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PRB: Missing /c Compiler Option Causes LNK1561 Linker Error
This article was previously published under Q228455
When compiling a multiple source file project that creates a pre-compiled header file inside the Visual C++ Integrated Development Environment (IDE), the following error can occur:
Compiling...
StdAfx.cpp
LINK : fatal error LNK1561: entry point must be defined
Error executing cl.exe.
: The linker error is generated during the compiler phase of the build.
The /c compiler option is missing from the build settings.
Add /c to the compiler options. To do this, you must edit the compiler options in the
Project Options box in the
C/C++ tab under
Project Settings.
NOTE: This box is only editable if the whole project is selected in the tree control on the
Project Settings.
This behavior is by design.
By default, the Visual C/C++ compiler attempts to compile and link in a single step. The /c (Compile without Linking) option is used to tell the compiler to compile only. Since Visual C++ compiles and links in separate steps, then /c is required for all Visual C++ builds.
To reproduce the error, create a default MFC project and remove the /c option from the Project Settings by editing the compiler options in the
Project Options box in the
C/C++ tab under
Project Settings.
Article ID: 228455 - Last Review: November 18, 2003 - Revision: 2.0
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition 6.0
| kbprb kbcompiler KB228455 |
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