Microsoft.Build.CPPTasks.Common cannot find Microsoft.Build.Tasks.Core

I just upgraded a project from Visual C++ 2012 to Visual C++ 2017 and I'm getting build failures from MSBuild:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\Common7\IDE\VC\VCTargets\Microsoft.Cpp.Current.targets(64,5): error MSB4062: The "SetEnv" task could not be loaded from the assembly C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\Common7\IDE\VC\VCTargets\Microsoft.Build.CppTasks.Common.dll. Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. Confirm that the declaration is correct, that the assembly and all its dependencies are available, and that the task contains a public class that implements Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITask. [C:\src\my-project.vcxproj]

The Fusion log shows bad things:

*** Assembly Binder Log Entry  (2/12/2018 @ 1:44:29 PM) ***

The operation failed.
Bind result: hr = 0x80070002. The system cannot find the file specified.

Assembly manager loaded from:  C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\clr.dll
Running under executable  C:\windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\msbuild.exe
--- A detailed error log follows. 

=== Pre-bind state information ===
LOG: DisplayName = Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a
 (Fully-specified)
LOG: Appbase = file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/
LOG: Initial PrivatePath = NULL
LOG: Dynamic Base = NULL
LOG: Cache Base = NULL
LOG: AppName = msbuild.exe
Calling assembly : Microsoft.Build.CPPTasks.Common, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a.
===
LOG: This bind starts in LoadFrom load context.
WRN: Native image will not be probed in LoadFrom context. Native image will only be probed in default load context, like with Assembly.Load().
LOG: Using application configuration file: C:\windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\msbuild.exe.Config
LOG: Using host configuration file: 
LOG: Using machine configuration file from C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\config\machine.config.
LOG: Post-policy reference: Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a
LOG: GAC Lookup was unsuccessful.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.DLL.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.DLL.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.EXE.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.EXE.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio/2017/Professional/Common7/IDE/VC/VCTargets/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.DLL.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio/2017/Professional/Common7/IDE/VC/VCTargets/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.DLL.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio/2017/Professional/Common7/IDE/VC/VCTargets/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.EXE.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio/2017/Professional/Common7/IDE/VC/VCTargets/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core/Microsoft.Build.Utilities.Core.EXE.
LOG: All probing URLs attempted and failed.

Just posted this at Visual Studio Community but in another almost identical bug report they closed it as "Not a Bug" for reasons I cannot comprehend. I'm hoping StackOverflow will be more helpful. :)

Microsoft.Build.CPPTasks.Common cannot find Microsoft.Build.Tasks.Core

It seems you are using the old MSBuild.exe from .NET framework. You should use the MSBuild.exe from following location after you upgraded your project from VS2012 to VS2017:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\MSBuild.exe

That because MSBuild is now part of Visual Studio!:

Starting with Visual Studio 2013, the 2013 version of MSBuild will ship as a part of Visual Studio instead of the .NET Framework. This transition allows us to more rapidly evolve MSBuild.

Hope this helps.