When TwinCAT project templates are missing from Visual Studio’s New Project dialog, first check which XAE shell you launched: a reported fix was to open the version-specific TwinCAT XAE (VS 2013) entry rather than TwinCAT XAE (TcXaeShell). Reinstalling or running the installer as administrator did not resolve every reported case, so identify the active shell and integration state before removing packages.
Where does template discovery stop?
Creating a project crosses several local software boundaries: the Windows shortcut starts a shell, the shell loads its installed extensions, and the project dialog lists templates registered for that environment. If the dialog opens but TwinCAT templates are absent, the immediate failure is template discovery in the shell you launched—not proof that the entire TwinCAT installation is missing.
This distinction matters because TwinCAT XAE can be integrated with a Visual Studio installation, or used through the TwinCAT XAE shell. A shortcut labeled TwinCAT XAE (TcXaeShell) and a shortcut labeled for a Visual Studio version do not necessarily open the same environment or present the same project templates. Check the actual running shell and the shortcut name before changing the installation.
By contrast, XAR is the runtime installation and XAE is the engineering environment. Confirm that XAE is installed when the task is creating or editing projects. Installing both XAR and XAE was tried in one case without fixing the missing templates, so presence of the runtime alone is not a useful test of template registration.
Which recovery path should you try first?
Use the least disruptive checks first. The shell-selection fix is a direct test of the application boundary and was reported to restore templates. Check the Visual Studio integration and version compatibility next. Reserve package removal and reinstall for a persistent integration failure.
| Path | What it tests | Evidence and decision |
|---|---|---|
| Launch the version-specific XAE shortcut | Whether the current shell exposes the registered templates | One user reported that templates appeared after launching TwinCAT XAE (VS 2013) instead of TwinCAT XAE (TcXaeShell). Try this first. |
| Check XAE-to-Visual-Studio integration | Whether the installed XAE environment is associated with the intended Visual Studio installation | The reported install sequence was Visual Studio first, then TwinCAT, with the Visual Studio version selected during TwinCAT setup. A mismatch or skipped integration selection is a reasonable next check. |
| Check release and IDE compatibility | Whether the selected TwinCAT build supports the installed Visual Studio version | A report identified Visual Studio 2022 as unsupported by TwinCAT 4024; another reported a problem with TwinCAT 4024.11. Check compatibility for the exact build rather than extrapolating those reports to every release. |
| Remove and reinstall XAE packages | Whether stale or incomplete package state is preventing registration | A command-line cleanup followed by reboot and reinstall restored templates in one case. This is more disruptive and should follow shell, integration, and compatibility checks. |
Do not treat administrator elevation as a universal fix. One installation recovered after XAE was first launched as administrator, but another remained broken after repeated administrator installs. Use an elevated first launch only as a bounded test, not as a substitute for checking shell selection or integration.
How do you confirm the intended XAE shell and IDE?
- Close the currently running TwinCAT and Visual Studio windows so that the next test does not reuse an existing shell session.
- Open the Windows Start menu or taskbar entry and identify the exact TwinCAT XAE shortcut. If a version-specific Visual Studio entry is available, launch it instead of
TwinCAT XAE (TcXaeShell). - In the launched environment, select New Project and inspect the available TwinCAT templates. Record the shell name and whether templates appear; this makes the result comparable with later tests.
- If the templates remain absent, check whether the intended Visual Studio version is installed and whether TwinCAT setup detected it. During TwinCAT installation, the reported integration workflow presented a page for selecting the Visual Studio version. If that page did not appear, investigate whether XAE integration was installed for that IDE.
- Repeat the New Project check from each installed XAE shortcut, if present. A difference between shells points toward environment or integration registration rather than a general inability to create a TwinCAT project.
Visual Studio installation order can matter for integration discovery: the reported sequence was to install Visual Studio first and TwinCAT afterward. Installing Visual Studio after TwinCAT may leave the existing XAE installation without the intended IDE integration; in that situation, rerun or repair the XAE installation and confirm that the IDE selection step detects the installed version.
