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I have a project in a solution I am working on in Visual Studio 2012, and I get this message for one of the projects: "This version of Visual Studio does not have the following project types installed, or does not support them." It is a vdproj. What does this mean and how do I resolve this problem

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7 Answers 7

Reset to default
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The correct procedure to resolve "Incompatible" issue with VDPROJ Projects coming from Visual Studio 2010 and 2015 in 2017, 2019 or 2022 is:

  1. Enter Visual Studio .NET 2017, 2019 or 2022
    • 2017: Click on "Tools" -> Extension and Updates -> Online
    • 2019 or higher: Click on "Extensions" -> Manage Extensions -> Online
  3. Type "Installer Project" on the search box
  4. Click on "Install" in Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Project
  5. Restart Visual Studio .NET and follow the instructions to install the extension
  6. Right click on the projects which have "Incompatible" and click "reload" (tested in VS2022).

With this extension the old project (2010, 2015) is capable to work in (2017, 2019, 2022). VDPROJ are not deprecated, simply they are improved with a new extension, for more information about this please visit the oficial MarketPlace.

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  • 48
    I had to do a "Reload Project" after installing the extension before the "Incompatible" project designation would go away on VS2019.
    – MZB
    Commented Aug 7, 2019 at 16:08
  • 26
    Now under "Extensions" -> "Manage Extensions"
    – Jeremie Weldin
    Commented Nov 21, 2019 at 15:22
  • 2
    This doesn't work. After installing and enabling, VDPROJ projects are still "incompatible".
    – The Lizard
    Commented Jul 10, 2020 at 13:02
  • 6
    Works as of Feb 2021 :)
    – Scotty
    Commented Feb 11, 2021 at 23:07
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    Can confirm it works, you need to right click on the projects which have "Incompatible" and click "reload".
    – HippoDuck
    Commented Sep 8, 2021 at 13:29
75

There is also the official:

if you can jump to VS 2013, 2015, 2017+2019, or 2022

But BozoJoe is right, its time to drop vdproj and move on to WiX.

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  • Fixed my issue temporarily, but then about 6 months later for no discernible reason my install projects all went back to being incompatible. Reinstalling has not helped.
    – Jonathon Cowley-Thom
    Commented Apr 9, 2019 at 14:01
  • This should be marked as answer. Thank you, works flawlessly
    – MaKiPL
    Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 11:15
  • Installer projects do not work in VS anymore. Looks like they removed compatibility in 16.0.1
    – The Lizard
    Commented Jul 10, 2020 at 13:01
  • I'm running VS 2019 version 16.6.3 and the extension version 0.9.8 and I can load my legacy-style installer projects - maybe there is something wrong with your .vdproj or Visual Studio installation?
    – jeoffman
    Commented Jul 13, 2020 at 11:04
  • Microsoft just released version 0.9.9 of this extension (2020/09/16) so the .vdproj is not quite as "dead" as we might think.
    – jeoffman
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 13:45
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vdproj is a MSI creation project for Visual Studio. Its been deprecated and most people have moved on to either WIX or NSIS or a professional grade installer creation tools such as Install Shield.

If you do not require an installer for your product just exclude the vdproj project from the solution and continue with your life

for fun if you want to try to transition right away to wix, try this powershell script https://github.com/chrisoldwood/vdproj2wix

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    InnoSetup is also a great and simple installer framework.
    – MgSam
    Commented Jan 30, 2018 at 17:25
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    This should not be marked as the correct answer John Pittaway has provided a link in his comment to the required installer for 2017 - I installed this and my vdproject is working as expected again
    – Rob
    Commented Dec 21, 2018 at 6:14
  • Yes, John Pittaway's answer worked for me as well. Also, for VS 2015, there was a different extension that was called "Visual Studio Setup and Deployment Projects" which worked for me for several years.
    – J.T. Taylor
    Commented Jan 26, 2019 at 1:28
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    It's still a good choice for simple installers which don't warrant the near vertical learning curve of Wix.
    – Alan B
    Commented Apr 4, 2019 at 11:37
  • @BozoJoe Can vdproj be excluded easily?
    – Siddhi Kamat
    Commented May 24, 2021 at 14:50
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Visual Studio 2017 can use the Visual Studio Installer. It is NOT a default. You have to run InstallerProjects.vsix. You can get it at Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 Installer Projects. I have used it and worked great, at least for a windows GUI project. It's worth a shot before you get into the Install Shield intricacies.

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  • 3
    This one now also has Visual Studio 2019 support
    – Bernard Vander Beken
    Commented Mar 11, 2019 at 11:21
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    This is the most valid answer to the problem/question, it works for VS 2017 and VS 2019. Thanks
    – Tahir Alvi
    Commented Feb 3, 2021 at 8:32
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if You use Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Project (Vs2017). Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Project may be disabled after an update.

  • Tools -> Extensions and Updates..
  • Click Installed
  • Find and Select -> Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Project
  • do Enable
  • Restart Visual Studio
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  • 6
    Now under "Extensions" -> "Manage Extensions"
    – Jeremie Weldin
    Commented Nov 21, 2019 at 15:22
1

Just Download the new extension for Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Project to work.

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visual studio 2022:

If you have the Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Project extension already added to your project, also make sure its enabled.

Extensions -> Manage Extensions -> Installed -> Find the installer project on the list and if it says "Enable", click on it, this should enable it.

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