[WebToolsE2E][Green]Create console project, error ‘error MSB4025: The project file could not be loaded. Root element is missing.“ show up

[Susie-1989]

REGRESSION INFO: This issue works well for SDK 8.0.418

INSTALL STEPS

1. OS: window x64
2. Install Mar servicing SDK 8.0.419
3. Install VS Code insiders - 1.110.0
4. Install Feb prerelease 1 C# DK2.11.4(include C#2.121.32)

REPRO STEPS

1. Open vs code > Create .NET Project > Console app

Note:
1.This issue works well for web project, eg: ASP.NET Core Web App(Razor pages)
2.This issue also repro for Mar servicing SDK 9.0.312
3.The warning in output is tracked by bug 2801

ACTUAL Output windows contains error "MSB4025: The project file could not be loaded. Root element is missing"

2026-02-14 17:56:40.351 [info] Locating .NET runtime version 10.0.0
2026-02-14 17:56:40.983 [info] Dotnet path: c:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Roaming\Code - Insiders\User\globalStorage\ms-dotnettools.vscode-dotnet-runtime.dotnet\10.0.3x64aspnetcore\dotnet.exe
2026-02-14 17:56:40.983 [info] Activating C# + C# Dev Kit...
2026-02-14 17:56:41.178 [info] [stdout] info: Program[0]
Server started with process ID 19368

2026-02-14 17:56:45.556 [info] [stdout] {"pipeName":"\\.\pipe\14531127"}

2026-02-14 17:56:45.557 [info] received named pipe information from server
2026-02-14 17:56:45.559 [info] client has connected to server
2026-02-14 17:56:46.310 [info] [Program] Language server initialized
2026-02-14 17:56:49.223 [info] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.BuildHostProcessManager] .NET BuildHost started from c:\Users\v-yuwzh.vscode-insiders\extensions\ms-dotnettools.csharp-2.121.32-win32-x64.roslyn\Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.LanguageServer.exe reloading to start from C:\Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe to match necessary SDK location.
2026-02-14 17:56:50.462 [warning] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Project C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.csproj has unresolved dependencies
2026-02-14 17:56:50.603 [info] [serviceBroker/connect] [WorkspaceProjectFactoryService] Project C:\Users\v-yuwzh\New folder (5)\ConsoleApp1\ConsoleApp1.csproj loaded by C# Dev Kit
2026-02-14 17:56:51.155 [info] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Successfully completed load of C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs
2026-02-14 17:56:51.156 [info] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restoring Canonical.cs: Running dotnet restore on C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs
2026-02-14 17:56:51.156 [info] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.LanguageServer.DotnetCliHelper] Using dotnet executable configured on the PATH
2026-02-14 17:56:51.159 [info] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restoring Canonical.cs: C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs : error MSB4025: The project file could not be loaded. Root element is missing.
2026-02-14 17:56:51.160 [info] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restoring Canonical.cs: Failed to run restore on C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs
2026-02-14 17:56:51.160 [info] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restore complete
2026-02-14 17:56:51.160 [info] [textDocument/_vs_getProjectContexts] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Completed (re)load of all projects in 00:00:02.1483915
2026-02-14 17:56:51.825 [info] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.BuildHostProcessManager] .NET BuildHost started from c:\Users\v-yuwzh.vscode-insiders\extensions\ms-dotnettools.csharp-2.121.32-win32-x64.roslyn\Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.LanguageServer.exe reloading to start from C:\Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe to match necessary SDK location.
2026-02-14 17:56:52.841 [warning] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Project C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.csproj has unresolved dependencies
2026-02-14 17:56:52.842 [info] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Successfully completed load of C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs
2026-02-14 17:56:52.843 [info] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restoring Canonical.cs: Running dotnet restore on C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs
2026-02-14 17:56:53.113 [info] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restoring Canonical.cs: C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs : error MSB4025: The project file could not be loaded. Root element is missing.
2026-02-14 17:56:53.153 [info] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restoring Canonical.cs: Failed to run restore on C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs
2026-02-14 17:56:53.153 [info] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restore complete
2026-02-14 17:56:53.154 [info] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Completed (re)load of all projects in 00:00:01.5756474

EXPECTED Output windows doesn't contain no error

[balachir]

Highlighting the key part from the output log:

2026-02-14 17:56:53.113 [info] [workspace/didChangeWatchedFiles] [LanguageServerProjectLoader] Restoring Canonical.cs: C:\Users\v-yuwzh\AppData\Local\Temp\roslyn-canonical-misc\18bcd219-42c3-4056-ab87-05c7e99824ec\Canonical.cs : error MSB4025: The project file could not be loaded. Root element is missing.

[balachir]

Joniel and I investigated this issue some more. We are actually able to reproduce this issue even with latest stable versions:

• SDK 8.0.418 (latest-released Feb update) + VS Code (latest stable) with C# DK (latest-released stable version 2.10.3).

The error scenario also is low priority - it's just an error reported in the log, but it doesn't seem to impact functionality in anyway.

@Susie-1989 when you are back, can you correct the REGRESSION INFO and INSTALL STEPS / REPRO STEPS in the bug? I believe that this should only be tracked as a non-blocking low pri issue.

[claudiaregio]

@drewnoakes are you able to take a look at RCA?