Templates not showing up in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017

Question

I just installed Visual Studio 2017 (Community). I'm trying to create a bot by using a template in C#.

I added the zip folder (the template) to C:\\Users\\NAME\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\Templates\\ProjectTemplates\\Visual C# and I'm trying to open it up by creating a new project.

The template doesn't show up at all.

Any ideas would be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

I got that to work on my side. How ..... after 5 hrs of trying.... and searching the web i did:

1. Upgraded to latest version of Visual Studio Community 2017 with the installer in control panel.
2. Did a Repair of Visual Studio Community 2017 with the installer in control panel.
3. Then opened any C# project i had on hand and proceed with the export Template wizard.
   • check : Automatically import the template into Visual Studio
   • check : Display an explorer window on the output files folder

then waited..... then windows explorer opened with this path:

E:\\Users\\bern\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\My Exported Templates

with a zip file in it !!!! MYTESTTEMPLATE.ZIP just created

Then i when to the path

• e:\\Users\\bern\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\Templates\\ProjectTemplates listed in Visual studio TOOL/OPTION/Projects and solutions/Location

user project Templates location:

e:\\Users\\bern\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\Templates\\ProjectTemplates

I saw again the zip files

MYTESTTEMPLATE.ZIP

4. closed Visual Studio , re opened Visual studio
5. BINGO! the template was listed under Visual C#

PS : sorry if it`sa marathon but it worked.

From there i proved to myself that it did at least worked with the wizard.

Now, for a template created manually from me just ZIPED and pasted in

user project Templates location: e:\\Users\\bern\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\Templates\\ProjectTemplates

why it is not showing ???? continuing my investigation....

Then i managed to associate the file type *.vstemplate to open in Visual studio 2017. Opened both *.vstemplate file ( the test one and my manual one) to compare elements.

I did some cut and paste from the wizard template file into the manual template file just to make sure.

1. Saved and zipped the manual template .

2. copied the zip file in

   ** e:\\Users\\bern\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\Templates\\ProjectTemplates** and copied in E:\\Users\\bern\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\My Exported Templates

3. closed visual studio, open visual studio with a solution X.

4. clicked ADD new Project

AND there it was , at the bottom of the list !!!! the template created with the wizard and my manual template created by hand ... OUFFF.....

I could have maybe just said ....

copy your zip template in

** e:\\Users*YOU*\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\Templates\\ProjectTemplates** and E:\\Users*YOU*\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2017\\My Exported Templates

but it would not have given the process of investigation i when through .

I hope it will help some of you guys.

Thank you