Visual Studio Copy Project

Question

I would like to make a copy of my project. I would rather not start doing it from scratch by adding files and references, etc. Please note that I don't mean copy for deployment. Just plain copy.

Is there a tool in VS to do this? I am using VS 2008

Phase

Answer 1

If you want a copy, the fastest way of doing this would be to save the project. Then make a copy of the entire thing on the File System. Go back into Visual Studio and open the copy (by right clicking on solution => add existing project => open the copied project). From there, I would most likely recommend re-naming the project/solution (Steps of Safely Renaming Project are in the following link) so that you don't have two of the same name, but that is the fastest way to make a copy.

Astrogation

That's what I do too. I usually manually edit the .*proj file to change the names and such once I make the copy. – Bardwell

@Soo - That is what I do as well, but manual .*proj and .sln changes are not for everyone... – Astrogation

What happens to the ProjectGUID, then? – Pencel

Don't forget to delete svn files if you have any (i did!) --> weblogs.asp.net/jgalloway/archive/2007/02/24/… – Dubuffet

The project GUID is updated by VS automatically, if another project with the same GUID exists in the same solution. – Agnail

I amy trying this, but it does not rename application namespaces. Not what I was looking for. – Visually

Though late, I thought I should add a small note about VS2013. If you want to add the renamed project to an existing solution that contains the original from which the copy was made, then you need to rename all vcxproj XML files to the new project name and edit their contents in a good text editor, so that all references to the original project filename are renamed to the new one. Then it can be added to the solution without conflict with the original. Hope this helps someone. – Danby

Project GUID NOT AUTOMATICALLY UPDATED BY VS in Community 2017 Version 15.8.4. In fact, how could it be if your AssemblyInfo.cs is in source code control? – Ceres

Answer 2

Just create a template;

From your project choose: Project - Export Template

The wizard will let you define

• Template name
• Template Description
• Icon
• Preview image

Then it zips up your project into 'My Exported Templates' directory. You also have the option to make your template available when you create a new project.

When you use your template to create a new project, the namespace will be correct for 'your_new_project_name' throughout every file, all references correct, everything perfecto :)

You can send the .zip file to anybody, and they must copy (not unzip) the .zip file into Templates\ProjectTemplates directory for them to use too.

I made an ASP.NET MVC template with folders, layout page, viewmodels etc arranged just how I like them.

NOTE:
If you have an empty folder in your project, it WON'T be added to the template, so I just added an empty class appropriate to each folder, and a sample picture for images folder.

Ambriz

In VS2017 the Export Template was under the Project top level menu item. – Deettadeeyn

This should be the chosen answer. Very easy! This process should have copied it into your Templates\ProjectTemplates folder as well, just make sure. I had to restart my Visual Studio to see it in my project creation dialog. – Julissajulita

Seems to templatize the top project in the solution rather than the selected project or the project marked as the "Default project." This answer did not work for me, as the top project in my solution is a huge aggregate (I'm working in bullet3 and want to make a copy of the "Hello, world!" project, but templatizing made a copy of the huge "App_ExampleBrowser" project even though I had App_HelloWorld left-clicked, right-clicked, selected as Default Project, and every other kind of selection I could think of.) – Downthrow

Additionally, I had to fix the problem in the hyperlink below by manually renaming the linker-generated PDB file. Seems to be working now. learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/error-messages/compiler-errors-1/…. I used the "copy vsxproj and modify in text editor" solution outlined below. – Downthrow

When it came time to import the template to create a new project, I couldn't figure out how to do it. Turned out I had to use the search bar in the New Project dialog to locate the template. – Lafferty

In VS2019 the search for templates could not find my new template. Also, if I filtered the language or platform, the new template disappeared from the list, even if I had the right language/platform ... bit confusing, but great in the end. – Danita

VS2019 no need to restart VS to import the new template. Just go Add -> New Project, make sure you don't have any Language, platform or project type filters applied. Your new project template will be at the bottom of the list of templates. – Josefinejoseito

