Ranorex Studio 13.0 Upgrade Guide – Ranorex

This guide explains how to upgrade to Ranorex Studio 13.0, choose the right edition for your team, and understand how the upgrade affects your existing test solutions.

Ranorex Studio 13.0 is available in two editions:

.NET 10 edition (Beta, recommended): Runs on the modern .NET 10 runtime, with potential performance improvements in test execution, startup, and project loading, particularly on modern multi-core machines. Ranorex-specific benchmarks are not yet available so actual performance gains may vary.
.NET 4.8 edition: Available for teams with specific compatibility requirements.

Both editions support the same automation technologies. The edition you choose determines the runtime used by Ranorex Studio; existing test solutions continue to target .NET Framework 4.8 in either edition.

The installer handles the runtime upgrade. Existing Ranorex test solutions do not require a target framework migration, but some projects may require dependency or configuration updates as described below.

Before you upgrade

Check the software requirements for Ranorex Studio 13.0.
If a custom .NET project references the Ranorex API NuGet package, review Update a custom .NET project that uses the Ranorex API to understand the changes.
The SQL CE connector is removed from the .NET 10 edition (Beta). If your tests use SQL CE data sources, install the .NET 4.8 edition instead.
If your tests connect to SQL Server using a self-signed certificate, review the connection’s certificate configuration before upgrading. Configure a certificate trusted by the client, or use TrustServerCertificate=True if bypassing certificate trust validation is acceptable in your environment.
Newtonsoft.Json and NLog are no longer bundled with the .NET 10 edition (Beta). If your project uses either library and relies on the bundled copy, add the required library as an explicit NuGet package reference before upgrading.
NuGet has been upgraded from v2 to v3 on both editions. Confirm your private feed supports NuGet v3 before upgrading.
If you use code analysis, review Code analysis changes below. Both editions replace FxCop with Microsoft’s .NET analyzers, which changes the default rules, warning messages, and rule configuration.

Upgrade Ranorex Studio

Download the Ranorex Studio 13.0 installer for your edition from the Ranorex Studio Downloads page. Both editions are available as an exe installer and a ZIP package; the exe installer is recommended for most users.
Run the installer and follow the prompts to upgrade your existing installation.

Do not uninstall .NET Framework 4.8. Ranorex test solutions continue to target it.

Existing Ranorex test solutions

Existing and newly generated Ranorex test solutions continue to target .NET Framework 4.8 in version 13.0. No target framework migration is required.

Review Before you upgrade and Code analysis changes for dependency and configuration updates that may affect your projects.

Code analysis changes

In both editions, Ranorex Studio 13.0 replaces FxCop with Microsoft’s Roslyn .NET analyzers. The analyzers are included with Ranorex Studio and do not require a separate installation.

The Run Code Analysis when compiling option under Project Properties > Code analysis now runs these analyzers during the build.

What changes after upgrading?

Rule IDs continue to use the CA#### format, but the rule coverage, default severities, and warning messages differ from FxCop. Some rules that previously produced warnings may no longer do so by default.
Warnings include precise column locations and links to Microsoft Learn.
Analysis runs during builds only. Live code analysis indicators are not available in the editor.
The FxCop rule browser, loader, path setting, and Suppress message command have been removed.
Some rules that FxCop enabled by default, including CA2211, CA2241, CA1822, and CA2000, are disabled or set to suggestion only in the Roslyn default rule set. Rebuild after upgrading and review the results, and use .editorconfig to re-enable any rules you relied on.

If you previously customized FxCop rules or suppressed findings, rebuild your project after upgrading and review the results.

Configure rules and suppress findings

Create or update an .editorconfig file in the project folder. To share settings across projects beneath the solution folder, place the file in that solution folder.

For example, to enable specific rules as warnings for C# files:

[*.cs]
# Enable an individual rule as a warning
dotnet_diagnostic.CA2211.severity = warning

# Set enabled-by-default Naming rules to warning
dotnet_analyzer_diagnostic.category-Naming.severity = warning

# Set all enabled-by-default analyzer rules to warning
dotnet_analyzer_diagnostic.severity = warning

Supported severities are none, silent, suggestion, warning, error, and default. Use none to disable a rule or default to restore its default severity. Findings configured as error fail the build. Warnings can also fail the build if the project treats warnings as errors.

Save the file and rebuild the project to apply the changes.

To suppress an individual finding in C# code, use a SuppressMessage attribute or #pragma warning disable CA####, replacing CA#### with the rule ID. Use #pragma warning restore CA#### after the relevant code to re-enable the warning.

For more information, see Microsoft’s rule configuration options and guidance on suppressing warnings.

Version details and known limitations

Both editions include Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.NetAnalyzers version 9.0.0. The bundled analyzer version determines the default rule set for the Ranorex release.
The CODE_ANALYSIS compilation symbol remains defined when Run Code Analysis when compiling is enabled.
On computers with legacy Visual Studio FxCop integration installed, builds may also display warnings in the older format, such as Microsoft.Usage : ..., without help links. These additional warnings originate from the Visual Studio integration and may duplicate analyzer findings.

For additional information, see Microsoft’s configuration file guidance and code quality rule reference.

Update a custom .NET project that uses the Ranorex API

These steps apply only to custom .NET projects that reference the Ranorex API as a NuGet package. They do not apply to Ranorex test solutions.

The Ranorex API in version 13.0 supports .NET Framework 4.8 and .NET 10. It does not support .NET 8 or .NET 9.

Set the project’s target framework to .NET Framework 4.8 or .NET 10.
Update the Ranorex API NuGet package to version 13.0.
Rebuild and retest your project.

For a new custom project, .NET 10 is the recommended target.

Frequently asked questions

What .NET version does Ranorex Studio 13.0 use?

Ranorex Studio 13.0 is available in two editions:

.NET 10 edition (Beta): Runs on .NET 10. The installer includes the .NET 10 runtime and SDK, so you do not need to install them separately.
.NET 4.8 edition: Runs on .NET Framework 4.8.

In both editions, existing test solutions continue to target .NET Framework 4.8 and do not require a target framework migration.

Which edition should I install?

Install the .NET 10 edition (Beta) unless you use SQL CE data sources or you have a specific reason to stay on .NET Framework. The .NET 4.8 edition is provided as a compatibility option for those cases.

Do I need to migrate my Ranorex test solutions to .NET 10?

No. Ranorex test solutions continue to target .NET Framework 4.8 in version 13.0.

Does the Ranorex API support .NET Framework?

Yes. In version 13.0, the Ranorex API supports .NET Framework 4.8 and .NET 10. It does not support .NET 8 or .NET 9.

Can I create test solutions in Ranorex Studio for .NET 8 or later?

No. Ranorex test solutions continue to target .NET Framework 4.8 in version 13.0. The .NET 10 API support applies to custom .NET projects, not Ranorex test solutions.

What should I include when contacting Ranorex Support about an upgrade issue?

Include your Ranorex Studio version and edition, the affected project’s target framework, a description of the issue, and any error messages. Contact Ranorex Support.