diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.cxx
index a5ed4c930b..26ff741b0f 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.cxx
@@ -66,16 +66,6 @@ void cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator::WriteSLNFile(
   this->WriteSLNFooter(fout);
 }
 
-void cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator::WriteSolutionConfigurations(
-  std::ostream& fout, std::vector<std::string> const& configs) const
-{
-  fout << "\tGlobalSection(SolutionConfiguration) = preSolution\n";
-  for (std::string const& i : configs) {
-    fout << "\t\t" << i << " = " << i << '\n';
-  }
-  fout << "\tEndGlobalSection\n";
-}
-
 // Write a dsp file into the SLN file,
 // Note, that dependencies from executables to
 // the libraries it uses are also done here
diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.h b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.h
index 35d4378929..70fa64cba2 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.h
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalVisualStudio71Generator.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ protected:
                     OrderedTargetDependSet const& orderedProjectTargets,
                     VSFolders const& vsFolders) const override;
   virtual void WriteSolutionConfigurations(
-    std::ostream& fout, std::vector<std::string> const& configs) const;
+    std::ostream& fout, std::vector<std::string> const& configs) const = 0;
   void WriteProject(std::ostream& fout, std::string const& name,
                     std::string const& path,
                     cmGeneratorTarget const* t) const override;