This is not an option in VS 2013. If you're looking to clone a project in VS 2013, take a look at my answer. – Ory

This sorta worked for me. The solution and project was created, and the source files appear in the solution explorer, but none of the source files .cpp/.h were actually created. Double clicking one of them in the tree, for example, produces an error "The document cannot be opened. It has been renamed, deleted or removed." Do I need to manually copy the source files too? – Necessity

Thank you for this. I did notice that my AssemblyInfo.cs under properties retained the name of the project from which I generated the template. – Houri

I did this in VS2017 for a C# desktop application project. When I then tried to create a new project based on the template, the form (Form1 if you like) could not display inside VS. A page describing errors was shown instead. It turned out though that this could easily be fixed by just do a Rebuild of the project, and it seem no problems remained after that. – Penates

Answer 3

It is highly NOT ADVISABLE to copy projects at all because the some config files formed internally like .csproj, .vspscc etc. may (and most probably will) point to references which belong to previous solutions' location and other paths/locations in system or TFS. Unless you are an expert at reading these files and fixing references, do not try to copy projects.

You can create a skeletal project of the same type you intend to copy, this creates a proper .csproj, .vspscc files. Now you are free to copy the class files,scripts and other content from the previous project as they will not impact. This will ensure a smooth build and version control (should you choose to be interested in that)

Having said all this, let me give you the method to copy project anyhow in a step-wise manner:

1. Go to the project you want to copy in solution explorer and right-click.
2. Now select 'Open Folder in File Explorer' (Assuming you have the solution mapped to a local path on your disk).
3. Select the Projects you want to replicate as whole folders(along with all dependencies,bin .vspscc file, .csproj file)
4. Paste them in your desired location (it could be your same solution folder or even another solution folder. If it is within the same solution folder, then you would be required to rename it, also the .csproj and other internal files to the new name).
5. No go back to Visual Studio, Right-Click on Solution > Add > Existing Project...
6. Browse and select the Project file (.csproj file) now from the location you placed it in and select 'open'
7. This file now appears in the solution explorer for you to work.

You may now have to resolve a few build errors probably with duplicated/missing references and stuff but otherwise it's as pristine in logic and structure as you expected it to be.

Drops

Update: The best answer as of 2019, is the one below by @Shane. Making VS Templates is the perfect way to clone projects without references issues. – Drops

Actually...I ended up using both method to get a solution with multiple projects. The template gets it started...and plain ol copy finished it. Whats weird is that it seem like I keep coming back to the same answers time and time again.. – Chaplain

Answer 4

I guess if this is something you do often, there's a little (non-free) utility that promises to do it for you: I haven't used it, so not sure how good it is:

http://www.kinook.com/CopyWiz/

There is also this project on CodePlex:

http://clone.codeplex.com/

I will probably give the codeplex project a try, and if it doesn't work I'll manually rename everything and edit the sln file.

Fourfold

The codeplex app "Solution Clone" works pretty well. It copies and renames all solution files and keeps all references. The only thing i needed to do was repoint it to the new renamed project file after opening the copied solution and then rename the assembly name and root namespace in the project properties. It was a lot easier than doing everything manually though. – Arzola

Answer 5

I follow these steps and I use the development tool called Resharper ,which is awesome by the way:

So,

1. Copy the existing project folder to the destination you want
2. Go to source control and with right click just to the root folder you want and pick "Add items to folder...".Then, a wizard will come up to choose the files to copy (there is no need for some files and the wizard guides you for that reason by default).
3. Change the name of the solution file (*.sln)
4. Change the names of the sub-projects if exist.
5. Use Resharper to change the binding namespaces name (I will automatic do the dirty job with safety).The alternative way is to manually change all namespaces with the new name.
6. The same action with method names.
7. Check solution's properties if you want to change.

That's it. You are ready!!!

Orndorff

Answer 6

Following Shane's answer above (which works great BTW)…

You might encounter a slew of yellow triangles in the reference list. Most of these can be eliminated by a Build->Clean Solution and Build->Rebuild Solution.

