MSBUILD : error MSB1009: Project file does not exist

Question

I am trying to implement CI (Continuous Integration) using TFS for my ASP.NET website (Website Project). I am constantly getting following errors for days. Following is the full log. Its simply not getting latest version to the local directory, that's why its giving error....MSBUILD : error MSB1009: Project file does not exist. I have checked that TFS is not getting latest version, I am not sure why...!!!!

Any help is truly appreciated, Thank You in advance.

2018-02-26T22:18:13.2365258Z ##[section]Starting: Build
2018-02-26T22:18:13.2385315Z Current agent version: '2.117.2'
2018-02-26T22:18:13.5846688Z ##[section]Starting: Initialize Job
2018-02-26T22:18:13.5926727Z Prepare build directory.
2018-02-26T22:18:13.6386956Z Set build variables.
2018-02-26T22:18:13.6457073Z Download all required tasks.
2018-02-26T22:18:13.6878173Z ##[section]Finishing: Initialize Job
2018-02-26T22:18:13.7139315Z ##[section]Starting: Get Sources
2018-02-26T22:18:13.7831194Z Prepending Path environment variable with 
directory containing 'tf.exe'.
2018-02-26T22:18:13.7841199Z Querying workspace information.
2018-02-26T22:18:14.8803708Z ##[command]tf vc workspace /delete 
ws_3_398;91fe1581-91d7-4cee-bb0c-81e67ca0f83a 
/collection:https://tfs.ups.com/tfs/UpsProd/ /loginType:OAuth 
/login:.,******** /noprompt
2018-02-26T22:18:18.9914765Z ##[command]tf vc workspace /new /location:local 
/permission:Public ws_3_398 /collection:https://tfs.ups.com/tfs/UpsProd/ 
/loginType:OAuth /login:.,******** /noprompt
2018-02-26T22:18:20.8991396Z ##[command]tf vc workfold /unmap 
/workspace:ws_3_398 $/ /collection:https://tfs.ups.com/tfs/UpsProd/ 
/loginType:OAuth /login:.,******** /noprompt
2018-02-26T22:18:21.9989171Z ##[command]tf vc workfold /map 
/workspace:ws_3_398 "$/P04C/CRMSA_ESTAT_ESP_SRC/Tools/ESP Website" 
"D:\UAMCAgent\_work\3\s\ESP Website" 
/collection:https://tfs.ups.com/tfs/UpsProd/ /loginType:OAuth 
/login:.,******** /noprompt
2018-02-26T22:18:22.7551176Z ##[command]tf vc get /version:2028385 
/recursive /overwrite D:\UAMCAgent\_work\3\s /loginType:OAuth 
/login:.,******** /noprompt
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6383909Z All files are up to date.
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6615759Z ##[section]Finishing: Get Sources
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6636095Z ##[section]Starting: Build solution

2018-02-26T22:18:23.6716308Z 
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6716308Z Task         : Visual Studio Build
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6716308Z Description  : Build with MSBuild and set the 
Visual Studio version property
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6716308Z Version      : 1.119.0
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6716308Z Author       : Microsoft Corporation
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6716308Z Help         : [More Information]
(https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=613727)
2018-02-26T22:18:23.6716308Z 
2018-02-26T22:18:26.0666962Z ##
[command]"D:\UAMCAgent\_work\_tasks\VSBuild_71a9a2d3-a98a-4caa-96ab-
affca411ecda\1.119.0\ps_modules\MSBuildHelpers\vswhere.exe" -version 
[15.0,16.0) 
-latest -format json
2018-02-26T22:18:26.3567330Z ##[command]"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual 
Studio\2017\Professional\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\amd64\msbuild.exe" 
"D:\UAMCAgent\_work\3\s\ESP Website\ESP_WEB.sln" /nologo /nr:false 
/dl:CentralLogger,"D:\UAMCAgent\_work\_tasks\VSBuild_71a9a2d3-a98a-4caa-
96ab-

  tedTask.MSBuild.Logger.dll";"RootDetailId=0ff9d26a-993f-4bb6-a05a-
582b3d0d7a52|SolutionDir=D:\UAMCAgent\_work\3\s\ESP 
Website"*ForwardingLogger,"D:\UAMCAgent\_work\_tasks\VSBuild_71a9a2d3-a98a-
4caa-96ab-


tedTask.MSBuild.Logger.dll" /p:DeployOnBuild=true 
/p:WebPublishMethod=Package 
/p:PackageAsSingleFile=true /p:SkipInvalidConfigurations=true 
/p:PackageLocation="D:\UAMCAgent\_work\3\a\\" /p:platform="any cpu" 
/p:configuration="release" /p:VisualStudioVersion="15.0" 
/p:_MSDeployUserAgent="TFS_b14eb634-1b27-4e21-8f9e-
13237b04eab7_build_831_73513"
2018-02-26T22:18:26.4365554Z MSBUILD : error MSB1009: Project file does not 
exist.
2018-02-26T22:18:26.4365554Z Switch: D:\UAMCAgent\_work\3\s\ESP 
Website\ESP_WEB.sln
2018-02-26T22:18:26.5830048Z ##[error]Process 'msbuild.exe' exited with code 
'1'.
2018-02-26T22:18:26.6361526Z ##[section]Finishing: Build solution
2018-02-26T22:18:26.6381598Z ##[section]Starting: Post Job Cleanup
2018-02-26T22:18:26.6451749Z ##[section]Finishing: Post Job Cleanup
2018-02-26T22:18:26.6501892Z ##[section]Finishing: Build

Answer 1

According to your log and description, seems TFS get command (Get Source Step)erroneously returns “All files are up to date.” and cause the followed MSBuild step failed.

First try following steps to check if it works by set clean during get source:

1. Modify your definition : In Repository set Clean to True, Clean option to Sources (try to set Source Directory if that not work)
2. Also enable Clean option for your build solution task

Another possibility is the root sources folder (D:\UAMCAgent\_work\3\s) is not mapped - i.e. workspace does not contain a root mapping.

And suggest you double check the related build account permission, also give it local admin permission on the build agent.

You could disable the default get source steps in the build definition. And use your own script to do the get source/pull files to see if you get the same situation. How to, please follow: Is it able to ignore/disable the first step Get source in vNext Build?