Rider .NET SDK Not Found / Project Cannot Load

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Install the matching SDK

   Copy steps
   1. Run dotnet --list-sdks
   2. Check global.json requirements
   3. Install the missing SDK from Microsoft
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Point Rider at it

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   1. Open Settings | Build, Execution, Deployment | Toolset and Build
   2. Set .NET CLI executable path and check the detected MSBuild version
   3. Enable Automatically download .NET SDK if necessary where available (newer Rider versions)
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Reload

   Copy steps
   1. Right-click the solution and choose Reload projects
   2. Use File | Invalidate Caches if it persists
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Errors such as "SDK not found" or MSB4236, projects shown as unloaded, or Rider asks for a missing .NET SDK.

Why it happens

• SDK for the global.json or target framework not installed
• .NET installed in a non-standard location
• Mono present but no .NET SDK (common on Linux)
• Rider uses a different dotnet than your terminal

This guide also covers

• rider net sdk not found
• rider sdk not found
• rider msb4236
• rider dotnet not found

The same problem in other apps

All not loading, error messages & connection guides →

• VS Code Python Interpreter Not Found (VS Code)
• IntelliJ IDEA JDK Not Found or Invalid (JetBrains IntelliJ)
• Vim Requires Python 3 Support Error (YouCompleteMe) (Vim)

Other JetBrains Rider errors

• Rider Unity Integration Not Working
• Rider NuGet Restore Failed
• Rider MSBuild Errors (Wrong Version / Build Fails in Rider but Not CLI)
• Rider Indexing Takes Forever / Stuck on Indexing
• Rider Out of Memory: How to Increase Heap Size
• Why Is Rider So Slow / Freezing?
• Rider License Activation Error / License Not Found
• Rider Plugin Incompatible After Update