I did happen to have some Google API references that were a little more stubborn...as well as NewtonSoft JSon.

Trying to reinstall the NuGet package of the same version didn't work.
Visual Studio thinks you already have it installed.

To get around this:
1: Write down the original version.
2: Install the next higher/lower version...then uninstall it.
3: Install the original version from step #1.

Chaplain

Answer 7

The best way is actually to create a new Project from scratch, then go into the folder with the project files you want to copy over (project, form1, everything except folders). Rename the files (Except for form1 files) for example: I copied Ch4Ex1 files into my Ch4Ex2 project but first renamed the files to Ch4Ex2. Copy and paste those files into the Solution Explorer for the new project in Visual Studio. Then just overwrite the files and you should be good to go!

Old thread but I hope it helps anyone looking for this answer!

Cyclostome

Answer 8

The easiest way to do this would be to export the project as a template and save it to the default template location. Then, copy the template into the exact same directory on the location you want to move it to. After that, open up visual studio on the new location, create a new project, and you will get a prompt to search for a template. Search for whatever you named the template, select it and you're done!

Urogenital

Answer 9

I have a project where the source files are in in a folder below the project folder. When I copied the project folder without the source folder and opened the copied project, the source files are not missing but found at the old location. I closed the project, copied also the source folder, and re-opened the project. Now, the project magically references the copied source files (both the new path showed up on "save as" and a change in a file has been saved in the copied version).

There is a caveat: If not both old and new project folders are below a used library folder, the above-mentioned magic discards also the absolute reference to the library and expects it under the same relative path.

I tried this with VS Express 2012.

Sceptre

Answer 10

My solution is a little bit different - the computer that the package resided on died and so I was forced to recreate it on another computer.

What I did (in VS 2008) was to open the following files in my directory:

                  - <package name>.djproj
                  - <package name>.dtproj.user
                  - <package name>.dtxs
                  - <package name>.sln
                  - Package.dtsx

When I did this a popup window asked me if the sln file was going to be a new solution and when I clicked 'yes' everything worked perfectly.

Stein

Answer 11

After trying above solutions & creating copy for MVC projects

For MVC projects please update the port numbers in .csproj file, you can take help of iis applicationhost.config to check the port numbers. Same port numbers will cause assembly loading issue in IIS.

Dewain

Answer 12

I use Visual Studio 2013 where Project > Export Template is not an option. Here is what I use to clone a project.

From your solution: File > Export Template > select project to make template from, note save path

Download and install VS 2013 SDK Here

Create new VSIX project under Extensibility

From the VSIXManifest Dialog select the Assets tab

Fill in the Author textbox

Choose "Project Template" for Type and Browse to add the exported template (saved at path you noted in step 1)

Save and build the VSIX project. Go to the VSIX project's .../bin/Debug folder and double click to run the .vsix file

Start new instance of Visual Studio and you should see your template under whatever project type your template is. Create a new project from your template

You will have to re-add any dll references

Ory

Answer 13

Trick the Clone from repository tool

1. Open the project location in file explorer.
2. Copy the path to any browser (aka open the project location in the browser).
3. Use the address from the browser as the source repository for cloning.
4. Relax and enjoy the no error clone.

Alible

Answer 14

For Visual Studio 2022:

Export the project as a template from Visual Studio. This will allow you to import the project to a different solution using the template that is generated.

• Select the project in solution explorer
• From the top menu in Visual Studio, Project > Export Template
• Select 'Project template' as the output type. In the dropdown, select the project you want to create a template for.
• 'Select Template Options' will appear. Enter the template name. If any namespaces defined in the project contain the original project name, this will be replaced by whatever you enter as the template name. For example if the original project is My.Project, and you have a namespace My.Project.Common, then if you set a template name as My.ProjectCopy, the new project template will have the namespace My.ProjectCopy.Common.
• Select 'Automatically import the template into Visual Studio'
• In your other solution, right-click where you want to add the project and select Add > New project. Search for your template in the window that appears, and select it:

Groundsheet