Could not create output directory 'directory'. <reason>

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The project system could not create a project directory.

The project system will attempt to create all output directories as soon as the project is opened. The following is a list of the output directories created by the project system:

  • projectfolder\obj\configname
    A temporary configuration-specific output directory.

  • projectfolder\obj\configname\temp
    Working area used by the compiler.

  • projectfolder\obj\configname\temppe
    Temporary assemblies used by designers at design-time are created here.

  • outputdir
    The directory specified by the Output Path property. See Build Page, Project Designer (C#) for more information.

The most common reason for failing to create one of the directories under the obj folder is exceeding the MAX_PATH limit for directory names.

Less common reasons will include permission denied and out of disk space.

To correct this error

  • If the path is too long, change the project location or shorten the name of the project configuration.

    The build process will fail if this error occurs.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Modify Project Properties and Configuration Settings