Visual Studio Solution Unavailable (reload doesn't work)

Question

I am downloading a sample program for a barcode reader that I am using. Everytime I download the program and run it I am prompted with the error in my solution explorer (see image below).

Any suggestions? Everytime I right click and reload project, it reloads quickly and then reverts back to unavailable.

Suggestions?

EDIT: Here is the link to the project (scroll to the bottom, PC Sample Program)

http://www.barcodereader.com/download/connections.php

CS Project File Example

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00
# Visual Studio 2010
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "SrEthernetSample",     
"SrEthernetSample\SrEthernetSample.csproj", "{7A2F3660-184B-4553-ADEF-3071D718A501}"
EndProject
Global
GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
    Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
    Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
EndGlobalSection
GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
    {7A2F3660-184B-4553-ADEF-3071D718A501}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
    {7A2F3660-184B-4553-ADEF-3071D718A501}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
    {7A2F3660-184B-4553-ADEF-3071D718A501}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
    {7A2F3660-184B-4553-ADEF-3071D718A501}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
EndGlobalSection
GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
    HideSolutionNode = FALSE
EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

solution explorer error

Output, output panel dropdown is empty

you'll need to post the contents of the output panel to progress... — spender, Sep 15 '14 at 17:33
@PatrickHofman the error is in the unavailability of the project, it does not load properly — Pardon_me, Sep 15 '14 at 17:34
at least provide a download link to the source of the code. thanks — display name, Sep 15 '14 at 17:35
@spender there is nothing in my output panel, it is blank, the project does not even load (i am sure it works, because it was working a few days ago and ran successfully) — Pardon_me, Sep 15 '14 at 17:35
@Pardon_me: There's a dropdown in the output panel... choose "solution". Anything? — spender, Sep 15 '14 at 17:38

score 36 · Answer 1 · edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:20

36

I faced this problem recently. The procedure below worked for my solution:

Right click the project which is not loading, in VS Solution Explorer
Click on Remove and confirm the removing process
Right click the Solution and select Add > Existing Project
Browse to the .csproj file in the project folder

If the above procedure does not work, then check the .NET targeted framework. May be Framework Incompatibility must be also one reason of the problem

If it shows error while you perform above steps then please check this

You do not have permission to access the IIS configuration file - Web app error

edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:20

Prags

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answered Mar 14 '17 at 21:02

mudrak patel

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This was a surprisingly easy solution. it also updated my project to visual studio 2017, which it didn't do automatically. – T.S Dec 21 '17 at 09:40
1

that worked for the whole solution except the web project, looking into it now the .net framework is the same as im running .............solution: had to add as website not add as project – Moi Hawk May 10 '19 at 19:30
2

This didn't solve my problem, but following these steps finally gave me an error message that revealed the actual problem. Thanks! – Casey Crookston Mar 03 '20 at 16:35
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@CaseyCrookston Can you please let me know what was the actual problem and also, how you fixed it? i want to learn more. Thank You – mudrak patel Mar 22 '20 at 22:47

score 14 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:26

14

I was having the same problem on VS 2017 CE. I opened a .sln and the solution was empty (unavailable).

This solved my problem:

open the .sln file in VS
right click on the project name (unavailable) in the solution explorer
click on "install missing..." (i don't remember the exact text)

edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:26

Prags

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answered Apr 04 '17 at 06:49

mrzhero

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Doesn't appear to be any option like that in my VS2010. – Katastic Voyage Jun 11 '17 at 04:34
I just right clicked on the project name in VS solution explorer and clicked on "reload". It worked! – calvin Apr 10 '19 at 17:31
"Install missing features", maybe something that you didn't install with Visual Studio. – Beetlejuice Jul 20 '20 at 20:10

score 9 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 15 '14 at 17:40

9

Have you tried re-adding the project to the solution from within VS? That can fix an invalid path

answered Sep 15 '14 at 17:40

inchbuie

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This worked for me, but I had to do each project twice. The first time I got a message 'The project has not been migrated.', but the second time it opened and no longer showed 'unavailable'. – Simon_Weaver May 03 '17 at 23:34

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 15 '14 at 17:47

5

Right-clicking the solution and selecting (Open with VS 2013), seems to have fixed it.

Thanks all

answered Sep 15 '14 at 17:47

Pardon_me

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score 5 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 02 '15 at 09:32

5

I had the same issue with VS 2013. Start Visual studio as administrator. Then open the project. Job done.

answered Mar 02 '15 at 09:32

chami007

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score 3 · Answer 6 · answered Sep 15 '14 at 17:39

The most probably reason of not loading the solution may be because of the version incompatibility of the version of vs you are using and the one by which the solution(you are trying to load) was built. For example - You may be using the VS 2013 And the solution was built using VS 2005.

The solution is creating new empty solution and adding all the files you downloaded to load it successfully.

