VS2010: can't find a library when it is in a subdirectory of one of the project lib directories

Question

I have a folder in my project directory where I put all of the libraries I'm using, this folder has subdirectories for each library, where the .lib files reside. I have added this folder to the project lib search folders, but it can't seem to find the library when I at the library to the project in the form of:

LibSubFolder/Lib.lib;

If I move the lib out into the main folder and then just include Lib.lib; that works, or if I change the lib search folder setting to point to the actual sub folder of the lib then that also works, finding the lib in that sub folder...

So its like I just can't have sub directories in my library name when adding it to the library input in the project settings? its very weird as I swear this has been fine in older visual studio

My project is just on my C drive so its not a matter of paths being too long. I am using Visual C++ 2010 with service pack 1 installed as part of Visual Studio 2010 Premium

Answer 1

Only Visual studio 2012 support LibSubFolder/Lib.lib .

A simple test:

test.exe:test.cc
    cl /c /IE:\tmp\TestLIB\TestLIB test.cc
    link /LIBPATH:E:\ test.obj tmp\testlib.lib

Both Visual Studio 2008 and 2010 give error:

cannot open file tmp\\testlib.lib

PS: the testlib.lib is in the folder e:\\tmp .