Sources of MAKEFILE Problems
Frequent MAKEFILE Opening Issues
Microsoft Visual Studio Removed
When you double-click your MAKEFILE file, you may see a dialog box from your operating system stating that it "Cannot Open This File Type". Generally, this is experienced in %%os%% because Microsoft Visual Studio isn't installed on your PC. This will prevent you from double-clicking to open the MAKEFILE file because the OS doesn’t know how to handle it.
Tip: When you have another program installed that you know will open your MAKEFILE, you can select it from the other programs listed (see "Show Apps").
Outdated Microsoft Visual Studio
Sometimes your installed version of Microsoft Visual Studio won't support your Makefile file. If you've got the wrong version of Microsoft Visual Studio installed, you'll need to install the correct version. The primary cause of this problem is that your Makefile file was created by a different (newer) version of Microsoft Visual Studio than what's installed.
Tip: Investigate your MAKEFILE file by right-clicking and selecting "Properties" to find clues on what version you need.
Conclusion: The majority of MAKEFILE file opening issues are due to not having the correct Microsoft Visual Studio version installed.
Additional MAKEFILE Opening Issues
Even with the correct version of Microsoft Visual Studio installed, you can still experience difficulties opening MAKEFILEs. If you are still having problems opening MAKEFILE files, there may be other issues that are preventing you from opening these files. Problems unrelated to software:
- Corrupt Windows Registry file path references for MAKEFILE
- Mistaken removal of the Windows registry MAKEFILE description
- Incomplete or bad installation of a software application associated with the MAKEFILE format
- Your MAKEFILE can't be loaded properly (file corruption)
- Your MAKEFILE is infected with malware
- Hardware associated with MAKEFILE has outdated drivers
- Your PC doesn’t have enough available resources to open the Makefile file
Quiz: Which file extension is the oldest in existence?
That's Correct!
The text file, or "TXT" for short, is the oldest file extension in existence. Although the exact date is unknown, it is thought to have been invented in the late-1960's.
Close, but not quite...
The text file, or "TXT" for short, is the oldest file extension in existence. Although the exact date is unknown, it is thought to have been invented in the late-1960's.