When should you investigate TwinCAT and Visual Studio versions?
Check the exact TwinCAT build and Visual Studio edition before repeating an installation. One reported compatibility issue said Visual Studio 2022 was not supported by TwinCAT 4024. The affected machine was later tested with Visual Studio 2017, but the templates still did not appear; therefore changing IDE version alone is not a guaranteed repair. Use the compatibility information for the precise TwinCAT build and installed Visual Studio edition.
Version-specific TwinCAT behavior was also reported: TwinCAT 4024.11 allegedly showed no projects, and a workaround was to install 4024.12 first, then install 4024.11 and set 4024.11 as the default version. That report is a targeted lead for installations using 4024.11, not a general instruction for 4024.53 or 4024.54. In the documented case, attempts with 4024.53 and 4024.54 did not resolve the symptom, and those builds should not be conflated with 4024.11.
Keep a simple installation record: TwinCAT version/build, Visual Studio version and edition, whether setup detected the IDE, the selected XAE shell, and whether templates appear in that shell. This separates a compatibility problem from an integration-selection problem and prevents repeated installs from obscuring which change affected the result.
How do you perform a clean XAE package reset?
Use this path only after confirming the shell and checking IDE/build compatibility. Package removal can remove dependencies or other installed TwinCAT components, so capture the installed package list and plan to reinstall the components the machine needs. The following sequence reflects a reported package-reset procedure; validate the package identifiers shown on the target system before removing anything.
- Open a command prompt with the permissions required to manage the installed TwinCAT packages.
- Begin removal of the standard XAE package and its dependencies with
tcpkg uninstall twincat.standard.xae --include-dependencies. - Check what remains by running
tcpkg list -i. If installed entries remain and a full cleanup is intended, use the package identifiers displayed by that command. Do not paste an unreviewed list into an uninstall command: confirm each identifier and the effect of removing it first. - When the intended package cleanup is complete, reboot the machine before reinstalling.
- Apply the reported shell configuration and reinstall XAE with
tcpkg config set -n usetcxaeshellfollowed bytcpkg install twincat.standard.xae.
The report associated this sequence with TwinCAT project templates returning and older projects opening. It does not make package removal the first-line fix: a clean reset can still leave the symptom if the wrong shell is launched or the selected IDE/build combination is incompatible.
How can you verify the repair without changing projects?
After any change, launch the same XAE shortcut that failed before and open New Project. Confirm that TwinCAT templates are listed, then create a disposable test project if the template selection is available. Close and reopen the shell and check the list again; this distinguishes a persistent registration fix from a one-session result.
If the list is still empty, compare the recorded checks in order: active shell, XAE rather than XAR, IDE detection during setup, and compatibility of the exact TwinCAT build with the installed Visual Studio version. If multiple shells exist, test each separately. Escalate with those concrete details rather than repeating an identical reinstall; reports included cases where fresh installs and administrator execution made no difference.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make TwinCAT templates appear in New Project?
Launch the version-specific TwinCAT XAE (VS ...) shortcut if available, rather than TwinCAT XAE (TcXaeShell), and reopen New Project. Then check that XAE integrated with the intended Visual Studio installation.
How do I tell whether I installed XAE or only XAR?
Review the installed TwinCAT components and confirm that the engineering environment, XAE, is present. XAR is the runtime; its presence alone does not confirm that the project-creation templates are available.
Does TwinCAT 4024 work with Visual Studio 2022?
A reported compatibility issue states that Visual Studio 2022 is unsupported by TwinCAT 4024. Verify compatibility for the exact TwinCAT build and IDE edition before reinstalling, since switching to another Visual Studio version did not fix every missing-template case.
How do I verify that TwinCAT project templates are fixed?
Reopen the same XAE shortcut, select New Project, confirm the TwinCAT templates are listed, then close and relaunch that shell and repeat the check.