Error while building project when executing build step 'Make'

Question

I've just installed Qt SDK 1.2.1 on my PC. I created a new project as a test:

File > New File or Project... > Other Project > Plain C++ Project

I chose these build settings:

Qt Creator generated this .pro file:

TEMPLATE = app
CONFIG += console
CONFIG -= qt

SOURCES += main.cpp

and this main.cpp file:

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    cout << "Hello World!" << endl;
    return 0;
}

The build fails:

13:39:35: Running build steps for project test...
13:39:35: Starting: "C:\Dev\Qt\QtSDK\QtCreator\bin\jom.exe" clean
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\debug\main.obj
    del debug\main.obj
    del debug\test.intermediate.manifest debug\test.exp debug\test.ilk vc*.pdb vc*.idb
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\debug\test.intermediate.manifest
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\vc*.pdb
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\test.intermediate.manifest
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\test.exp
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\test.ilk
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\vc*.pdb
    c:\dev\qt\qtsdk\desktop\qt\4.8.1\msvc2008\bin\qmake.exe -spec ..\..\..\Qt\QtSDK\Desktop\Qt\4.8.1\msvc2008\mkspecs\win32-msvc2008 CONFIG+=declarative_debug -o Makefile test.pro
    C:\Dev\Qt\QtSDK\QtCreator\bin\jom.exe -f Makefile.Debug clean
    C:\Dev\Qt\QtSDK\QtCreator\bin\jom.exe -f Makefile.Release clean
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\release\main.obj
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\release\test.intermediate.manifest
    del release\main.obj
    del release\test.intermediate.manifest release\test.exp
    del ".\test.intermediate.manifest"
    del test.exp
    del test.ilk
    del vc*.pdb
    del vc*.idb
Could Not Find C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\vc*.idb

jom 1.0.8 - empower your cores

13:39:36: The process "C:\Dev\Qt\QtSDK\QtCreator\bin\jom.exe" exited normally.
13:39:36: Configuration unchanged, skipping qmake step.
13:39:36: Starting: "C:\Dev\Qt\QtSDK\QtCreator\bin\jom.exe" 
    cl -c -nologo -Zm200 -Zc:wchar_t- -Zi -MDd -GR -EHsc -W3 -w34100 -w34189 -DUNICODE -DWIN32 -DQT_LARGEFILE_SUPPORT -I"..\..\..\Qt\QtSDK\Desktop\Qt\4.8.1\msvc2008\mkspecs\win32-msvc2008" -Fodebug\ @C:\DOCUME~1\Mitch!\LOCALS~1\Temp\main.obj.5936.16.jom
    C:\Dev\Qt\QtSDK\QtCreator\bin\jom.exe -f Makefile.Debug
'cl' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
jom: C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\Makefile.Debug [debug\main.obj] Error 1

jom 1.0.8 - empower your cores

jom: C:\Dev\Projects\Qt\test\Makefile [debug] Error 2
13:39:36: The process "C:\Dev\Qt\QtSDK\QtCreator\bin\jom.exe" exited with code 2.
Error while building project test (target: Desktop)
When executing build step 'Make'

I've tried running the Qt 4.8.1 for Desktop (MSVC 2008) batch script before starting Qt Creator and checking the Projects > Build Settings > Build Environment > Using System Environment > Clear System Environment without success.

My PATH variable after installing Qt SDK 1.2.1:

%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\binn\;C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTSystem\;C:\Program Files\jEdit;C:\Program Files\TortoiseSVN\bin;C:\Program Files\doxygen\bin;C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\Cg\bin;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\DTS\Binn\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\PrivateAssemblies\;C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0

My computer is running Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 2). The version of Qt Creator that ships with Qt SDK 1.2.1 is 2.4.1.

Solution

Looks like cl is either not installed on your system, or needs to be added to the PATH environment variable. Try to find the cl.exe binary somewhere in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio [version]\ and add the directory that contains that binary to your PATH.

Comments

[Mitch]

I did that (added C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\bin to PATH), but get a similar error.

[dschulz]

@Mitch can you open Tools -> Options -> Build & Run and then the Tool Chains tab and take a screenshot, please?