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Asked: 2026-06-02T18:02:10+00:00

I’d like to have a web project in a solution that is set to

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I’d like to have a web project in a solution that is set to “not build” in the solution configuration, however I would still like the project’s references (and their dependencies) to be copied into that project’s bin folder. There are class library projects in the sln that are actually built, and the web project references those.

Our current “build” just calls devenv, which does exactly this. For obvious reasons, I’d rather use MSBuild.

I am not looking for methods to do manual file copying (either individually or *.dll). There are many ways to do this. I am looking specifically for a way to replicate the behaviour that devenv.exe gives us – automatically copy references (and their dependencies) based on what is in the project section in the solution file (below).

These references come from the solution in this section:

Project("{E24C65DC-7377-472B-9ABA-BC803B73C61A}")="TheWebProjectName", 
                                                  "Web\Project\Folder", 
                                                  "{1CBD1906-0C2E-4C92-A81D-63C2AD816EA1}"
    ProjectSection(WebsiteProperties) = preProject
        TargetFrameworkMoniker = ".NETFramework,Version%3Dv4.0"
        ProjectReferences = "{B125568E-E80C-4080-B8D3-5602B604734C}|Some.Reference.dll;
                             {117E8B0A-F0D6-47D0-BB51-71099969566D}|Some.OtherRef.dll;"
        ...
    EndProjectSection
EndProject
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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    MSBuild uses target files to determine it’s build steps. Take a look at the relevant target files and determine how MSBuild copies those files, create your own target file and modify your build configuration to use the new target.

    Relevant target files:

    • Location: C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v$(version)
    • Microsoft.CSharp.targets
    • Microsoft.Common.targets

    Relevant documentation:

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