.NET Framework/NUnit: The expression "[System.Version]::Parse('')" cannot be evaluated

When I install the coverlet.msbuild nuget package on a existing NUnit test application, I get the following error:

Resolving actions to install package 'coverlet.msbuild.3.0.3'
Resolved actions to install package 'coverlet.msbuild.3.0.3'
Package 'coverlet.msbuild.3.0.3' already exists in folder 'C:\Users\Christian\source\repos\MyProject\packages'
Install failed. Rolling back...
Package 'coverlet.msbuild.3.0.3' does not exist in project 'MyProject'
Removing package 'coverlet.msbuild.3.0.3' from folder 'C:\Users\Christian\source\repos\MyProject\packages'
Removed package 'coverlet.msbuild.3.0.3' from folder 'C:\Users\Christian\source\repos\MyProject\packages'
Executing nuget actions took 1,41 sec
Microsoft.Build.Exceptions.InvalidProjectFileException: The expression "[System.Version]::Parse('')" cannot be evaluated. Version string portion was too short or too long.  C:\Users\Christian\source\repos\MyProject\packages\coverlet.msbuild.3.0.3\build\coverlet.msbuild.targets
   at Microsoft.Build.Shared.ProjectErrorUtilities.ThrowInvalidProject(String errorSubCategoryResourceName, IElementLocation elementLocation, String resourceName, Object[] args)
   at Microsoft.Build.Shared.ProjectErrorUtilities.VerifyThrowInvalidProject[T1,T2](Boolean condition, String errorSubCategoryResourceName, IElementLocation elementLocation, String resourceName, T1 arg0, T2 arg1)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Expander`2.Function`1.Execute(Object objectInstance, IPropertyProvider`1 properties, ExpanderOptions options, IElementLocation elementLocation)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Expander`2.PropertyExpander`1.ExpandPropertyBody(String propertyBody, Object propertyValue, IPropertyProvider`1 properties, ExpanderOptions options, IElementLocation elementLocation, UsedUninitializedProperties usedUninitializedProperties, IFileSystem fileSystem)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Expander`2.PropertyExpander`1.ExpandPropertiesLeaveTypedAndEscaped(String expression, IPropertyProvider`1 properties, ExpanderOptions options, IElementLocation elementLocation, UsedUninitializedProperties usedUninitializedProperties, IFileSystem fileSystem)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Expander`2.PropertyExpander`1.ExpandPropertiesLeaveEscaped(String expression, IPropertyProvider`1 properties, ExpanderOptions options, IElementLocation elementLocation, UsedUninitializedProperties usedUninitializedProperties, IFileSystem fileSystem)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Expander`2.ExpandIntoStringLeaveEscaped(String expression, ExpanderOptions options, IElementLocation elementLocation)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.ConditionEvaluator.ConditionEvaluationState`2.ExpandIntoString(String expression)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.StringExpressionNode.GetExpandedValue(IConditionEvaluationState state)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.StringExpressionNode.ShouldBeTreatedAsVisualStudioVersion(IConditionEvaluationState state)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.StringExpressionNode.CanNumericEvaluate(IConditionEvaluationState state)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.NumericComparisonExpressionNode.BoolEvaluate(IConditionEvaluationState state)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.GenericExpressionNode.Evaluate(IConditionEvaluationState state)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.ConditionEvaluator.EvaluateConditionCollectingConditionedProperties[P,I](String condition, ParserOptions options, Expander`2 expander, ExpanderOptions expanderOptions, Dictionary`2 conditionedPropertiesTable, String evaluationDirectory, ElementLocation elementLocation, ILoggingService loggingServices, BuildEventContext buildEventContext, IFileSystem fileSystem, ProjectRootElementCacheBase projectRootElementCache)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.EvaluateConditionCollectingConditionedProperties(ProjectElement element, String condition, ExpanderOptions expanderOptions, ParserOptions parserOptions, ProjectRootElementCacheBase projectRootElementCache)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.EvaluatePropertyElement(ProjectPropertyElement propertyElement)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.EvaluatePropertyGroupElement(ProjectPropertyGroupElement propertyGroupElement)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.PerformDepthFirstPass(ProjectRootElement currentProjectOrImport)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.EvaluateImportElement(String directoryOfImportingFile, ProjectImportElement importElement)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.PerformDepthFirstPass(ProjectRootElement currentProjectOrImport)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.Evaluate()
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.Evaluate(IEvaluatorData`4 data, ProjectRootElement root, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings, Int32 maxNodeCount, PropertyDictionary`1 environmentProperties, ILoggingService loggingService, IItemFactory`2 itemFactory, IToolsetProvider toolsetProvider, ProjectRootElementCacheBase projectRootElementCache, BuildEventContext buildEventContext, ISdkResolverService sdkResolverService, Int32 submissionId, EvaluationContext evaluationContext, Boolean interactive)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project.ProjectImpl.Reevaluate(ILoggingService loggingServiceForEvaluation, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings, EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project.ProjectImpl.ReevaluateIfNecessary(ILoggingService loggingServiceForEvaluation, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings, EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
   at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project.ProjectImpl.ReevaluateIfNecessary(EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.VisualStudio.MicrosoftBuildEvaluationProjectUtility.AddImportStatement(Project msBuildProject, String targetsPath, ImportLocation location)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.VisualStudio.VsMSBuildProjectSystem.AddImportStatement(String targetsPath, ImportLocation location)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.VisualStudio.VsMSBuildProjectSystem.<>c__DisplayClass35_0.<<AddImport>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Threading.JoinableTask.CompleteOnCurrentThread()
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.VisualStudio.VsMSBuildProjectSystem.AddImport(String targetFullPath, ImportLocation location)
   at NuGet.ProjectManagement.MSBuildNuGetProject.<InstallPackageAsync>d__36.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.NuGetPackageManager.<ExecuteInstallAsync>d__89.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ValidateEnd(Task task)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.NuGetPackageManager.<ExecuteNuGetProjectActionsAsync>d__79.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.NuGetPackageManager.<ExecuteNuGetProjectActionsAsync>d__79.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.NuGetPackageManager.<ExecuteNuGetProjectActionsAsync>d__79.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.NuGetPackageManager.<ExecuteNuGetProjectActionsAsync>d__78.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ValidateEnd(Task task)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.NuGetPackageManager.<ExecuteNuGetProjectActionsAsync>d__77.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.VisualStudio.NuGetProjectManagerService.<>c__DisplayClass18_0.<<ExecuteActionsAsync>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at NuGet.PackageManagement.VisualStudio.NuGetProjectManagerService.<CatchAndRethrowExceptionAsync>d__28.MoveNext()

It looks like https://github.com/coverlet-coverage/coverlet/blob/master/src/coverlet.msbuild.tasks/coverlet.msbuild.targets#L11 is the reason for this message.

We are using .NET Framework 4.7.2 for this project. The testing framework is NUnit 3.12.0

Any idea on how to fix this issue?

[ejstembler]

One way I got around this issue was by renaming (or deleting) the coverlet.collector directory in your $HOME\.nuget\packages directory. Close Visual Studio completely, then re-open your solution or project.

[garfbradaz]

@hawkerm this fella works:

https://github.com/hvanbakel/CsprojToVs2017