# Visual Studio solution contents and configurations for Windows

> Understand the contents and build configuration options of a generated Visual Studio solution for Windows.

Generate a Visual Studio solution to change your build process. For example, you can modify your application’s manifest, add C++ code, modify embedded resources, or launch your application with the debugger attached.

Depending on which [scripting backend](/engine/6000.6/manual/scripting/compilation-and-code-reload/script-compilation/backends.md) your Unity project uses, the generated solution includes a different number of projects: three for [Mono](/engine/6000.6/manual/scripting/compilation-and-code-reload/script-compilation/backends/mono.md) and four for IL2CPP.

## Solution contents

When you generate a Visual Studio Solution, Unity creates the following projects:

| **Project**                                             | **Description**                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **projectName** (represents your project name)          | This is your main project. Visual Studio builds this project into the final application executable. You are most likely to make changes here.                                                                |
| **UnityData**(stored inside the projectName project)    | This project contains all the Unity-specific files you need to build your project, such as assets.                                                                                                           |
| **UnityPlayerStub**                                     | This is a stub library for `UnityPlayer.dll`. Unity uses this to link your executable to the `UnityPlayer.dll` and expose the available `UnityPlayer.dll` API.                                               |
| **Il2CppOutputProject** (IL2CPP scripting backend only) | This project contains:The generated C++ code which Unity converts from managed assemblies.The source code for IL2CPP runtime.The IL2CPP garbage collector.You can debug this code from inside Visual Studio. |

## Build configuration options in Visual Studio

Visual Studio provides a variety of build configuration options. All optimization and debug references in this section refer to the Visual Studio solution only. To select your options, click on **Release** and choose from the drop-down menu.

| **Configuration**                | **Use**                                                                 | **Description**                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Debug**                        | Use the **Debug** configuration when debugging C++ code.                | Disables all optimization.Preserves all debugging information in the code.Results in code that runs slowly.                                                                                                               |
| **Release**                      | Use the **Release** configuration to profile your game.                 | Enables code optimizations.                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| **Master**                       | Use the **Master** configuration for game submission and final testing. | Disables the profiler.Results in the same build time as the **Release** configuration.                                                                                                                                    |
| **MasterWithLTCG** (IL2CPP only) | Use for game submission and final testing with IL2CPP.                  | Enables link time code generation for generated C++ code, IL2CPP runtime and IL2CPP garbage collection.Results in much longer build times compared to the **Master** configuration.Resulting application executes faster. |

## Additional resources

* [Unity debugging guide for Windows](/engine/6000.6/manual/platform-specific/windows/develop/debugging.md)
* [Windows integrity control](/engine/6000.6/manual/platform-specific/windows/develop/low-integrity.md)
* [IL2CPP Scripting Backend](/engine/6000.6/manual/platform-specific/windows/develop/player-il2cppscripting-backend.md)
* [Optimize performance using DirectStorage on Windows](/engine/6000.6/manual/platform-specific/windows/develop/directstorage.md)
* [Troubleshoot D3D12 GPU crashes on Windows](/engine/6000.6/manual/platform-specific/windows/develop/troubleshoot-gpu-crash.md)