SharpDevelop error: "The tools version '12.0' is unrecognized..."

Question

I've been developing a vb.net project using Excel-DNA for the last few months using SharpDevelop and all of a sudden, when I open my project as usual, I have this error:

The tools version "12.0" is unrecognized. Available tools versions are "2.0", "3.5", "4.0". C:\path\to\file.vbproj

I'm gessing the falty codes is this part: <Project ToolsVersion="12.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">. As far as I can go in my Mercurial history it has always had this value.

Any idea of what could have created the problem? I had installed Visual Studio to test it out and see if the investement was worth it and uninstalled it lately, could it have something to do with that?

Revelation

Uninstalling it wasn't a great idea, that took out the msbuild targets as well. The VS uninstaller wasn't written to support SharpDevelop. – Wasteland

@HansPassant: if you could write down a quick anser with what you said I'de be happy to chose your answer. I've installed VS Express to have the MSBuild target back and it work like a charme again! – Revelation

Just write your own answer and mark it. Installing VS when you said you didn't like it would not have been my advice. – Wasteland

Perhaps you could try to edit the ToolsVersion in the project file, to set it to one of the available versions. – Doorplate

@Govert: That was a solution too, but wasn't sure if I'd loose some features – Revelation

Same error in Blend,VS 2012 – Granniah

Answer 1

Looks like the MSBuild .target files necessary to support ToolsVersion 12.0 were uninstalled together with Visual Studio.

However, they are also available as a standalone download: Microsoft Build Tools 2013

Denunciation

As a note, Build Tools 2013 is version 12.0. Build Tools 2015 is version 14.0. – Herriott