Visual Studio 2017 crashes on startup (Professional and Enterprise, build 15.5.2)

Question

VS 2017 crashes on startup.

I've tried:

• Updating to latest build 15.5.2
• Running VS as admin
• Deleting the .vs folder
• Repairing VS installation
• devenv.exe /ResetSettings
• devenv.exe /ResetUserData
• devenv.exe /SafeMode
• devenv.exe /ResetSkipPkgs
• Checking if font MT Extra had a long path rather than file name in registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts
• Cleared out %TEMP% folder
• Renaming/deleting %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\15.xxx

• Uninstalling GitExtensions

• Uninstalling VS Professional, installing VS Enterprise Uninstalling again, this time searching for every folder named VisualStudio and deleting every string match of VisualStudio in registry (regedit), and installing again

• Formatting my C drive. VS started normally as soon as I installed it, but as soon as I started adding additional programs (Steam, Notepad++, Office, etc) it starting crashing again.

None of the above has fixed the issue. I am running win 10 enterprise, Intel Core i7-5960X CPU @ 3GHz, 32GB RAM, 64 bit OS

From event viewer:

Fault bucket , type 0
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: devenv.exe
P2: 15.0.27130.2010
P3: 5a31e4ea
P4: KERNELBASE.dll
P5: 10.0.16299.15
P6: 2cd1ce3d
P7: c000041d
P8: 001008b2
P9: 
P10: 

Faulting application name: devenv.exe, version: 15.0.27130.2010, time stamp: 0x5a31e4ea
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.16299.15, time stamp: 0x2cd1ce3d
Exception code: 0xc000041d
Fault offset: 0x001008b2
Faulting process id: 0x17b0
Faulting application start time: 0x01d37a24c40d6287
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: bdb4ae52-6612-4f9d-a016-d19e68f0ee59
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 

Fault bucket 1293705288626429016, type 5
Event Name: CLR20r3
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: devenv.exe
P2: 15.0.27130.2010
P3: 5a31e4ea
P4: mscorlib
P5: 4.7.2600.0
P6: 59d789f1
P7: 5f9e
P8: 4
P9: System.ArgumentException
P10: 

Faulting application name: devenv.exe, version: 15.0.27130.2010, time stamp: 0x5a31e4ea
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.16299.15, time stamp: 0x2cd1ce3d
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x001008b2
Faulting process id: 0x17b0
Faulting application start time: 0x01d37a24c40d6287
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: e821f1e4-bfff-4775-9131-2c3d763b5848
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 

Application: devenv.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.ArgumentException
   at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHRInternal(Int32, IntPtr)
   at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHR(Int32, IntPtr)
   at MS.Internal.Text.TextInterface.Native.Util.ConvertHresultToException(Int32)
   at MS.Internal.Text.TextInterface.Font.DisplayMetrics(Single, Single)
   at MS.Internal.FontFace.PhysicalFontFamily.MS.Internal.FontFace.IFontFamily.LineSpacing(Double, Double, Double, System.Windows.Media.TextFormattingMode)
   at MS.Internal.TextFormatting.SimpleTextLine..ctor(MS.Internal.TextFormatting.FormatSettings, Int32, Int32, System.Collections.ArrayList, Int32 ByRef, Int32 ByRef, Double)
   at MS.Internal.TextFormatting.SimpleTextLine.Create(MS.Internal.TextFormatting.FormatSettings, Int32, Int32, Double)
   at MS.Internal.TextFormatting.TextFormatterImp.FormatLineInternal(System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextSource, Int32, Int32, Double, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextParagraphProperties, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextLineBreak, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextRunCache)
   at MS.Internal.TextFormatting.TextFormatterImp.FormatLine(System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextSource, Int32, Double, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextParagraphProperties, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextLineBreak, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextRunCache)
   at MS.Internal.Text.Line.Format(Int32, Double, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextParagraphProperties, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextLineBreak, System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting.TextRunCache, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.Controls.TextBlock.MeasureOverride(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.Controls.DockPanel.MeasureOverride(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Border.MeasureOverride(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureCell(Int32, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureCellsGroup(Int32, System.Windows.Size, Boolean, Boolean, Boolean ByRef)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureCellsGroup(Int32, System.Windows.Size, Boolean, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Grid.MeasureOverride(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(System.Windows.Size)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.Shell.Controls.WindowContentPresenter.MeasureOverride(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.Window.MeasureOverrideHelper(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.Window.MeasureOverride(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(System.Windows.Size)
   at System.Windows.Interop.HwndSource.Process_WM_SIZE(System.Windows.UIElement, IntPtr, MS.Internal.Interop.WindowMessage, IntPtr, IntPtr)
   at System.Windows.Interop.HwndSource.LayoutFilterMessage(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 System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.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)

UPDATE 12-23-17 Decided to format my drive again, install Visual Studio, and launch the application after each subsequent program installation. I think I narrowed down the issue to the Microsoft Office installer, unless something was running in the background without my knowledge. As soon as I started installing Office, I launched Visual Studio and it triggered the crash. Will update this post with new information as I learn more. -Leo

UPDATE 2: Issue solved (NOT TRUE, SEE NEXT UPDATE). Microsoft Office was the culprit. In path C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16, renamed file MLCFG32.CPL to MLCFG32.CPL.old, signed out of Windows, signed back in, and opened Visual Studio successfully. Thank you Joyce over at the MSDN forum.

UPDATE 12/31/17 (also added in answer) This is not a permament fix.VS 2017 starts crashing after executing a not yet determined process. I have to repeatedly rename the file MLCFG32.CPL to .old and back, and then VS starts normally. Then the next day, it would start breaking again.

Answer 1

UPDATE 1/11/18 Issue solved! The problem was with the installation of WindowBlinds 10.65 (048 - Windows 10 Edition) - 64 bit OS, and using a theme that applies style system wide fonts. The fix is to disable this feature by checking "Do not apply any style system wide fonts" by clicking Style on the left hand side menu (1), clicking Fonts (2), then checking the box described above.

Link to Stardock forums with fix details.

---

UPDATE 12/31/17 This is not a permament fix.VS 2017 starts crashing after executing a not yet determined process. I have to repeatedly rename the file MLCFG32.CPL to .old and back, and then VS starts normally. Then the next day, it would start breaking again.

Issue solved. Microsoft Office was the culprit. In path C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16, I renamed file MLCFG32.CPL to MLCFG32.CPL.old, signed out of Windows, signed back in, and opened Visual Studio successfully.

Thank you Joyce over at the MSDN forum.