This is a very easy task unless something isn’t “wired up” correctly on your machine.  In this case, what should work won’t even be available and you can spend countless iterations wondering what you are missing.  If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, chances are that you will need to install a Visual Source Safe patch that updates its integration with Windows Explorer.  You can download the patch here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8a1a68d8-db11-417c-91ad-02aab484776b&displaylang=en

After it is successfully installed, you will be able to open a Solution from Visual Source Safe. 

1. From Visual Studio.NET, click on File --> Open Project/Solution.
   
    
2. Click on the Microsoft Visual Source Safe icon from the left-hand menu. 
   
   *Note: If you don't see any Visual SourceSafe icon, then you will need to set Visual SourceSafe as your Source Control Provider.  You can do that from Tools --> Options and then scrolling down the Source Control item in the tree.  Within that, choose Visual SourceSafe (or Visual SourceSafe Internet if you are using a web-based VSS solution).  Also if you are using a web-based VSS solution, be sure to click on the Plug-In child in under the Source Control tree and click on Advanced and make sure you have SSL unchecked or unchecked according to your need server's setup.
   
   If you are on Windows Vista or Windows 7, it will look like this:
   
   
   Windows XP will look like this:
   
    
3. Once you have selected the Visual SourceSafe icon, the available databases will show up.  If you need to use a database that isn’t in the list, simply click on Add Source Safe Database and follow the wizard.
    
4. Select the Database and click Open
   
    
5. Enter your credentials when they popup.
    
6. Select the folder within the database that contains the solution.
   
    
7. Select the solution file and click Open
   
    
8. You should now have a solution integrated into the VSS system.  If the solution contains a website project, you may need to create an IIS website or virtual and map that to the appropriate windows folder that contains the project files.  You may also need to give Network Service permissions to that directory.