MSBUILD throws error: The SDK 'Microsoft.NET.Sdk' specified could not be found

59
votes

I'm trying to build a solution using msbuild command line and I keep getting this error:

error MSB4236: The SDK 'Microsoft.NET.Sdk' specified could not be found.

The version of msbuild is the latest from microsoft visual studio 2017 tools. I'm using Windows Server 2012 R2 and the project uses .NET Core 2.0.

This is the command that I'm using:

msbuild.exe /p:Configuration=Release /t:restore C:\Projects\MyProject.sln

Complete log:

    Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 15.3.409.57025 for .NET Framework
    Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

    Building the projects in this solution one at a time. To enable parallel build, please add the "/m" switch.
    Build started 9/16/2017 3:09:03 PM.
    Project "C:\Projects\MyProject.sln" on node 1 (restore target(s)).
    ValidateSolutionConfiguration:
      Building solution configuration "Release|Any CPU".
    Project "C:\Projects\MyProject.sln" (1) is building "C:\Projects\Kernel\Kernel.csproj" (2) on node 1 (restore target(s)).
    C:\Projects\MyProject.sln" (1) is building "C:\Projects\Kernel\Kernel.csproj : error MSB4236: The SDK 'Microsoft.NET.Sdk' specified could not be found.
    Done Building Project "C:\Projects\MyProject.sln" (1) is building "C:\Projects\Kernel\Kernel.csproj" (restore target(s)) -- FAILED.

    Build FAILED.
    "C:\Projects\MyProject.sln" (restore target) (1) ->
"C:\Projects\Kernel\Kernel.csproj" (restore target) (2) ->
  C:\Projects\Kernel\Kernel.csproj : error MSB4236: The SDK 'Microsoft.NET.Sdk' specified could not be found.

0 Warning(s)
    11 Error(s)
11
c#.netmsbuild.net-core
My guess would be that the project references that SDK. And in order to build against it, it must be installed. How else could the compiler do typechkes and all the other stuff? – Christopher
@Christopher I editted the post with complete log. And yes, my project references that SDK, but I'm trying to restore it. – Luiz Gustavo Maia
As I thought. The compiler can not find the SDK. You need it installed togeher with the Compiler to make a build. Ideally you picked the default location. If not, you might have to edit the project so it looks for the SDK in the proper location. – Christopher
But I already installed .NET Core 2.0 SDK. So, do I have to edit the project file or do I need to reinstall .NET Core SDK in the same location that MSBuild is installed? – Luiz Gustavo Maia
If you found the solution, post as answer and accept it. – Lex Li

11 Answers

68
votes

I encountered this error after playing around with .Net Core 2.0 installation and seemingly messing it up. I would get this same error for dotnet restore, dotnet build or dotnet msbuild. Essentially, anything involving .Net Core and msbuild.

The error occurred because the MSBuildSDKsPath environment variable was still pointing to the old .Net Core 1.1 SDK.

To fix the problem, I manually set the MSBuildSDKsPath environment variable to point to 2.0.0's SDK path, which, for me with x64, this was at: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.0.0\Sdks.

Basically, if you have Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk" in your .csproj, then a folder with the same name should exist at your MSBuildSDKsPath location.

13
votes

You were probably missing some components when you installed the VS tools

  1. Download and run Build Tools for Visual Studio 2019. (On the VS download page, go to Tools for Visual Studio 2019 and then click download Build Tools for Visual Studio 2019)

  2. Select Modify on Visual Studio Build Tools 2019 or your instance. enter image description here

  3. Select tab Individual components and check .NET Core SDK component enter image description here

11
votes

for me the solution was to set the sdk version in the global.json file: solution items global.json

and specify the correct version which exists in the C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk folder. The VS installer uninstalled the previous version of .NET Core 3.0.100 and installed new one 3.1.100 so I had to change it from:

{  "sdk": {    "version": "3.0.100"  }}

to

{  "sdk": {    "version": "3.1.100"  }}
3
votes

I got this issue in Mac OS and while using docker container and Azure this occurs because docker bash overrides MSBuildSDKsPath so don't change any code just quit and restart your IDE (visual studio Mac) and run it again

2
votes

For me updating Visual Studio Build Tools resulted in the 'SDK not found' error.

The solution: run Visual Studio Installer, modify the Visual Studio (Build Tools) installation, and make sure the following workload is selected:

check ".NET build tools"

1
votes

I had the same problem and found solution here: https://github.com/aspnet/AspNetCore/issues/3624

Solution is to just have x64 or x86 version of sdk/runtime/hosting. If you have both and if you use for example x86 version of dotnet.exe it won't see x64 versions of SDK installed.

Problem usually occures when you install hosting bundle because it includes both x86 and x64. Just uninstall one you don't use.

0
votes

May be you encourated the error also after installing .net core SDK 3.0, You have to check the environment variable MSBuildSDKsPath after every install of a new SDK. It must traget the SDK you use to create your project. I use VS2017 with Windows 10.

for 2.2 SDK

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.2.104\Sdks

for 3.0 preview 

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\3.0.100-preview3-010431\Sdks
0
votes

Got the same issue when tried to install x64 .Net Core SDK installer. Event the following dotnet --info command shows me that no SDK found.

So, try to install x86 .Net Core SDK installer. That can help you.

0
votes

To anyone that, like me, run into this issue on Linux and found this thread:

This problem occurs, because your .bashrc config overrides MSBuildSDKsPath environment variable with outdated value (most likely it's a leftover after dotnet package update). To solve this:

  1. Edit ~/.bashrc
  2. Remove the line with MSBuildSDKsPath variable initialization, e.g.

export MSBuildSDKsPath="/opt/dotnet/sdk/2.2.108/Sdks/"

0
votes

If you have previously worked with C# and it somehow stopped working:

For me updating to the latest version (probably of the build tools) with the "Visual Studio Installer" solved the problem.

0
votes

I resolve the issue by installing the package directly form the Package Manager Console:

Install-Package NETStandard.Library -Version 2.0.3