.vdproj is incomatible in VS 2019 - Community Edition - and reload project give load error

Question

I'm unable to run a .vdproj in Visual Studio 2019 Community Edition. I tried the below link which hasn't worked either

Visual Studio - vdproj is incompatible

The project shows incompatible and after installing the Installer Project as Extension given in the above link , the project load is failing. Unable to proceed. Please help

Taynatayra

Answer 1

After doing lot of research on this topic, Visual Studio 2019 Community edition , is not supporting these kind of projects. Older versions like 2015 , 2010 supports.

Or convert these projects into a console application and run it for local setup and debugging.

Taynatayra

Works just fine in Community Edition. You need to add the Extension and reload the installer project (see step 9 below) in your solution – Smashed

Answer 2

This is redundant question.
Please follow this link for the answer: Visual Studio - vdproj is incompatible

Or follow these Steps which is also taken from that link:

1. Go to Extensions > Manage Extension
2. Select Online > Visual Studio Marketplace
3. Search for Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects
4. Download the package
5. Close the Visual Studio to start the installation.
6. Follow the instructions to install the extension.
   
   
7. Once installation is completed. Launch again the Visual Studio.
8. In the Solution Explorer, look for the .vdproj project
9. Right click .vdproj project, click Reload

Estrus

This didn't help me either. So converted the project into a Console Application and executed the project and it worked. Tried lots of suggestions in the internet, but nothing helped me for installer in 2019 community edition. – Taynatayra

This VDPROJ VSIX extension does not work here on my VS2019. Period. It shows Incompatible for the VDPROJ. – Benevento

#9!!!! THAT WAS IT AFTER ALL THIS TIME!!! Right click, Reload Project. IT WORKS! Oh thank you. I can retire VS2015 – Benevento

Like @BobDenny NOWHERE does it say to click "Reload" after adding the Extension. Thank you! BTW I've been building my MSI with this extension for the last 2 years and it works just fine. Yes WIX and MSIX are newer, but nothing forcing me to move to them yet. – Smashed

Worked perfectly! on VS Enterprise 2022 (64-bit) v17.3.2 – Rok

Answer 3

If all of the mentioned remedies not help, there is another possibility, which was the case here in VS2019 Community. Installed extensions can not only be uninstalled, but also be disabled. In that case it looks like so:

The "Disable" and "Uninstall" buttons show up after a right-click on the corresponding object.

In my case and to my big astonishment, the Installer Project was disabled (showing "Enable" in the button), whoever did it.

It cost me about 2 hours to find out, some restarts of VS2019 and wondering about useless instructions about having to install the extension. After enabling, everything worked like before. Sigh of relief.

Briard