Visual Studio Explorer has suddenly started frequent crashing. Why?

Question

Using Visual Stuido 2013 Pro with Team System. I'm running it as Administrator.

It has suddenly (this week) taken to crashing and restarting many times a day. It doesn't matter which of several solutions I am working on at the time. Most reliable (but not the only) way of provoking this is to close the currently open solution. Bang!

I've deleted all the solution *suo files (somebody previously pointed the finger at them) with no improvement.

Here are the error messages that appear in the Windows Event log:

First error message:

Application: devenv.exe Framework Version: v4.0.30319 Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception. Exception Info: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException Stack: at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(System.Object, System.Object[], System.Signature, Boolean) at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(System.Object, System.Object[], System.Object[]) at System.Delegate.DynamicInvokeImpl(System.Object[]) at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32) at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(System.Object, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate) at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeImpl() at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeInSecurityContext(System.Object) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean) at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object) at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.Invoke() at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.ProcessQueue() at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WndProcHook(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef) at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef) at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(System.Object) at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32) at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(System.Object, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate) at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.LegacyInvokeImpl(System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherPriority, System.TimeSpan, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32) at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr)

Next Error message:

Faulting application name: devenv.exe, version: 12.0.40629.0, time stamp: 0x5590c8a4 Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.1.7601.18939, time stamp: 0x55afd8e7 Exception code: 0xe0434352 Fault offset: 0x0000c42d Faulting process id: 0x9e8 Faulting application start time: 0x01d12376d7bd8425 Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe Faulting module path: C:\Windows\syswow64\KERNELBASE.dll Report Id: 257b845b-8f6a-11e5-9d42-e02a82c9f209

The VS log file ActivityLog.xml shows one error message:

660 ERROR Extension will not be loaded because an extension with the same ID 'Microsoft.Windows.DevelopmentKit.Desktop' is already loaded at C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\COMMON FILES\MICROSOFT\EXTENSIONMANAGER\EXTENSIONS\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS KITS\8.0\DESKTOP SDK... C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\COMMON FILES\MICROSOFT\EXTENSIONMANAGER\EXTENSIONS\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS KITS\8.1\DESKTOP SDK\

Given that this has appeared out of the blue, I'm guessing that there is some common file dynamically maintained by VS that has become corrupted, but I have no idea what that might be. Can anyone suggest what I can do about this?

TIA.

---

Oh dear - to do a repair took over an hour, and stalled at about 98% complete (I waited for 30 minutes at that point before cancelling). I then tried uninstalling - no success. I then downloaded and reinstalled Team Explorer then did a further repair for VS2013. Then it wouldn't start at all. The activity log has this at the end:

Begin package load [Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.HatPackage, Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.VersionControl, Version=12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a] {4CA58AB2-18FA-4F8D-95D4-32DDF27D184C}  VisualStudio 2015/11/20 12:27:35.505 
57 ERROR CreateInstance failed for package [Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.HatPackage, Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.VersionControl, Version=12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a] {4CA58AB2-18FA-4F8D-95D4-32DDF27D184C} 80131604 VisualStudio 2015/11/20 12:27:35.575 
58 ERROR End package load [Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.VersionControl.HatPackage, Microsoft.VisualStudio.TeamFoundation.VersionControl, Version=12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a] {4CA58AB2-18FA-4F8D-95D4-32DDF27D184C} 80004005 - E_FAIL VisualStudio 2015/11/20 12:27:35.575 
59 Warning Package failed to load; error message suppressed by skip flag {4CA58AB2-18FA-4F8D-95D4-32DDF27D184C}  VisualStudio 2015/11/20 12:27:35.575 
60 ERROR Construction of frame content failed. Frame identifier: ST:0:0:{99b8fa2f-ab90-4f57-9c32-949f146f1914} Frame caption: Source Control Explorer Exception details: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80004005): Error HRESULT E_FAIL has been returned from a call to a COM component. at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsShell5.LoadPackageWithContext(Guid& packageGuid, Int32 reason, Guid& context) at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.WindowFrame.GetPackage() at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.WindowFrame.ConstructContent()

Finally after several attempts I managed to do a clean uninstall and a fresh reinstall (from the original ISO, followed by Update 5). However the original problem remains - every time I close a solution (any solution) VS2013 crashes and automatically restarts.

I seem to be up the creek without a paddle. Can anyone advise?

Answer 1

The solution turned out to be that I had previously downloaded and installed (from the Redgate Software website) their .Net Reflector tool, which had (by the by) also installed an extension for Visual Studio 2013. Today I uninstalled that extension and Visual Studio 2013 immediately began behaving again. I am recording this in case anyone else experiences the same issue with VS2013 crashing whenever they close an open solution.