Cannot build WinUI3 Preview3 desktop package project in fresh installed VS

[huoyaoyuan]

Originally posted at #3620 (comment) by @VagueGit .

This issue involves machine-wide shared component. You may need to reproduce it in a new VM.

I have two dev machines. One can build the preview 3 template project, one can't. The error is Can't find SDK reference Microsoft.VCLibs and Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop.

The working machine has VS installation upgraded since 16.0. It's using electron-based VSInstaller UI.
The not working machine has VS fresh installed for 16.8 and 16.9P1. It's using WPF-based VSInstaller UI.

The newly installed machine misses unversioned Microsoft.VCLibs and Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop here.

After trying to modify the installation, I find that C++ UWP tools workload will bring Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop. But nothing I tried brings Microsoft.VCLibs.

This may be a VS installer issue.

Update: Repairing the VS 16.9 instance fixes this for me.

[placasse]

Same issue here.
I'd like to test winui 3 Preview 3, but I have this error:
"error MSB3774: SDK "Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop, Version=14.0" introuvable."
I'm using a fresh visual studio 16.9 Preview 1. I suppose the solution is just to install something missing, could someone tells what needs to be installed and how to install it ?

[get-flat]

https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/1256345/uwp-build-fails-after-update-to-1682-error-msb3774.html

[aoshiwik]

[placasse]

Thanks aoshiwik. This is effectively part of the documentation for WinUI 3. Unfortunately, it was already selected in my installation

There is a manual workaround, I found
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows Kits\10\ExtensionSDKs\Microsoft.VCLibs
and
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows Kits\10\ExtensionSDKs\Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop
on another computer not infected by Visual Studio 16.9 Preview.
I copied those files on my disk to fix the issue.

[huoyaoyuan]

@aoshiwik as I mentioned, this brings VCLibs.Desktop, but not VCLibs for me.

[llongley]

This looks like an issue with the VS installation. A workaround for now that seems to work for some people is to grab the directory at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows Kits\10\ExtensionSDKs\Microsoft.VCLibs from an install of an earlier version of VS and copy that over (and similarly for Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop).

[chanallenk]

Anybody have a copy of the binaries in that folder for those who don't have another machine?

[placasse]

Here is the two folders I took from my PC
https://github.com/placasse/MicrosoftSDKs

[thomasclaudiushuber]

@aoshiwik as I mentioned, this brings VCLibs.Desktop, but not VCLibs for me.

@huoyaoyuan After modifying VS 2019 Preview and including the C++ options mentioned above, it also still didn't work for me, the Microsoft.VCLibs folder was still missing, while Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop was there.

Another repair of VS 2019 Preview after the modification brought also Microsoft.VCLibs to my machine => Everything works now without manually copying folders (copying folders might be easier though :-))!