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check-bin-obj-clash

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Detects MSBuild projects with conflicting OutputPath or IntermediateOutputPath. USE FOR: builds failing with 'Cannot create a file when that file already exists', 'The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process', intermittent build failures that succeed on retry, or missing/overwritten outputs in multi-project or multi-targeting builds where bin/obj (or project.assets.json) collide. Common causes: shared OutputPath, missing AppendTargetFrameworkToOutputPath, extra global properties (e.g. PublishReadyToRun), or SetTargetFramework on a ProjectReference to a single-targeting project. DO NOT USE FOR: file access errors unrelated to MSBuild (OS-level locking), single-project single-TFM builds, non-MSBuild build systems.

plugins/dotnet-msbuild/skills/check-bin-obj-clash/SKILL.md

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Last checked
Nov 4, 2026

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Repository last updated
Nov 8, 2026
License
MIT

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# Detecting OutputPath and IntermediateOutputPath Clashes

## Overview

This skill helps identify when multiple MSBuild project evaluations share the same `OutputPath` or `IntermediateOutputPath`. This is a common source of build failures including:

- File access conflicts during parallel builds
- Missing or overwritten output files
- Intermittent build failures
- "File in use" errors
- **NuGet restore errors like `Cannot create a file when that file already exists`** - this strongly indicates multiple projects share the same `IntermediateOutputPath` where `project.assets.json` is written

Clashes can occur between:
- **Different projects** sharing the same output directory