Error when making a new python project on visual studio

Question

Hello I am trying to create a python project on visual studio but I get this error

"The imported project file "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\MSBuild\15.0\Microsoft.Common.targets\ImportBefore\Microsoft.Cpp.VCLibs120Universal.targets" could not be loaded. Root element is missing. C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets

I already tried repairing visual studio and it didnt work and the files it mentions are there

Answer 1

It looks as if the files are corrupted. The safest approach is to uninstall Visual Studio, ensure the entire directory is deleted, and then reinstall it.

Alternatively, you could just delete the Microsoft.Cpp.VCLibs120Universal.targets file (which appears to be from an old version) and Python projects at least will work. If you notice problems with Universal C++ apps then you may need to run Repair again, and if that brings back the problem I would recommend reporting a bug.