The term 'Update-Database' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet

Question

I am using EF5 beta1 and while I was able to run the "Update-Database" before. Now that I shut down Visual Studio, I cannot get it to run. I get the following error:

The term 'Update-Database' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again. At line:1 char:16 + Update-Database <<<< -verbose + CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (Update-Database:String) [], CommandNotFoundException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

I have tried to re-install EF5b1 and while was successful (already installed), the 'Update-Database' still does not work.

Can anyone help???

Solution 1

The solution is to close the Package Manager Console, close Visual Studio and then reopen them.

Rebooting also worked most of the time, but not always.

Solution 2

If you use Entity Framework:

Error Message:

"Error Message (from the Update-Database command in the PMC): The term 'Update-Database' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again."

Solution:

Exit Visual Studio. Reopen project and try again.

For more information please visit: Advanced Entity Framework 6 Scenarios for an MVC 5 Web Application (12 of 12)

Solution 3

For anyone who is using .Net Core and EntityFrameworkCore:

You will need to install Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools package to resolve this issue.

Read more here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/core/miscellaneous/cli/powershell

Solution 4

Reinstalling the nuget package fixed this issue for me

ie, execute

Install-Package EntityFramework -Version 5.0.0

in the package manager

Solution 5

Sometimes when I load VS, I see this in my package manager console:

Value cannot be null.

Parameter name: path1

I have no idea what causes that yet but it seems that something goes wrong during the start-up of the Powershell console which interrupts the registering of specific modules, such as the EF powershell extensions. You can just manually load it however:

Import-Module .\packages\EntityFramework.6.1.1\tools\EntityFramework.psm1

Make sure you replace 6.1.1 with whatever your current version of Entity Framework is.

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Comments

[RickAndMSFT]

Usually you just need to exit restart VS. See my comments in the original question.

[RickAndMSFT]

Usually you just need to exit restart VS. See my comments in the original question. On rare occasions you might need to exit/restart VS twice.

[stack247]

This works for me. The project I worked on used EF and I automatically assume the package was installed. Turned out, it wasn't. The developer just referenced directly to EF dll. EntityFramework package must be installed in the project for Update-Database cmd to work.

[Shubh]

Just faced the problem and restarted Visual Studio and things were working again. Thanks.

[parliament]

Thank you! Only solution that worked for me. However, for anyone using EF 6.1.3 with VS 2015 there is a bug in EntityFramework.psm1 and there's a patch available here stackoverflow.com/a/30062684/1267778.

[Nelson Miranda]

This answer seems unlikely to help however it it saved my day. Thanks,

[Oak]

This was the case for me but I just needed to update nuget in extensions and update

[Matt Borja]

Wrestling with FK's today using Fluent API, etc. and somehow EntityFramework keeps getting dropped. What actually worked for me along these lines was to do yet another Update-Package -Reinstall EntityFramework.

[Rizan Zaky]

this worked for me, uninstalled nuget package manager, re installed nuget package manager, restarted visual studio, uninstalled EntityFramework, re installed EntityFramework

[sohaib javed]

VS developer team should give Refresh VS button for such issues :)

[Murat Yıldız]

@sohaibjaved For some issues, restarting VS would not be enough and some directory cleaning is needed as indicated on Visual Studio 2015 extremely slow. FYI...

[EKanadily]

i lost count of how many things are solved by restarting visual studio

[ProfK]

Thank you, for an effective, if not crappy solution. It seems to be all that works out of a million things I've tried.

[ProfK]

@RickAndMSFT This is a lot closer to a better solution that "just" restarting VS.

[Khateeb321]

Yes, of course. This is the solution. Legit solution. Thank you Microsoft!

[User5590]

@Antonio Even I had the same problem and your solution worked for me as well.

[Kirk Woll]

If you're using EF Core, this is the correct answer. Or at least, the problem for me was that Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools was not installed.

[RustemMazitov]

for me reinstall and reboot. just reinstall dont work, and just reboot dont work either)

[Niklas]

after restarting a few times and not getting it resolved, this helped solve my issue!

[Prince Tegaton]

It's really funny how restarting my PC works for this issue

[HaBo]

I installed "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools" Version="3.1.0" on my data projects and "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design" Version="3.1.0" on my main web project, that resolved issue for me.

[Janneman96]

Yes!! Thanks =) I only had EntityFramwork, EF.Design, EF.SqlServer and EF.SqlServer.Design installed.

[Grayson]

That was it for me Habo. Thanks. You should add that as an answer instead of comment

[YannickIngenierie]

Need to do it 2 times.. but work