title: error cannot open file 'kernel32.lib'
body: <p>I have installed VS2013 and VS2015 on Windows 7.</p>
  
  <p>I have an existing C++ Dll project that was building fine but now all of a sudden it wont build using VS2015 and gives me the error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>LINK : fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file 'kernel32.lib'
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>From this post: <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15053337/fatal-error-lnk1104-cannot-open-file-kernel32-lib">fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file &#39;kernel32.lib&#39;</a> I went looking for the kernel32.lib file and it is located here:</p>
  
  <pre><code>C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.1\Lib\winv6.3\um\x86
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>When I go to my Projects <strong>Properties-->Linker-->Input</strong> and select Macros I see that this path is indeed there:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/0ABBP.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/0ABBP.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>My Platform Toolset is set to <strong>Visual Studio 2013 - Windows XP (v120_xp)</strong> which is what it always has been set to.</p>
  
  <p>Why has my Project all of a sudden stopped building? What could have gone wrong?</p>