Need Windows Forms

[Jon Jacobs]

I installed Visual Studio Community Edition. In the setup I selected .NET desktop development where it said: Build WPF, Windows Forms, and console applications using C#... and .NET Framework
Windows Forms and an occasional console application are all I'm interested in. When installation was complete, the only template for creating a solution was Blank Solution. If I use that and Add a new project, there are NO templates for projects. How do I get the needed templates for creating Windows Forms and console applications? Should I uninstall 2022 and download an earlier version? (I don't know if they are available since I didn't check).

 

[JohnH]

Open the Visual Studio Installer and click Modify, verify that the ".Net Desktop Development" workload is selected (installed). This workload is all your need to create Windows Forms and Console projects. If this is installed, when starting VS in the opening window you can click "Create a new project" button (rightside under Get Started) and a lot of templates should show up, which you can filter (C#, Windows, Desktop/Console).

 

[Jon Jacobs]

Open the Visual Studio Installer and click Modify, verify that the ".Net Desktop Development" workload is selected (installed). This workload is all your need to create Windows Forms and Console projects. If this is installed, when starting VS in the opening window you can click "Create a new project" button (rightside under Get Started) and a lot of templates should show up, which you can filter (C#, Windows, Desktop/Console).

Thank you. I followed your instructions, and yes .NET desktop development (using the installer's exact captialization) is already selected, confirming it was installed.
>"Create a new project" button (rightside under Get Started)
Just now did that again.
>and a lot of templates should show up
Yes they should, but they don't. The ONLY template is Blank Solution, which is why I started this thread.
Any thoughts on how I can get the needed templates? Could it be that Blank Solution is the only possible template on Win8.1? Can I install an earlier version if VS to get compatibility? I am not convinced the Windows version is the problem however. On my computer for my job, I had VS2019 Professional, on Win10 Pro, and I did not have and could not obtain Templates for WinForms, and that was the main kind of project I developed for work. Fortunately I had existing projects from an earlier version of VS Pro, and I could add existing item to my new projects from old projects. I don't have that option on my personal computer.

 

[JohnH]

on Win8.1?

VS 2022 requires Windows 10 (version 1909) or higher: Visual Studio 2022 System Requirements

VS 2019 can run on updated Win 8.1: Visual Studio 2019 System Requirements
Available from: Visual Studio Older Downloads - 2019, 2017, 2015 & Previous Versions

 

[cjard]

the only template for creating a solution

I don't know if i've ever managed to create a solution on its own, I usually create a project and the solution comes with it

What do you see in your VS install dir project templates folder?

e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplates

 

[Jon Jacobs]

I installed Visual Studio Community Edition. In the setup I selected .NET desktop development where it said: Build WPF, Windows Forms, and console applications using C#... and .NET Framework
Windows Forms and an occasional console application are all I'm interested in. When installation was complete, the only template for creating a solution was Blank Solution. If I use that and Add a new project, there are NO templates for projects. How do I get the needed templates for creating Windows Forms and console applications? Should I uninstall 2022 and download an earlier version? (I don't know if they are available since I didn't check).

I installed VS 2018 Express and can now build Windows Forms apps.

 

[JohnH]

I installed VS 2018 Express

Never heard of it, do you mean Visual Studio Express 2017 for Windows Desktop?

 

[Jon Jacobs]

Never heard of it, do you mean Visual Studio Express 2017 for Windows Desktop?

Sorry, I got the year wrong. I was so busy with some urgent matters. It was VS 2012 Express. Not sure that matters for this issue. A perfectly functioning .exe produced, but not useable via shortcut. Weird.

 

[Skydiver]

@JohnH : See his other thread about Super Shield blocking his app.

Anyway, why not install VS2022 Community Edition so that you have something from this decade?

 

[Jon Jacobs]

@JohnH : See his other thread about Super Shield blocking his app.

Anyway, why not install VS2022 Community Edition so that you have something from this decade?

>VS2022. Two reasons. One: it is not really compatible with win8.1, and I don't wish to buy a win10 upgrade. Two: I cannot get Windows Forms templates for it no matter what. Even though other can. I will eventually try upgrading VS2012 to VS2013 etc. as long as they keep my win forms templates.

 

[Skydiver]

You do realize that Win 8.1 reached end-of-life back on Jan 9, 2018. It's only if you are paying Microsoft lots and lots of money as a company do you get on their extended support that you would only give you up to Jan 10, 2023 -- less than 30 days from now.

 

[Jon Jacobs]

You do realize that Win 8.1 reached end-of-life back on Jan 9, 2018. It's only if you are paying Microsoft lots and lots of money as a company do you get on their extended support that you would only give you up to Jan 10, 2023 -- less than 30 days from now.

I realize. However, I have never needed Microsoft support on this computer anyway. Back when they were offering free upgrades to Win10, they were also claiming they would own all they data on my computer, which was a non-starter. Obviously they had to abandon that position for corporate buy-in, especially where HIPPA laws applied. It's never mentioned now, but I remember it vividly from back in the day. It was the subject of a lot of flames in the tech OS discussions.

 

[cjard]

The development experience offered by VS2012 is considerably lacking compared to VS2022, but Workarounds for Visual Studio 2022 on unsupported operating systems - Visual Studio seems to indicate that it should, at least, install

I vaguely remember the other thread; did I post a path to where I found my templates and ask you what was present in your equivalent? I don't recall seeing the answers/I was going to bundle my templates up into a zip if yours were absent..

 

[cjard]

As an aside you can probably buy a licence key for win10 for a few dollars, but even at full price it's a bargain..

 

[Jon Jacobs]

The development experience offered by VS2012 is considerably lacking compared to VS2022, but Workarounds for Visual Studio 2022 on unsupported operating systems - Visual Studio seems to indicate that it should, at least, install

I vaguely remember the other thread; did I post a path to where I found my templates and ask you what was present in your equivalent? I don't recall seeing the answers/I was going to bundle my templates up into a zip if yours were absent..

I did not see any links to something that would have helped. The only template that came with my 2022 was "empty project."