This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer

Question

I have an ASP.NET MVC5 application that worked yesterday and now I am getting this error when I try to build:

This project references NuGet package(s)

Answer 1

I easily solve this problem by right clicking on my solution and then clicking on the Enable NuGet Package Restore option

(P.S: Ensure that you have the Nuget Install From Tools--> Extensions and Update--> Nuget Package Manager for Visual Studio 2013. If not install this extention first)

Hope it helps.

Answer 2

I have the same issue. I encountered it when I copied an existing project and transferred it on the folder of my solution directory and added it as existing project to my empty solution. So I have to edit my csproj file and look for this specific line of code, most of the time, this is can be found on the last lines:

  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />

After that line, I have to comment these out:

  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\NuGet.targets" Condition="Exists('$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\NuGet.targets')" />
  <Target Name="EnsureNuGetPackageBuildImports" BeforeTargets="PrepareForBuild">
    <PropertyGroup>
      <ErrorText>This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Use NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=322105. The missing file is {0}.</ErrorText>
    </PropertyGroup>
    <Error Condition="!Exists('..\..\..\..\..\packages\EntityFramework.6.4.0\build\EntityFramework.props')" Text="$([System.String]::Format('$(ErrorText)', '..\..\..\..\..\packages\EntityFramework.6.4.0\build\EntityFramework.props'))" />
    <Error Condition="!Exists('..\..\..\..\..\packages\EntityFramework.6.4.0\build\EntityFramework.targets')" Text="$([System.String]::Format('$(ErrorText)', '..\..\..\..\..\packages\EntityFramework.6.4.0\build\EntityFramework.targets'))" />
  </Target>
  <Import Project="..\..\..\..\..\packages\EntityFramework.6.4.0\build\EntityFramework.targets" Condition="Exists('..\..\..\..\..\packages\EntityFramework.6.4.0\build\EntityFramework.targets')" />

Your solution will prompt that there was a change on your project, just select Reload All:

Then everything works fine after rebuilding my solution.

Answer 3

I had the same issue. In my case installing the Microsoft.Bcl.Build package fixed the problem.

Answer 4

One solution would be to remove from the .csproj file the following:

<Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\NuGet.targets" Condition="Exists('$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\NuGet.targets')" />

This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=322105. The missing file is {0}.

Answer 5

In my case it happened after I moved my solution folder from one location to another, re-organized it a bit and in the process its relative folder structure changed.

So I had to edit all entries similar to the following one in my .csproj file from

  <Import Project="..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.14\tools\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets" Condition="Exists('..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.14\tools\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets')" />

to

  <Import Project="packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.14\tools\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets" Condition="Exists('packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.14\tools\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets')" />

(Note the change from ..\packages\ to packages\. It might be a different relative structure in your case, but you get the idea.)

Answer 6

In my case it had to do with the Microsoft.Build.Bcl version. My nuget package version was 1.0.21, but my project files were still pointing to version 1.0.14

So I changed my .csproj files from:

  <Import Project="..\..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.14\tools\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets" Condition="Exists('..\..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.14\tools\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets')" />
   <Target Name="EnsureBclBuildImported" BeforeTargets="BeforeBuild" Condition="'$(BclBuildImported)' == ''">
    <Error Condition="!Exists('..\..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.14\tools\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets')" Text="This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317567." HelpKeyword="BCLBUILD2001" />
    <Error Condition="Exists('..\..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.14\tools\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets')" Text="The build restored NuGet packages. Build the project again to include these packages in the build. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317568." HelpKeyword="BCLBUILD2002" />
  </Target>

to:

 <Import Project="..\..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.21\build\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets" Condition="Exists('..\..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.21\build\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets')" />
  <Target Name="EnsureBclBuildImported" BeforeTargets="BeforeBuild" Condition="'$(BclBuildImported)' == ''">
    <Error Condition="!Exists('..\..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.21\build\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets')" Text="This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Enable NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317567." HelpKeyword="BCLBUILD2001" />
    <Error Condition="Exists('..\..\packages\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.1.0.21\build\Microsoft.Bcl.Build.targets')" Text="The build restored NuGet packages. Build the project again to include these packages in the build. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=317568." HelpKeyword="BCLBUILD2002" />

And the build was working again.