The term 'Update-Database' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet

Question

I am using EF5 beta1 and while I was able to run the "Update-Database" before. Now that I shut down Visual Studio, I cannot get it to run. I get the following error:

The term 'Update-Database' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again. At line:1 char:16 + Update-Database <<<< -verbose + CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (Update-Database:String) [], CommandNotFoundException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

I have tried to re-install EF5b1 and while was successful (already installed), the 'Update-Database' still does not work.

Can anyone help???

Answer 1

I've been having this problem a number of times lately. I found the solution that worked was to close the Package Manager Console, close Visual Studio and then reopen them. Rebooting also worked most of the time, but not always.

Answer 2

If you use Entity Framework:

Error Message: "Error Message (from the Update-Database command in the PMC): The term 'Update-Database' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again."

Solution: Exit Visual Studio. Reopen project and try again.

For more information please visit: Advanced Entity Framework 6 Scenarios for an MVC 5 Web Application (12 of 12)

Hope this helps...

Answer 3

For anyone who is using .Net Core and EntityFrameworkCore:

You will need to install Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools package to resolve this issue.

Read more here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/miscellaneous/cli/powershell

Answer 4

Reinstalling the nuget package fixed this issue for me

ie, execute

Install-Package EntityFramework -Version 5.0.0

in the package manager

Answer 5

Sometimes when I load VS, I see this in my package manager console:

Value cannot be null.

Parameter name: path1

I have no idea what causes that yet but it seems that something goes wrong during the start-up of the Powershell console which interrupts the registering of specific modules, such as the EF powershell extensions. You can just manually load it however:

Import-Module .\packages\EntityFramework.6.1.1\tools\EntityFramework.psm1

Make sure you replace 6.1.1 with whatever your current version of Entity Framework is.

Answer 6

you will get this error when the EF tools are not installed properly.

try the below command in Nuget package manager //Uninstalls and install the same Version of EF

Update-Package "EntityFramework" -reinstall

If you still face the same issue. create a new Web Project and run the below command in nuget.

(Note : no need to create the new Project in the same solution or same location.)

// This will update EF to latest version(including the tools) // if you want to use specific version , use the -version flag.

Update-Package "EntityFramework"

Once this is done, chcek your original project and you can delete the newly created project.

Answer 7

Just restart Visual Studio, it'll solve the problem. Works for me.

Answer 8

I had this same problem, and the origin of it was on my path name, I had on my path a directory name with straight brackets, like this: C:\[PROJ]\TestApp.

When I removed the brackets, to C:\PROJ\TestApp, it started to work just fine...

Answer 9

Just ReOpen visual studio is work for me

Answer 10

For me the problem was the Nuget version.

1. uninstall Nuget Package Manager.
2. restart Visual Studio.
3. installed new version of Nuget Package Manager.
4. then re-start Visual Studio again.

Answer 11

Install Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools solved the issue for me, used nuget packages

Answer 12

I solved with uninstall and reinstall of "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" and "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools"

Answer 13

This problem seems to happen when you open the project directly from File Explorer. Try starting VS first and then opening the project - worked for me. I'm guessing this is about access to paths.

Answer 14

Restoring NuGet package didn'y help me. So I had to reinstall package manager - https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/4ec1526c-4a8c-4a84-b702-b21a8f5293ca May be it helps someone

Answer 15

If the other answers don't work (VS 2017): clear the NuGet cache, restart VS, then restore the packages.

Answer 16

I found that it was due to a corrupt package. I had installed Automapper when it was already installed. It was only clear that this package was corrupt when I tried to install another package.

Removing the corrupt package solved this issue for me.

You can then reinstall automapper. The issue was with version 5.4, I am now happily on 6.0.

Answer 17

For me it turns out EntityFramework core was not installed on my project (because i started with blank project). So installing EntityFramework package resolved the problem. Sometimes if EntityFramework installation failed then try to install individual packages one by one

E.g.

Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer.Design
Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools

Answer 18

I solved by updateing Package Manager Console.

