Cannot find .NET 5.0 Console App project template in Visual Studio 2019

Question

Cannot find .NET 5.0 Console App project template in Visual Studio 2019

Richard Chang 1

I'm currently trying to create a C# .NET 5.0 Console Application in Visual Studio 2019, and the option does not appear under project templates as I expect it to.

I downloaded Visual Studio Professional 2019 Version 16.9.4 (from https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/) and selected all workloads to be installed, then I installed SDK 5.0.202, ASP.NET Core Runtime 5.0.5, .NET Desktop Runtime 5.0.5, and .NET Runtime 5.0.5 (from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/5.0).

When I go to File -> New -> Project and search for "Console Application", there is no default "Console Application" project template for C#. The closest I can find is "Console Application (.NET Framework)" for C#, VB, and F# and "Console Application" for C++. If I select "Console Application (.NET Framework)" for C#, the latest Framework that I can choose is ".NET Framework 4.8".

Actual Outcome:

I compared notes with a developer who did not run into this problem, and they see the same framework restriction when they select "Console Application (.NET Framework)" for C#, but is also able to see the project template "Console Application" for C# (without ".NET Framework") and select ".NET 5.0 (Current)" as the target framework as expected. Nothing about what they installed and updated appeared to be noticeably different, our results for the command prompt command "dotnet --info" matched, and they did not have any "Installed products" listed under "About" or "Individual Components" listed under the installer that I was missing.

Expected Outcome:

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling everything, exhaustively installing every workload as well as additional individual components that looked potentially relevant, and making sure that the "Tools -> Options -> Environment -> Preview Features -> Show All .NET Core templates in the New project dialog (requires restart)" checkbox is checked.

Does anyone know what step I'm missing that is preventing me from creating a Console Application project template in C# using .NET 5.0?

Duane Arnold 3,216 Reputation points

2021-05-05T22:23:54.763+00:00

IThere is also VS General that discusses VS issues you can post to for help.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/products/vs
Viorel 122.5K Reputation points

2021-05-06T04:09:09.46+00:00

Did you scroll your first list to see all of the items?
Tianyu Sun-MSFT 34,436 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-06T06:52:43.68+00:00

Hi @Richard Chang , does command line dotnet new console work for creating a new Console Application on your machine(in CMD, redirect to a new folder > type this command line)? Please try to repair VS, from VS Installer > VS 2019 > More > Repair.
Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-06T16:27:49.187+00:00

Yes, none are "Console App".
Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-06T16:37:07.933+00:00

Command line responds with "The template 'Console Application' was created successfully.", but when I open the created .csproj file, I get an error "The system can not find the file specified." Repairing does not fix the issue, nor does uninstalling and re-installing.
Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-06T16:37:59.59+00:00

Oh okay, thanks. Should I post a duplicate of this there?
Tianyu Sun-MSFT 34,436 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-07T09:52:17.67+00:00

Hi @Richard Chang , thanks for your feedback. Could you please help to confirm if obj folder, Program.cs and XXXX.csproj file has been successfully generated in the new folder? And may I ask, did this error(“The system can not find the file specified”) appear when you started VS > clicked File > Open > Project/Solution… > browse and choose the XXXX.csproj file?
Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-07T17:44:04.447+00:00

At the time, the files did exist and I was getting that error message when opening it using either method.

However, after making another change to populate a missing Visual Studios folder value for the PATH environment variable and adding the MSBuildSDKsPath environment variable, the project now loads successfully (and does show .NET 5.0 when I check it). However, the project template still does not appear when I create a new project via the UI.

Thanks, though. I can at least create a .NET 5.0 project using this method now, so the issue is much lower priority and I have a workaround.
Tianyu Sun-MSFT 34,436 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-10T10:16:26.773+00:00

Hi @Richard Chang , happy to hear that you have a workaround. For this issue, perhaps you can also try to reinstall the .NET desktop development workload and try this method: Restore Default Project Templates.

1 answer

Your answer

Duane Arnold 3,216 Reputation points

2021-05-05T22:23:54.763+00:00

IThere is also VS General that discusses VS issues you can post to for help.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/products/vs
Viorel 122.5K Reputation points

2021-05-06T04:09:09.46+00:00

Did you scroll your first list to see all of the items?
Tianyu Sun-MSFT 34,436 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-06T06:52:43.68+00:00

Hi @Richard Chang , does command line dotnet new console work for creating a new Console Application on your machine(in CMD, redirect to a new folder > type this command line)? Please try to repair VS, from VS Installer > VS 2019 > More > Repair.
Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-06T16:27:49.187+00:00

Yes, none are "Console App".
Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-06T16:37:07.933+00:00

Command line responds with "The template 'Console Application' was created successfully.", but when I open the created .csproj file, I get an error "The system can not find the file specified." Repairing does not fix the issue, nor does uninstalling and re-installing.
Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-06T16:37:59.59+00:00

Oh okay, thanks. Should I post a duplicate of this there?
Tianyu Sun-MSFT 34,436 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-07T09:52:17.67+00:00

Hi @Richard Chang , thanks for your feedback. Could you please help to confirm if obj folder, Program.cs and XXXX.csproj file has been successfully generated in the new folder? And may I ask, did this error(“The system can not find the file specified”) appear when you started VS > clicked File > Open > Project/Solution… > browse and choose the XXXX.csproj file?
Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-07T17:44:04.447+00:00

At the time, the files did exist and I was getting that error message when opening it using either method.

However, after making another change to populate a missing Visual Studios folder value for the PATH environment variable and adding the MSBuildSDKsPath environment variable, the project now loads successfully (and does show .NET 5.0 when I check it). However, the project template still does not appear when I create a new project via the UI.

Thanks, though. I can at least create a .NET 5.0 project using this method now, so the issue is much lower priority and I have a workaround.
Tianyu Sun-MSFT 34,436 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-05-10T10:16:26.773+00:00

Hi @Richard Chang , happy to hear that you have a workaround. For this issue, perhaps you can also try to reinstall the .NET desktop development workload and try this method: Restore Default Project Templates.

Answer 1

Hello,

Here is something to try.

Download the following zip file
Place the file in the folder C:\Users\ YourUserName \Documents\Visual Studio 2019\Templates\ProjectTemplates\Visual C#
Replace YourUserName with your login user name
Display the Start window.
Type in console
Visual Studio will take longer than usual to search, be patient, up to about three minutes.
When the progress bar stops, you should see what's shown below.

What's in the zip file? A console app where the project file is setup for .NET 5/ C# 9 e.g.

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">  
  <PropertyGroup>  
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>  
	  <LangVersion>9.0</LangVersion>  
	  <TargetFramework>net5.0</TargetFramework>  
  </PropertyGroup>  
</Project>

Other than that it's a plain Console project. Try building it, see if it build. If not come back and explain what happened.

Note: Notice I have several project on the left which I created my own project templates.

Richard Chang 1 Reputation point

2021-05-07T17:33:39.033+00:00

Thanks for the response. I assume by "Display the Start window." you just mean to get the "Create a New Project" window to appear in Visual Studios, right? After I add the zip file to the folder specified, that custom project template in your screenshot does not appear, nor does the window take any time to search for it. It seems like it's not being recognized as a project template that is supposed to load at all.

I tried this on a machine without the issue I'm running into and got the same result as well. Is there a step missing from your instructions?

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Cannot find .NET 5.0 Console App project template in Visual Studio 2019

1 answer

Your answer