Visual Studio: Add existing folder(s) to project

Question

Is there a way to add existing Folders to a Visual Studio Project so that I do not have to do this file by file?

Edit

To make it clear: I want to add references not copies.

It seems that it [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/57776/how-to-add-existing-item-an-entire-directory-structure-in-visual-studio](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/57776/how-to-add-existing-item-an-entire-directory-structure-in-visual-studio) is what you are looking for. — Evgeny Timoshenko, Nov 17 '13 at 16:36
also you may have a look at this post http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3610845/add-as-link-for-folders-in-visual-studio-projects — Evgeny Timoshenko, Nov 17 '13 at 17:04
@HerpDerpington if my answer helps, you can mark it as accepted answer :) — DevLoverUmar, Dec 23 '20 at 13:06

score 176 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 08 '16 at 16:20

176

If the folder and its contents have already been created and it physically exists under the Project, you can click the Show All Files icon (at the top of the Solution Explorer windows) and then when the folder shows as a dotted icon, right-click it and choose Include In Project and the folder and all its contents are added.

answered Nov 08 '16 at 16:20

John J Smith

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sounds good but that does not seem to be an option in vs 2019 – Joe Aug 25 '19 at 13:45
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However dragging and dropping the folder into the solution from windows explorer worked, – Joe Aug 25 '19 at 13:50
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This is the answer I was looking for. Thank you. – Chris Holmes Sep 10 '19 at 15:41
Works great! I have been using vs for some many years but never realize that there is such a useful button. – Bob Sep 19 '19 at 14:02
This is the real answer! – lecrank Sep 24 '19 at 09:27
IMHO, the best answer! – Oke Uwechue Oct 17 '19 at 12:38
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@Joe, I am using vs 2019 and it still works for me. You are sure you are looking at the correct icon bar? – Bob Jan 02 '20 at 16:14
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If the solution has "solution folders" this does not work – Mauricio Gracia Gutierrez Jul 02 '20 at 15:50
@Joe check my answer if you believe that a picture is worth a thousand words :) – DevLoverUmar Jan 18 '21 at 03:52
You are the right answer for me, thx John – Denny Jan 21 '21 at 07:17

DevLoverUmar · Answer 2 · 2020-08-19T18:11:06.907

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VS 2019

Click on the 'Show All Files' icon at the top of Solution Explorer window.

Then the folders/files of the selected project will be displayed as dotted icons. You can right click any of them and select include in project to include them in the project.

For solution folders, click the 'Show All Files' icon then first exclude the desired folders/files and then include them.

edited Aug 19 '20 at 18:11

answered Aug 18 '20 at 07:06

DevLoverUmar

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Of the different ways I've tried to add files and folder, this is the only way that seems to work without any fuss – Microbob Sep 19 '20 at 21:54
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I've done this in previous versions of VS, too. For some reason, the "Show All Files" icon wasn't showing up for me in 2019, though. It took some fiddling with the Solution Explorer bar sizing for it to show up. IDK what it even took for it to appear, it just all of a sudden was there. – computercarguy Nov 02 '20 at 17:44
Great that there is this workaround but disappointing that add existing item violates the principle of least surprise. – Paul McCarthy Jan 08 '21 at 14:00
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I had a situation where I couldn't see the include or exclude in folder options. They came back as soon as I rebooted VS2019. Thanks! – JWP Mar 01 '21 at 04:55
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this is helpful, or at least works for my needs. Thanks! – Tabrock Mar 18 '21 at 16:20
Pleasure ... :) – DevLoverUmar Mar 18 '21 at 16:20

Evgeny Timoshenko · Answer 3 · 2019-11-13T20:12:24.360

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You could open Add Existing Item dialog, select a bunch of files, click on Add's button drop-down menu and choose Add as a link. It will add files as references and won't copy them.

edited Nov 13 '19 at 20:12

answered Nov 17 '13 at 16:59

Evgeny Timoshenko

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If the solution has "solution folders" this does not work – Mauricio Gracia Gutierrez Jul 02 '20 at 15:50

score 13 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 23 '15 at 20:21

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You can drag and drop the entire folder. If all files don't show you can repeat the drag'n'drop procedure for subfolders.

answered Sep 23 '15 at 20:21

kburnik

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You can also copy external folders in file explorer and paste it in visual studio project explorer. – Zeni Apr 12 '16 at 06:54
this should be the correct answer, as the other answer doesn't entail how you would create the folder, if it is already there it will complain about there already being a folder there. – thekevshow Nov 03 '16 at 19:10

