Visual Studio 2013 with Platform toolset v90

Question

I am trying to build a v90 C++ platform project in Visual Studio 2013, which has a default platform of v120. The project has some older .dll issues and does not work unless compiled with v90, so I cannot update it.

On my desktop machine, to do this I simply select v90 as the platform and click build.

Recently however I needed to do this on my laptop, which has had no prior VS installs on it. With a fresh install of windows and VS2013 I get the following error when trying to build a v90 platform project:

Code:
1>C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\V120\Microsoft.Cpp.Platform.targets(43,5):
error MSB8020: The builds tools for Visual Studio 2008 (Platform Toolset = 'v90') cannot be found. To build using the v90 build tools,
either click the Project menu or right-click the solution, and then select "Update VC++ Projects...". Install Visual Studio 2008 to build
using the Visual Studio 2008 build tools.

I have installed both VS2008 Express and Professional editions and the error has not changed. Something I did on my desktop machine at some point in time made this task trivial, but I am not sure what I installed / did to make it work from a fresh-install of windows.

Is there something I'm missing? What do I need to do to get VS2013 to recognize the v90 platform after I have installed VS2008?

Thanks in advance!

--- SOLVED ---

I solved the problem installing VS2008, VS2010 and VS2012. VS2013 recognize platform toolset v90 now.

Surely you installed VS2008 before VS2013 on your desktop. Anybody does. Whether VS2013 can handle doing it backwards is murky and not often attempted. Sure sounds like it can't, doesn't it :/ — Hans Passant

bernie3280109 bernie3280109 · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-25T12:02:12

A hint for the internet archiv.

To use the v90 platform toolset (=Visual Studio 2008) in a newer Visual Studio (I testet 2013 and 2015) you need to install Visual Studio 2008 AND additionally Visual Studio 2010 (probably after installation VS2008), because the vs90 platform toolset definitions in the MS Build programs folder are part von Visual Studio 2010 and not part of Visual Studio 2008 and not part of Visual Studio 2013.

The first answer to install all Visual Studio Version is ok, and the answers to reinstall Visual Studio 2013 or to install Visual 2013 after Visual 2008 will not work.

C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\Platforms\x64\PlatformToolsets for v90 and v100 (both are installed by Visual Studio 2010)

C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0

for V110 V120 and V140 (installed by corresponding Visual Studio Version)

representing Visual Studio Versions: v90=2008, v100=2010, V110=2012, V120=2013, V140=2015.

Immediately after the Installation of VS2008 AND VS2010 the newer Visual Studio 2013 + 2015 could use the vs90 and vs100 platform toolsets. There is no need to reinstall Visual Studio 2013/2015.

Visual Studio 2013 with Platform toolset v90

2 Answers