Perplexing Issues with Changing Target Framework in Visual Studio 2017

Have you ever experienced the mind-boggling frustration of trying to change the target framework in Visual Studio 2017? If you have, don’t worry- you are not alone! Many developers struggle with this issue at some point in their careers. Thankfully, there is a solution!

What is a Target Framework?

Before we go any further, let’s try to unravel the mystery of the target framework in Visual Studio 2017.

When you create a project in Visual Studio, you specify which version of the .NET Framework it targets. This setting determines which version of the .NET Framework will be used to run your application. Basically, the target framework is the minimum version of the .NET Framework that your project requires. This is done to ensure that your application will work on computers that have the specified version of the .NET Framework installed.

Steps to Changing the Target Framework in Visual Studio 2017

Now that we have some understanding of what a target framework is, let’s move on to the steps you need to take to change the target framework in Visual Studio 2017.

1. Open your project in Visual Studio 2017.
2. In the Solution Explorer, right-click on the project in question and select Properties.
3. In the project Properties window, select the Application tab.
4. In the Application tab, you’ll see an option for Target Framework. By default, it should be set to the latest version available on your system.
5. Click on the dropdown list and select the desired target framework version.
6. Click on the “Save” button to apply your changes.
7. You may get a warning dialog box informing you of some incompatibilities with the target framework you’re selecting. If so, click on “Yes” to proceed.
8. Build your project again by clicking on the Build menu and then selecting “Rebuild Solution” (or by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B).
9. Run your program again to validate that the target framework has been changed successfully.

But What If I Need to Change the Framework for Multiple Projects?

If you are working with a solution that contains multiple projects, you may be wondering how to change the target framework for all of them at once. Luckily, this is relatively simple to do in Visual Studio 2017.

1. Open your solution in Visual Studio 2017.
2. In the Solution Explorer, multi-select all the projects that you want to update the target framework for.
3. Right-click on one of the selected projects and select Properties.
4. In the Properties window, select the Application tab, and then choose the desired target framework version.
5. Click on the “Save” button to apply your changes.
6. Build the solution again by clicking on the Build menu and then selecting “Rebuild Solution” (or by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B).
7. Run your programs again to validate that the target framework has been changed successfully.

Conclusion

Voila! As a developer, I understand that changing the target framework in Visual Studio 2017 can be perplexing, but now you should be able to make the necessary alterations quickly and easily. Keep this guide handy the next time you run into troubles.