How to force a Solution file (SLN) to be opened in Visual Studio 2013?

Uwe Keim picture Uwe Keim · Oct 22, 2013 · Viewed 78.5k times · Source

Trying to open a VS 2012 solution (SLN file) explicitly in VS 2013 succeeds. Simply double-clicking it in Windows Explorer still opens it in VS 2012 instead.

I've read "Visual Studio 2012 doesn't convert vs2010 solution?" and followed the suggestion to "Save As..." the solution file.

Still it opens in VS 2012 by default.

My question:

How to change a SLN file to force it being opened in Visual Studio 2013?

Answer

Marc Gravell picture Marc Gravell · Oct 22, 2013

The .sln file indicates the intended version as one of the early lines - for example:

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 2013

or:

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 2012

However - it can only make use of this if the default application for .sln files is the "Microsoft Visual Studio Version Selector". It is not uncommon for the default .sln application to be a specific version instead. In windows 8:

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you can tell which is the default because it says "keep using":

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