• 0

Blank entries showing in solution explorer, clicking them causes VS 2015 to crash

Asked by +unabatedshagie,

 Share

Question

Grand Master

+unabatedshagie Subscriber¹

Posted
  • Subscriber¹
Posted

I work on around 35/40 different projects, I have one project which when I open it from source control explorer displays blank entries when viewing it in solution explorer. If I click on any of these blank entries in solution explorer visual studio 2015 crashes. This has been happening with both update 1 and update 2 of VS 2015. Can't remember if it happened on vanilla 2015 and I don't have 2013 installed to try with that.

 

I'm able to access all the files in the solution and open them to edit if I browse to then via source control explorer.

 

I've tried disabling all my extensions, I've tried running studio in safe mode. Still happens. I've also tried nuking my profile by running devenv.exe /ResetUserData but it still happens when I open this one particular project.

 

Has anyone came across this before or know how to fix it?

 

The only thing I've found that fixes it is to delete the .vs folder in the project and re-open the solution. This fixes it for a while but then I can open the solution again and there are blank entries again.

ov9IF.png

10 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0
Grand Master

DevTech

Posted
Posted

Things to try:

 

1. Run VS2015 in admin mode to see if it is a permission issue.

 

2. Check for odd char encodings or special chars in the files.

 

3. manually edit the csproj file and the project.json and look for anonmolies. Or delete all the project files and re-create the projects into a new solution if that is feasible.

  • 0
Grand Master

+unabatedshagie Subscriber¹

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber¹
Posted
7 minutes ago, DevTech said:

It might help people if you reference your previous question on the same topic:

 

 

 

I'd actually forgotten I'd posted it here previously. I thought I'd only posted on Stackoverflow. :blush:

  • 0
Grand Master

DevTech

Posted
Posted
Quote

 

"Usually this is caused by extra references in either the .sln or .suo files."

Thanks, I'm not sure what I did differently but I deleted all the files locally and got the latest code from source control and the problem seems to have fixed itself.

 

 

- It seems that every time you start over, you are just pulling the problem in again from your source control. You should examine your sln/csproj/projectjson files in extreme detail to see if something is odd with them.

 

- Also consider setting everything on your computer and VS to U.S. English to eliminate character encodings as a potential issue.

 

- Anything out of ordinary with the computer hardware such as non-standard keyboard, other input devices, running in a VM, etc

 

  • 0
Grand Master

+unabatedshagie Subscriber¹

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber¹
Posted
5 hours ago, DevTech said:

Things to try:

 

1. Run VS2015 in admin mode to see if it is a permission issue.

 

2. Check for odd char encodings or special chars in the files.

 

3. manually edit the csproj file and the project.json and look for anonmolies. Or delete all the project files and re-create the projects into a new solution if that is feasible.

1. Running in admin doesn't help, still get blank entries.

2. I haven't checked all the file (there are thousands) but the ones I have checked all seem fine.

3. That's not something that's possible unfortunately.

  • 0
Grand Master

DevTech

Posted
Posted

Although it is only the one project, it seems like the type of error condition that VS2015 should be able to handle without crashing.

 

- so you probably have Update 3 installed but if not...

 

- you have given no details on your specific hardware and software and the type of project - ASP.NET or Console or WPF or UWP etc.

 

- for me I have observed that VS2015 is very glitchy on older hardware specially computers that can't run Hyper-V. This is a voodoo type tip which I really hate but turn on Hyper-V just in case it helps (needs a reboot) . Solved some really weird VS2015 bugs for me.

 

- try Microsoft Connect site and enter the problem description. They will respond, sometimes with useful info.

 

  • 0
Grand Master

DevTech

Posted
Posted

- any VS add-ons could be a suspect - perhaps disable them for a test

 

- any software that monitors keystrokes could connect to the problem such as a real virus, a secret corporate installed keylogger, any anti-virus software, clipboard and "hot key" utility software, screen recording utils etc etc

 

- intermittent hard drive sector read issue - perhaps run full sector disk scan and also ye old "sfc /scannow" command

 

 

  • 0
Grand Master

+unabatedshagie Subscriber¹

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber¹
Posted
16 minutes ago, DevTech said:

Although it is only the one project, it seems like the type of error condition that VS2015 should be able to handle without crashing.

 

- so you probably have Update 3 installed but if not...

 

- you have given no details on your specific hardware and software and the type of project - ASP.NET or Console or WPF or UWP etc.

 

- for me I have observed that VS2015 is very glitchy on older hardware specially computers that can't run Hyper-V. This is a voodoo type tip which I really hate but turn on Hyper-V just in case it helps (needs a reboot) . Solved some really weird VS2015 bugs for me.

 

- try Microsoft Connect site and enter the problem description. They will respond, sometimes with useful info.

