Hey Sam, I totally get the frustration of trying to modernize your toolchain while supporting older WinCE platforms—let’s walk through practical, actionable options to move forward:

1. Use VS2012/2013 with .NET Compact Framework 3.5 #

While VS2015+ dropped support for older .NET CF versions, VS2012 and VS2013 still fully support .NET Compact Framework 3.5—a version natively compatible with WinCE 5, 6, and 7. Here’s how to set this up smoothly:

• Install VS2012 or VS2013 (you can grab these from Microsoft’s archived downloads if needed)
• When creating a new project, pick the Windows Compact Framework templates under Visual C# or Visual Basic
• In project properties, set your target platform to the specific WinCE version (5/6/7) you need—you may need to install the corresponding WinCE SDK first (most device vendors like Toradex provide these for their hardware)

This lets you use a newer (still partially supported) VS version while keeping full compatibility with your target platforms.

2. Native C++ Development with VS2015+ #

If .NET CF isn’t a hard requirement, native C++ is a robust alternative. Newer VS versions (2015+) can compile code for WinCE 5/6/7 as long as you have the right SDKs installed:

• Download and install the WinCE 5/6/7 SDKs (check your device manufacturer’s site—Toradex’s SDKs include these for their modules)
• In VS, create a new Windows Embedded Compact C++ project
• Configure the project to target your desired WinCE SDK instead of the default WinCE 8
• You’ll get direct access to WinCE’s native scanning APIs (like barcode scanner interfaces), which often offer better performance and hardware compatibility

3. Double-Check Toradex Tooling Configuration #

You mentioned trying Toradex tools without success—take a second to verify if you’re selecting the correct target platform in their VS integration. Toradex provides SDKs for WinCE 5/6/7 alongside WinCE 8, so it’s easy to accidentally default to the newer WinCE 8 SDK. Their documentation walks through selecting the right platform for your specific hardware, so that’s worth a recheck.

4. Alternative: Mono for Windows Embedded #

If you’re set on using VS2015+ with C#, consider Mono for Windows Embedded. This open-source .NET implementation supports WinCE 5/6/7, and you can compile C# code in newer VS versions targeting Mono. Just note that you’ll need to test scanning APIs carefully—some .NET CF features might not map perfectly to Mono—but it’s a solid workaround for modernizing your toolchain.

Content of the question comes from Stack Exchange, question author: Samarjit