When scaffolding new files (e.g. controllers or views) in .NET Core projects, you sometimes get a ‘The specified deps.json [path] does not exist’ error.

Try one of these four solutions before you throw your computer out the window:

Solution 1: Restart Visual Studio

Solution 2: Restart your computer

Solution 3: Update Visual Studio to the latest version

In the menu, go to Help > Check for Updates. If there are updates available, follow the install wizard.

Where to find 'Check for updates' in Visual Studio 2019

Solution 4: Remove the bin and obj folders from your project folder

They will be regenerated next time you build the project.