Open Software Solutions

Source: Microsoft Support

RAPID PUBLISHING ARTICLES PROVIDE INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM WITHIN THE MICROSOFT SUPPORT ORGANIZATION. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS CREATED IN RESPONSE TO EMERGING OR UNIQUE TOPICS, OR IS INTENDED SUPPLEMENT OTHER KNOWLEDGE BASE INFORMATION.

MIDL could generate MIDL1005 error if it’s not able to find the path of cl.exe while compiling.

midl : command line error MIDL1005 : cannot find C preprocessor cl.exe

MIDL is not able to find the path for cl.exe from the current executable directory path settings.

cl.exe is present under the bin folder of the VC installation directory.  By default, this will be something like this:
C: Program Files Microsoft Visual Studio 8 VC bin.

To include this path, just navigate in the IDE menu to Tools | Options | Projects and Solutions | VC++ Directories, and add $(VCInstallDir)bin to the Executable files list of directories.

Given a normal and error-free installation of Visual Studio, this entry will have already been added.  However, in some support cases, we have found it to have been missing. The cause of this has not yet been identified, but it has been extremely rare.

VC++ Directories, Projects and Solutions, Options Dialog Box (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t9az1d21.aspx)

MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THE SUITABILITY, RELIABILITY OR ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE DOCUMENTS AND RELATED GRAPHICS PUBLISHED ON THIS WEBSITE (THE “MATERIALS”) FOR ANY PURPOSE. THE MATERIALS MAY INCLUDE TECHNICAL INACCURACIES OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND MAY BE REVISED AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS DISCLAIM AND EXCLUDE ALL REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, AND CONDITIONS WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, OR CONDITIONS OF TITLE, NON INFRINGEMENT, SATISFACTORY CONDITION OR QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE MATERIALS.