Azure Compute Emulator UI not displaying due to error

Question

I'm getting an error when I try to view the Azure Compute Emulator UI.

Steps:

1. Launch an Azure project to kick off the emulator.
2. Right click on Azure emulator icon and select "Show Compute Emulator UI"

This produces the error:

"This application has encountered an internal error and needs to be closed"

This has been working before but I haven't changed anything so does anyone know what could have started causing the error now? The Storage Emulator UI still seems to display OK.

I have the following environment:

• Windows 8.0
• Visual Studio 2012 Professional
• Azure SDK 2.2

Answer 1

Create system variable and user variable in your system environment variables :_CSRUN_STATE_DIRECTORY with value like 'C:\TempAzure' (without commas). DO NOT LEAVE A SLASH AT THE END like 'C:\TempAzure\'.

Follow this link and do it and refresh your environment vars because compute emulator will not get them until refreshed.

Is there a command to refresh environment variables from the command prompt in Windows?

This was the solution which worked for me.

A hint how I got it : 1. Start your event viewer and your azure sdk command prompt with elevated privileges ( as administrator ) 2. type csrun /devfabric:start 3. Go to event viewer and hit F5 and look for the error from DFService.exe. There should be 2-3 new errors and the first should be from DFService. Look at the description - it should contain something like :

Application: DFService.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.ArgumentException
Stack:
   at System.IO.Path.CheckInvalidPathChars(System.String, Boolean)
   at System.IO.Path.NormalizePath(System.String, Boolean, Int32, Boolean)
   at System.IO.Path.GetFullPath(System.String)
   at Microsoft.ServiceHosting.Tools.DevelopmentFabric.Program.Main(System.String[])

The last row flashes the red lamp :)