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 17 '13 at 16:34

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I don't think there is, but if you have all the files in one folder, you can add multiple files in one go. Just mark them all in the add file dialog.

answered Nov 17 '13 at 16:34

nvoigt

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`Add Existing Item` dialog's `Add` button has drop down menu where one can choose `Add as a link`. – Evgeny Timoshenko Nov 17 '13 at 16:52
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The answer about Showing All Files in Solution Explorer is better than this option. – Anton Jan 16 '20 at 22:30
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None of the answers here works if the solution has "solution folders" and one of them is the destination of the folder to import – Mauricio Gracia Gutierrez Jul 02 '20 at 15:53
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This simply added the files in the "root" folder of the project for me, and didn't include the existing folder structure. – computercarguy Nov 02 '20 at 17:45
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The answer provided by @john-j-smith should be marked as the correct answer. – B. Fuller Jan 26 '21 at 21:48

score 6 · Answer 6 · edited Feb 13 '18 at 01:22

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right click the project, and choose "New Solution Explorer view", a window pops up.
and then form the toolbar of the new window ("solution explore window"), you click the "Show All Files" icon.
then include the folders of interest into your project...

edited Feb 13 '18 at 01:22

Jim L

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answered Feb 13 '18 at 01:13

user9352585

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Thanks, I didn't seem to have the "Show All Files" button until I opened the new solution explorer view. – phansen May 29 '18 at 17:02
If the solution has "solution folders" and one of them is the destination this does not work – Mauricio Gracia Gutierrez Jul 02 '20 at 15:51

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Dec 20 '19 at 17:21

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In Visual Studio 2019 I could not drag and drop from file explorer or 'Show All Files' and then add them. Instead, while in File Explorer, right click and choose copy, then click on the location within Visual Studio 2019 and right click and choose paste. All of the files in the folder and subfolders will be added.

answered Dec 20 '19 at 17:21

th3morg

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If the solution has "solution folders" and one of them is the destination this does not work – Mauricio Gracia Gutierrez Jul 02 '20 at 15:52

score 2 · Answer 8 · edited Jul 09 '20 at 09:04

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If you're working in VS 2019 Community Edition, I find that you can:

Open the parent folder of whatever folder you're trying to add in windows explorer
Right-click and copy that folder
Go to the solution explorer in visual studio
Right-click then paste the folder wherever you want to in the solution tree

edited Jul 09 '20 at 09:04

elersong

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answered Jul 08 '20 at 16:59

Loran Hayden

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This is the only one that works. – Vincent Apr 26 '21 at 07:16

score 1 · Answer 9 · answered Jun 07 '20 at 05:19

If the folder and its contents have already been created and it physically exists under the Project then click on view over the project then you can see all folders and files and you just need to copy files and click on solution in the same folder view and paste all in there

score 1 · Answer 10 · answered Sep 30 '20 at 17:46

It has been a while since this was originally posted, but here is an alternative answer for a solution folder that is NOT inside of a project. If you only care to be able to look at the physical files from inside visual studio and do not necessarily require to see them in the solution explorer default view, then click on the switch view button and choose the folder view and any physical directory/directories that are under your solution root folder will appear here even if they do not appear in the solution explorer default view.

If however, you want to add a folder tree that isn't too large as a virtual solution directory/directories to match your existing tree structure, do that and and then "add the existing" physical files to the virtual directory/directories. If the physical directory exists in your solution directory it will not copy the files - it will link directly to the physical files but they will appear as part of the solution virtual directories.

Before you paste this in even more locations, please take the time to read [Is it acceptable to add a duplicate answer to several questions?](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/104227/is-it-acceptable-to-add-a-duplicate-answer-to-several-questions). — fcdt, Sep 30 '20 at 18:10

score 0 · Answer 11 · edited Sep 13 '19 at 04:11

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Check whether that folder is inside project folder or not, if yes:

click Show All files in solution explorer.
now you can see folder name in solution explorer. right click the folder -> Include In Project.
If the folder out of project please copy it into the project directory in the place where we want it.

edited Sep 13 '19 at 04:11

notescrew

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answered Sep 13 '19 at 03:55

DINESH KUMAR VADIVEL

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Visual Studio: Add existing folder(s) to project

11 Answers11