I was not getting Update-Database in Package Manager Console. Then i restart several time. Also restart Windows.

Then I download new one from nuget and then it was solved.

Answer 19

I had this problem in Visual Studio 2015 and resolved it by updating the version of Nuget.

Tools -> Extensions and Updates -> Updates -> Visual Studio Gallery

Answer 20

Simple fix for me was to make sure there was a dash between update and database, like this: update-database and use lowercase. It may be coincidental, but when I did this in Packet Manager Console, the database actually updated and I got the done message rather than the not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file error.

Answer 21

I started having the same issue after I accidentally opened a Visual Studio solution with Visual Studio 2015 instead of 2017. The project worked just fine before that mishap. It was an older project with EF 5.0 and not EF Core.

I tried everything suggested - restarted Visual Studio countless times, cleaned up NuGet cache, deleted everything in packages folder, reinstalled EF 5 for the project - no good, add-migration was not recognized. If I upgraded EF to 6, it started to recognize the commands, but I did not want to upgrade yet. So, as soon as I reverted back to EF 5, the problem returned.

The only thing that finally saved me was to do the following:

• close Visual Studio
• delete everything from packages folder
• delete .vs folder in the root of your solution. This folder is usually hidden, you have to turn on Show hidden files and folders setting or check Hidden items in folder View tab
• start Visual Studio and open your solution. It will ask to restore NuGet packages, agree to it.

Now EF commands finally started working again.

Answer 22

In my case:

• Reload project did not help
• Restart VS did not help
• Restart computer did not help
• Reinstal EF did not help

But I found an article where suggestion was to manualy import missing EF package, using PM Conole:

Import-Module .\packages\EntityFramework.X.X.X\tools\EntityFramework.psm1

And this solution solved my problem.

Answer 23

In my case restarting Visual Studio (many, many times) did not work, then as I was looking elsewhere I found a message on the output terminal:

The current .NET SDK does not support targeting .NET Core 2.2. Either target .NET Core 2.1 or lower, or use a version of the .NET SDK that supports .NET Core 2.2.

So I installed the required version of .NET Core and the command ran successfully.

Answer 24

I had this problem in VS 2019 with an existing project using EntityFramework 6.3.0. This project had some strange version changes done to it over a period of time, and nothing would get it working. I believe I tried every suggestion listed here with no luck.

Finally, updating to the pre-release version of EntityFramework (currently 6.4.0-preview3-19553-01) did fix the problem, by running this in the Package Manager Console: Update-Package EntityFramework -prerelease. I'm hopeful that when this version is released live in the next few weeks it will work properly.

Answer 25

In my case, I did the following: - restored missing NuGet packages by clicking "Restore" button on top of the Package Manager Console - restarted Visual Studio - run update-database

Answer 26

Most of the time those beta versions have some issues, also if Entity Framework failed to load and also this can happen if you are install the Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools globally. try to install it locally into your project . you can try these steps until you fix the issue. and remember this method is not to fix the issue this is the other way to do this.

1. cd in to your project directory. not the sln directory to the project directory.
2. then dotnet ef to find out that you have correctly install the Entity Framework.
3. then use dotnet ef migrations add "ReplaceThisWithSomeText" command. And this will create new migration.
4. then use dotnet ef database update to update the database.

Migrations Overview. This will helps too..

Windows commands - cd

(This Is for EFCore projects)

Answer 27

For me the problem was the Nuget version.

I removed and re-installed Nuget then re-started Visual Studio and then all started working.

Answer 28

I too have the same issue but with Delete-SqlDatabase from SQLPS.

In my case i wad trying to call a function Delete-SqlDatabase which i declared and consuming in my code.

The mistake i did is to call the function which was downbelow.

You see in powershell inorder for a function to be visible, you have to declare it on top. the main function should be the last section hirerchy wise.

Its such a silly thing. I am sure you figured this out with in a day.

I know this tread is too old but it might help other's like me who can potentialy save an hours time.