Visual Studio 2017 error: Cannot find project info for "" This can indicate a missing project reference

I got this problem after removing a nuget package (which I had built myself) from a solution then replacing it with a project reference to the project from which the package was built. The solution to the issue...? Close VS and reopen it.

I resolved this by correcting my mistake that the reference was added both as a project reference AND as a browse reference.

The assembly was thus referenced twice - directly as an assembly - and indirectly as the output of a included project.

When I removed the browse reference and only kept the project reference it cleared up.

To solve this, in your csproj for the class library, either change <TargetFramework>netstandard1.4</TargetFramework> to <TargetFramework>net46</TargetFramework> or <TargetFrameworks>netstandard1.4;net46</TargetFrameworks>

Note, that if you specify more than one target, element should be change to plural TargetFrameworks , not TargetFramework (Build errors when multi-targeting in csproj file)

What you're seeing is coming from the Class Library (.NET Standard) template actually targeting .NET Standard (netstandard1.4 specifically) rather than the selection in the target framework dropdown. Using the Class Library (.NET Framework) template instead would also work.

Update:

Additional options:

• Change the web application to target .NET Framework 4.6.1 (this will allow things that target netstandard1.4 to be referenced
• Change the class library to target netstandard1.3 (this will allow it to be referenced from projects targeting .NET Framework 4.6)

We're also tracking improving the way that these issues get surfaced with https://github.com/dotnet/sdk/issues/829 and https://github.com/dotnet/roslyn-project-system/issues/1470