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Dec 23 '15 at 06:47

Had similar problem with causing solution explorer to indicate file "unavailable". Performed same fix as suggested above i.e. right clicked on file and selected reload. Got another message that in order run in Universal window had to install what was being offered which I did and everything working fine now.

score 2 · Answer 8 · answered Jan 12 '16 at 18:01

Happened to me when I attempted to load a solution that contained projects that were built with a newer version of Visual Studio 2010 and slightly newer .NET Framework. In other words even though both Visual Studios were 2010 SP1, the original had all of the most recent VS patches applied, where the one I was trying to open did not. Set Windows Update to make sure to check for updates for other Microsoft Products, and apply all Visual Studio patches and Framework updates making it current. Reopen.

score 2 · Answer 9 · answered Sep 13 '16 at 05:12

2

I had fixed this issue by run visual studio as administrator mode

answered Sep 13 '16 at 05:12

silambarasan vediappan

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score 2 · Answer 10 · answered Feb 08 '17 at 05:10

Right click on the project and select reload project. In my case , i am working on a xamarin forms application using visual studio 2015. The project was not loaded initially and 2-3 times i close my IDE and later i did the above trick. This works for me.

score 2 · Answer 11 · edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:26

2

Had the same issue after making some changes to .csproj. My .csproj was configured to use IIS which wan't installed. Make sure that your .csproj doesn't contain bad parameters/non-extisting references/urls.

edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:26

Prags

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answered Mar 14 '17 at 11:31

Vitaly Leskiv

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Yep, forgot I had modified the csproj file. Discard changes, reopen project. – Andrew Sep 05 '19 at 18:33

score 2 · Answer 12 · edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:21

2

Sometimes Windows getting confused.

You should try:

Open C:/Users/[$username(change with yours)]/AppData/ directory.

And try to open Roaming folder.

If asks open as administrator, click Ok.

edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:21

Prags

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answered Sep 03 '18 at 06:47

Oguzcan

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score 1 · Answer 13 · answered Oct 24 '16 at 18:26

Mine did the same thing. I thought it was my hard drive, but one time I tried to load the program it didn't work. I left clicked my project and reloaded it. It asked me to install updates. I installed them and tried it again. It didn't work off the bat. I reloaded the project again and it worked!!!

score 1 · Answer 14 · answered Nov 21 '16 at 04:56

1

I got this error when I open a project targeted on Windows 10.0.10240, I solved this by right click the project in the solution explorer and then choose Reload project.

answered Nov 21 '16 at 04:56

sudoer

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score 1 · Answer 15 · answered Oct 12 '17 at 12:59

1

I remove project by right click on the project and click remove. Then right click on the solution and add existing project you removed. If this didn't work then before adding the existing project delete csproj.user file and then add.

answered Oct 12 '17 at 12:59

secondstriker

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its a correct answer, but also a duplicate with the one above. – T.S Dec 21 '17 at 09:42

score 1 · Answer 16 · answered Jan 31 '18 at 19:00

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I had this problem after I was messing with NuGet packages. I was able to fix it by deleting the packages folder in my solution folder.

answered Jan 31 '18 at 19:00

StriplingWarrior

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score 1 · Answer 17 · edited Mar 15 '18 at 15:11

1

I'm getting this in a Single Page Application Web project. It was because I had the project setup to use IIS (not express).

Visual Studio needs to be opened using the right click on Visual Studio and choose Run as Administrator.

Hope this helps someone to save time.

edited Mar 15 '18 at 15:11

Alexey Andrushkevich

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answered Mar 15 '18 at 14:49

Major Tom

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score 1 · Answer 18 · edited Jan 24 '21 at 17:25

First, create a blank solution with the same name as your project.

On the File menu, select New and then click Project.

In the Project types pane, select Other Project Types and then select Visual Studio Solutions.

In the Templates pane, select Blank Solution.

Enter a name for the project (same as failing to load solution).

To change the location of the solution directory, choose Browse and specify a new location.

Select Add to Source Control if you want to add the solution to a source control database or repository.

Click OK.

After creating an empty solution, move your project folder to the same folder as your solution's folder.

Add your project to the new solution.

score 1 · Answer 19 · answered Jun 14 '18 at 21:05

I had the same issue and fixed it by opening the project in Administrator mode in the latest version of VS 2017. The solution was originally in 2010, but when I opened it in 2017 and reloaded it the projects loaded correctly and no incorrect information was posted in the output window.

score 1 · Answer 20 · answered Aug 07 '18 at 15:42

if you opened the project in another version of Visual Studio and you see a message that the framework is different and closed the dialog will appear like this.

In the project solution, click right and then update.
Then the same window will appear again of version this framework and you can choose to use the recommended one if you do not want to download the framework version.
Close and open project again (optional)

You can see all the project folders again.

score 0 · Answer 21 · answered Mar 15 '23 at 13:08

0

Open Visual Studio Open open project or solution select csproj file

The solution should show

answered Mar 15 '23 at 13:08

Menzi

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Visual Studio Solution Unavailable (reload doesn't work)

21 Answers21

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