"This project is incompatible with the current version of Visual Studio" - visual-studio

Question

I was getting the below message from Visual Studio 2010.
"This project is incompatible with the current version of Visual Studio"
One situation resulting in this error has already been posted here at Stackoverflow, but that question has been closed. I'm thinking it's a fairly generic problem. Since I have found a "solution", I'll post this question, and my solution as an answer.

Answer 1

If the message
This project is incompatible with the current version of Visual Studio
is due to an attempt to open a project targeting .Net 4.5, then the "solution" or workaround is to edit the .csproj file and change the TargetFrameworkVersion from "v4.5" to "v4.0". That at least allows the project to be loaded, although it may result in compiler errors if the program is dependent on 4.5 features.

Answer 2

VS 2012 has different project type support based on what you install at setup time and which edition you have. Certain options are available, e.g. web development tools, database development tools, etc. So if you're trying to open a web project but the web development tools weren't installed, it complains with this message.
This can happen if you create the project on another machine and try to open it on a new one. I figured it out trying to open an MVC project after I accidentally uninstalled the web tools.

Answer 3

I just got the same error message with a couple projects after installing Visual Studio 2015 Update 3. For me, the solution was to install .NET Core

Answer 4

In my case it was an incompatible Project Type. Editing project file and removing ProjectTypeGuids node resolved the issue of loading the project (I had already re-targeted the framework version as advised here).
Probably the project type is not supported in the (most likely) NEW version of VS, so you will have to adjust (update) the code to work properly (if possible), but at least you can see the content through VS.

Answer 5

I Resolved the issue by deleting the files in the below folder
%localappdata%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\12.0\ComponentModelCache
Source: https://forums.xamarin.com/discussion/70388/how-to-fix-incompatible-issue-after-visual-studio-2015-update-3

Answer 6

As for me, I realized there was another web project in the solution that my VS2017 was loading fine, so I copied over the ProjectTypeGuids element of it over to the project that wasn't loading. Its diff was:
- <ProjectTypeGuids>{E3E379DF-F4C6-4180-9B81-6769533ABE47};{349c5851-65df-11da-9384-00065b846f21};{fae04ec0-301f-11d3-bf4b-00c04f79efbc}</ProjectTypeGuids>
+ <ProjectTypeGuids>{349c5851-65df-11da-9384-00065b846f21};{fae04ec0-301f-11d3-bf4b-00c04f79efbc}</ProjectTypeGuids>
After this, it loads. Don't ask me why.

Answer 7

If you are getting the same error for a project which is actually an extension (.vsix), installing Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 SDK does the trick.

Answer 8

Go to tools -> Extensions and updates -> Online -> Search for project installer -> download
And relaunch Visual studio.

Answer 9

After installing Update 3 for Visual Studio 2015, I suddenly got the "This project is incompatible with the current version of Visual Studio" error message while opening my Cordova project (.jsproj Javascript project file)
To solve this:
Go to Programs & Features
Select the Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 installation and click Change
Click Modify
Install "HTML/Javascript (Apache Cordova) Update 10" of the Cross Platform Mobile Development section

Answer 10

For me, I got this same error in VS 2015 and just installed the VS 2015 update 1, though from another answer, VS is actually up to Update 3, now (after which, they got the error and had to install .NET Core). Had issues when it hit certain packages, like the Windows SDK ones, and had to point the installer back at the paths in my original CD, and for some, even that didn't work and had to skip them and re-download from an internet-connected computer, transfer them over, and run them later manually (computer was not connected to the internet to be able to download updated versions of the packages), but after doing all that and doing a reboot, the error was gone and my project loaded fine.

Answer 11

I had this issue and after hours of uninstalling and reinstalling I found out the issue in my instance.
The reason why I got this was down to the fact that I didn't have the correct extension.
In my case the ASP.net project (my startup) was the incompatible project and this was because I didn't have the following:
Microsoft ASP.NET and Web Tools
Micrsoft ASP.NET Web Frameworks and Tools
It was a simple case of going into extensions and updates under the Tools menu

Answer 12

I had this error and found it was due to the presence an 'Import' XML tag inside the .csproj.user file. Once I removed it, Visual Studio could open the project again.

Answer 13

What most people forget it is that the files of visual studio are just text files, that have some peculiars configurations that will show to the program how to open it. that is, we can change this because it's just a text in some file in there in your project folders.
Well, knowing this, what we have to do is very simple!
The first step is knowing what kind of project it is this project that stay unload. (for example: Class Library)
The Second step is create a new one (Class Library) because you know that your visual studio will create a version supported by himself. Unload this one and click in "Edit csproj".
It's in this file that we can found the configuration that tell to VS how this proj will be loaded and his name is ProjectGuid, this serial number has a variation according the type and version of project.
Now, look at your "ok project", copy the "ProjectGuid" TAG, paste on csproj that unloaded, and pay attention to the little differences and make this files almost equals, except for the tags ItemGroup that represent the references of the project.
Doing that, save all files and close your VS and open again, now your project should load normally.
I hope that this informations help somebody to understand a bit more how the VS works and help solve the problems when necessary.

Answer 14

I checked if i could create a new solution and was unable because SSAS,SSIS and SSRS weren't there as options.
I downloaded SSDT from here and installed and it worked...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssdt/download-sql-server-data-tools-ssdt?view=sql-server-2017

Answer 15

In case you came here looking for the issue with ".smproj" file, it is because you are missing SQL Server Analysis Services(SSAS). To over come this, install SQL Server Data Tools(SSDT) in your system, restart your Visual Studio and it will work.
Thanks.

Answer 16

This is my answer, I think it's useful. Please follow below steps:
1.First check your Visual studio version is 2012, 2015 or 2017 etc.
2.Your project is developed in 2015, but your visual studio 2012, then visual studio 2012 should not open the which are developed in visual studio 2015 projects.
3.If developed project visual studio 2012 and you have visual studio 2012, open the project but here need to check one option as per below
a) Target Framework - Open your project ".csproj" file with notepad++ and search with "TargetFrameworkVersion" and observe target framework value.
b) Open any existing project in your visual studio - Select project at 'Solution Explorer' - Right click - Properties - Application -Select Target Framework - Observe highest your framework which you have
c) 3.a and 3.b frameworks both are should same otherwise applications are not open
d)If your target framework less than the project framework should install the latest's
e) above options do not work just Simply have another option modify the "TargetFrameworkVersion" value in '.csproj' file which is have in your visual studio.
Ex: in my visual studio target framework 4.0 but in '.csproj' file have TargetFrameworkVersion - 4.5, You need just change 4.5 to 4.0 and open the project

Answer 17

This issue might be caused when using VS 2015 with Update 3 installed on one PC and without update 3 installed on another. This was the problem in my case.