Build on TFS 2013 failed but okay locally

Question

Your TFS 2013 build server is using MSBuild 12.0 where CodeTasksFactory exists in Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v12.0.dll rather than Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v4.0.dll.

Ideally you should be doing the following:

1) Open your NuGet.targets file: C:\Builds\1\xxxx\FTP Processor (New)\src.nuget\nuget.targets

2) Identify the task referencing the old DLL.

<UsingTask AssemblyFile="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v4.0.dll" TaskFactory="CodeTaskFactory" >
...

3) Then future proof it like so:

<UsingTask AssemblyFile="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v$(MSBuildToolsVersion).dll" TaskFactory="CodeTaskFactory" >
...

As of VS2013, you should be running MSBuild from C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\12.0\Bin\

not from C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319. See

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2013/07/24/msbuild-is-now-part-of-visual-studio.aspx

source:http://gyorgybalassy.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/msb4175-the-task-factory-codetaskfactory-could-not-be-loaded/

it solved the issue for me.

After much research and trying a bunch of "hacks" I went on to understand the exact mechanics of nuget restore. It turns out, everything has changed since nuget 2.7+ and you're no longer required to include ".nuget" folder and the associated nuget.exe and nuget.target

To fix my build process and use the latest recommended approach, I did the following:

• Move nuget.config to be with .sln file same folder path
• Delete ".nuget" folder entirely
• Delete references to that folder in .sln file
• Delete following lines from any .csproj file

--

<RestorePackages>true</RestorePackages>
<Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\nuget.targets" />
<Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\NuGet.targets" Condition="Exists('$(SolutionDir)\.nuget\NuGet.targets')" />

--

This could take some time if your project solution has many files or you work on many projects built with Visual Studio 2013 and before.

The good news is, there's a powershell script that applies the above recursively on any folder:

• https://github.com/owen2/AutomaticPackageRestoreMigrationScript/blob/master/migrateToAutomaticPackageRestore.ps1

In short, it reverses "Enable Nuget Package Restore", allowing the newer package restore method to work.

In Visual Studio 2013, automatic package restore became part of the IDE (and the TFS build process). This method is more reliable than the older, msbuild integrated package restore. It does not require you to have nuget.exe checked in to each solution and does not require any additional msbuild targets. However, if you have the files related to the old package restore method in your project, Visual Studio will skip automatic package restore. (This behavior is likely to change soon, hopefully it does).

You can use this script to remove nuget.exe, nuget.targets, and all project and solution references to nuget.targets so you can take advantage of Automatic Package Restore. It more or less automates the process described here.

It will recurse through the directory you run the script from and do it to any solutions that may be in there somewhere. Be careful and have fun! (not responsible for anything that breaks)

A couple of good links on the subject:

• http://blog.davidebbo.com/2014/01/the-right-way-to-restore-nuget-packages.html
• http://docs.nuget.org/consume/package-restore/migrating-to-automatic-package-restore