Failed to detect default target(s) in the project file with WebForms site

Question

I'm trying to set up automated deployment of a Website (not web app) to a local test server. Publishing from VS2013 works fine but trying to run it from TeamCity 8.1.4 (build 30168) with MSDeploy I keep getting the following error:

Failed to start MSBuild.exe. Failed to detect default target(s) in the project file \App_Data\PublishProfiles\DeployToLocalTest.pubxml. Please define targets explicitly in the build configuration options on TeamCity Web UI. Project does not define DefaultTargets or InitialTargets.

Build Step Command line parameters:

/P:Configuration=%env.Configuration%
/P:DeployTarget=MSDeployPublish 
/P:MsDeployServiceUrl=https://%env.TargetServer%/MsDeploy.axd?site=XXXX 
/P:AllowUntrustedCertificate=True 
/P:MSDeployPublishMethod=WMSvc 
/P:CreatePackageOnPublish=True 
/P:DeployIisAppPath=XXXX
/P:UserName=XXXX 
/P:Password=XXXX

The pubxml file is as follows (trimmed for space):

<WebPublishMethod>MSDeploy</WebPublishMethod>
<DeployTarget>WebPublish</DeployTarget>
<LastUsedBuildConfiguration>Debug</LastUsedBuildConfiguration>
<LastUsedPlatform>Any CPU</LastUsedPlatform>
<SiteUrlToLaunchAfterPublish>XXXX</SiteUrlToLaunchAfterPublish>
<LaunchSiteAfterPublish>True</LaunchSiteAfterPublish>
<ExcludeApp_Data>False</ExcludeApp_Data>
<MSDeployServiceURL>XXXX</MSDeployServiceURL>
<DeployIisAppPath>XXXX</DeployIisAppPath>
<RemoteSitePhysicalPath />
<SkipExtraFilesOnServer>True</SkipExtraFilesOnServer>
<MSDeployPublishMethod>WMSVC</MSDeployPublishMethod>
<EnableMSDeployBackup>True</EnableMSDeployBackup>
<UserName>XXXX</UserName>
<_SavePWD>True</_SavePWD>

Note: I have replaced sensitive information with XXXX

Answer 1

Try setting the Targets value on the edit build step form to MSDeployPublish. I'm not sure which target Visual Studio will be running locally but my Microsoft.WebSite.Publishing.targets file contains a target named MSDeployPublish.