Setup Project - Error when creating

Question

Setup Project - Error when creating

Pieter Claassens 45

Good day,

I am trying to create a setup (MSI installer) project - but get the attached error message .. not sure why ?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Warm Regards,

Pieter

Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 11,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-07T07:42:40.4533333+00:00

Could you please include the detailed error message or maybe a screenshot? That would really help give more context.
RLWA32 52,566 Reputation points

2026-01-07T09:05:55.0133333+00:00

@Pieter Claassens In addition to providing the detailed error message please let us know if you are creating an MSI for a .Net Framework project or a .Net (Core) project.
Pieter Claassens 45 Reputation points

2026-01-07T09:35:33.2566667+00:00

Hi, I'm trying to create a MSI for a .NET project. setup the project etc. Build 100% -- but no MSI file? Am I missing something trivial? Screen grab:
Viorel 126.9K Reputation points

2026-01-07T10:03:36.3266667+00:00

So the error no longer appears?
RLWA32 52,566 Reputation points

2026-01-07T10:04:59.73+00:00

Microsoft's Visual Studio Installer Extension has a known issue when attempting to create a new installer project with VS2026.

Is that the environment in which you are working?
Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 11,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-07T10:26:10.5466667+00:00

You might want to double-check the output path. In the screenshot, it’s set to the Debug folder, but you’re checking the Release folder instead.
Pieter Claassens 45 Reputation points

2026-01-07T11:03:44.06+00:00

Correct yes - I think there are some opensource products that can also create a *.msi (like Wix) ... but I need to google a bit...
RLWA32 52,566 Reputation points

2026-01-07T11:59:47.1866667+00:00

@Pieter Claassens Following is the known issue I mentioned earlier -

"If I try to create a new setup project in it, it fails with the error message 'Operation could not be completed. The project file 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\18\Professional\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\VSI\bin\VsdProjects\Setup.vdproj' cannot be migrated.'"

Is that the error message you see?

2 answers

Your answer

Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 11,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-07T07:42:40.4533333+00:00

Could you please include the detailed error message or maybe a screenshot? That would really help give more context.
RLWA32 52,566 Reputation points

2026-01-07T09:05:55.0133333+00:00

@Pieter Claassens In addition to providing the detailed error message please let us know if you are creating an MSI for a .Net Framework project or a .Net (Core) project.
Pieter Claassens 45 Reputation points

2026-01-07T09:35:33.2566667+00:00

Hi, I'm trying to create a MSI for a .NET project. setup the project etc. Build 100% -- but no MSI file? Am I missing something trivial? Screen grab:
Viorel 126.9K Reputation points

2026-01-07T10:03:36.3266667+00:00

So the error no longer appears?
RLWA32 52,566 Reputation points

2026-01-07T10:04:59.73+00:00

Microsoft's Visual Studio Installer Extension has a known issue when attempting to create a new installer project with VS2026.

Is that the environment in which you are working?
Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 11,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-07T10:26:10.5466667+00:00

You might want to double-check the output path. In the screenshot, it’s set to the Debug folder, but you’re checking the Release folder instead.
Pieter Claassens 45 Reputation points

2026-01-07T11:03:44.06+00:00

Correct yes - I think there are some opensource products that can also create a *.msi (like Wix) ... but I need to google a bit...
RLWA32 52,566 Reputation points

2026-01-07T11:59:47.1866667+00:00

@Pieter Claassens Following is the known issue I mentioned earlier -

"If I try to create a new setup project in it, it fails with the error message 'Operation could not be completed. The project file 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\18\Professional\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\VSI\bin\VsdProjects\Setup.vdproj' cannot be migrated.'"

Is that the error message you see?

Answer 1

Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 11,325 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @Pieter Claassens ,

If MSIX is acceptable, I'd recommend switching to the Windows Application Packaging Project - it's built into Visual Studio. For more details, check out Package your app as an MSIX in Visual Studio.

Microsoft has been pushing MSIX as the modern packaging standard, and it offers cleaner installs/uninstalls, auto-update support, and better compatibility with newer Windows versions.

If you absolutely need an MSI, there are other alternatives worth exploring.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Michael Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 11,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-26T10:52:48.8966667+00:00

Hello @Pieter Claassens ,

If you're still interested or have any questions, feel free to reach out whenever it works best for you.

Answer 2

AI answer

To assist you with the error you're encountering while creating a setup (MSI installer) project, it's important to ensure that you are following the correct steps and using the appropriate tools. Here are some general troubleshooting tips:

Check Visual Studio Extensions: Make sure you have the necessary extensions installed, such as the Visual Studio Installer Projects extension, which allows you to create setup projects.
Review Project Configuration: Ensure that your project configuration is set correctly. Sometimes, issues can arise from incorrect settings in the project properties.
Enable Logging: If you are receiving a specific error message, enabling Windows Installer logging can provide more detailed information about what might be going wrong. You can enable logging by using the command line with the appropriate parameters.
Consult Documentation: Refer to the official documentation for creating MSI packages, as it may provide insights into common pitfalls and specific requirements for your setup project.

If you can provide the specific error message you are receiving, I may be able to offer more targeted advice.

References:

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Setup Project - Error when creating

2 answers

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