visual studio 2008 C++ no x64 platform

Question

I installed Visual Studio 2008 on my Windows 7 x64 laptop together with installation of Service Pack 1.

Now I want to add x64 platform to my C++ solution. But there is no x64 platform available in the configuration manager for my project. I'm sure I manually selected x64 support during the Visual Studio installation and it was installed.

What is wrong with my setup?

Tiebout

Have you tried to add a new configuration in configuration manager? Existing projects don't automatically gain the x64 configuration, but it should be available to add. – Cortisol

I expect Alan's right, but have you double-checked that it's installed in setup? Do you have directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\vc\bin\amd64? – Lordly

Yes, I tried to add them. There is no x64 configuration in the list in Configuration Manager. I installed VS 2008 Professional with x64 tools. Seems like a bug in VS. – Tiebout

Answer 1

If I recall, VS 2008 Pro doesn't install the 64-bit compiler and tools by default. You have to explicitly select them during the installation.

1. Control Panel -> Uninstall Programs.
2. Select Visual Studio and click Uninstall/Change.
3. Wait. Wait some more. Click Next.
4. Choose Add or Remove Features.
5. Expand MSVC 2008 -> Language Tools -> Visual C++.
6. Select X64 Compilers and Tools.

You'll probably need your original installation media.

Once the 64-bit compiler and tools are installed, you should be able to add a 64-bit configuration to your solution.

Eliga

The point is I have those installed. I can see the checkboxes correctly set. – Tiebout

Then you might have better luck asking on the MSDN forums. social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/vssetup/threads – Eliga

This comment saved me a day! Thank you! – Plio

Answer 2

See "Use Visual Studio to build 64-bit application" for all you need to build x64 apps with Visual Studio 2008.

Lofton

Answer 3

Visual Studio 2008 only comes with x64 compiler with the Professional editions and higher. You can download the free Windows SDK from MSDN to get the x64 compiler.

Aerology

I have Visual Studio 2008 professional installed together with x64 tools. Even though I can add x64 configuration in configuration manager. – Tiebout

Answer 4

If your projects don't have the x64 configuration, just add that configuration via the configuration manager. I don't remember if 2008 created the x64 configuration by default but I suspect not.

I also seem to remember that you can just add the x64 configuration to the solution and it will prompt on whether or not to add it to all of the contained projects but my memory is rusty on that one.

Regardless, once you've got the configurations added, you'll need to modify anything you'd modified before in project settings. Output paths, library dependencies, etc. The New Configuration "Wizard" is pretty dumb.

Abby

"But there is no x64 platform available in the configuration manager for my project." – Busyness

@Busyness You may need to add the x64 support tools then via the installer. They are not installed by default (as mentioned in another answer). – Abby