ARM) only using remote development from a Windows 8 (x86/x64) machine. There is no "Windows Store app" version of VS 2012 itself.

 

Answer 8

Then, How to fix this issue?

Answer 9

I found the same when I upgraded to Win 8 RTM and VS2012 that my previous programs didn't compile.

I went through the compiler errors and fixed them as required.

On one project I had to start from scratch with a new project but copy across all my code.

---

n.Wright

It can also be fixed sometimes by using "rebuild" instead of build.

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n.Wright