 

  • I've got the latest VS updates installed.
  • I've got basically the same spec computer as everyone else in the office (Intel i5, 16GB ram, terabyte drive) The only difference between my hardware and everyone else's is I bought myself a decent Logitech keyboard and mouse to replace the crappy ones that came with the machine. All machines are running Windows 10 64bit. It's a massive project, not exactly sure what it all contains. It's definitely got console applications in it. It's a website with multiple front ends, service layers backends etc. Millions of lines of code.
  • I've got hyper-v enabled on my machine.
  • Will try there too.
8 minutes ago, DevTech said:

- any VS add-ons could be a suspect - perhaps disable them for a test

 

- any software that monitors keystrokes could connect to the problem such as a real virus, a secret corporate installed keylogger, any anti-virus software, clipboard and "hot key" utility software, screen recording utils etc etc

 

- intermittent hard drive sector read issue - perhaps run full sector disk scan and also ye old "sfc /scannow" command

 

 

  • I do have VS extensions but the issue occurs in safe mode and (not due to this issue) a fresh Windows install with a fresh VS install with no extensions added.
  • The only thing I have that monitors keystrokes would be an autohotkey script that I use to quickly launch a bunch of console applications for various websites I'm testing. Also replaces @@ with my email address (because I'm lazy :-) )
  • I haven't tried a disk scan. Will do one over the weekend.
  • 0
Grand Master

DevTech

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, unabatedshagie said:

 

  • I've got basically the same spec computer as everyone else in the office (Intel i5, 16GB ram, terabyte drive) The only difference between my hardware and everyone else's is I bought myself a decent Logitech keyboard and mouse to replace the crappy ones that came with the machine. All machines are running Windows 10 64bit. It's a massive project, not exactly sure what it all contains. It's definitely got console applications in it. It's a website with multiple front ends, service layers backends etc. Millions of lines of code.
  • If you copy your project to another computer in the office at the time of crash, it does not have the issue?

 

 

 

 

  • The only thing I have that monitors keystrokes would be an autohotkey script that I use to quickly launch a bunch of console applications for various websites I'm testing. Also replaces @@ with my email address (because I'm lazy :-) )
  • uninstall autohotkey and reboot when you have the issue
  • also disable WIndows Defender or any Anti-Virus Software temporarily when you have the issue

 

  • I haven't tried a disk scan. Will do one over the weekend.
  • also the "sfc /scannow" quickly identifies any fundamental O/S corruptions

 

- in addition to above comments, you could temporarily install a second VS2015 into a fresh Windows VM which would give you more control over making a bare minimum config that can load the files from the project that are suspect. Also don't sign into VS as yourself to avoid pulling in any settings from the cloud on a fresh install.

 

- also, is the project pulling in any stuff from Nuget? if so, can you provide a list?

 

- after all of the above, we still have the option of debugging VS2015 itself as the problem happens, but that removes all the Sherlock Holmes style fun of logically deducing the culprit :)

 

  • 0
Grand Master

DevTech

Posted
Posted

There is a tool here that removes whitespace and checks line endings etc. That tool as-is or some mod to it that also checks char ranges etc for unusual "somethings" might be useful.

 

https://github.com/KirillOsenkov/CodeCleanupTools

 

I'm all out of ideas until more info is available.

 

 

 

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to question listing

  • Posts

    • Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices as memory costs surge

      By +Warwagon · Posted

      Now 8GB of ram looks even worse in the Neo. I'm so happy I purchased 128GB of DDR 4 when I did.... paid $174. Upgraded my parents laptop to 32GB around the same time for $48. Luckily I have a TON of spare laptops. So i'm good on laptops for a while. I also have a lot of desktops too that I could use if i had to. Lets just hope nothing happens to my main 4 monitor couch workstation.
    • Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices as memory costs surge

      By macoman · Posted

      I will keep my current devices for several years... no planning in upgrading until these devices stop working. Too pricey.
    • Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices as memory costs surge

      By Karthik Mudaliar · Posted

      Apple raises MacBook and iPad prices as memory costs surge by Karthik Mudaliar Apple has raised the U.S. prices of several MacBook and iPad models, including the MacBook Neo, which it launched for $599 less than four months ago. The company’s cheapest laptop now starts at $699, while some MacBook Pro configurations have increased by $300. The changes affect the MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. Apple has not changed the hardware or storage included with these models, so customers are simply paying more for the same configurations. Here is how the new US pricing compares with the previous starting prices: Product Previous price New price Increase MacBook Neo $599 $699 $100 13-inch MacBook Air, 512GB $1,099 $1,299 $200 14-inch MacBook Pro, 1TB $1,699 $1,999 $300 16-inch MacBook Pro $2,699 $2,999 $300 11-inch iPad Air, 128GB $599 $749 $150 13-inch iPad Air, 128GB $799 $949 $150 11-inch iPad Pro, 256GB $999 $1,199 $200 13-inch iPad Pro, 256GB $1,299 $1,499 $200 The updated prices are already appearing on Apple’s U.S. online store. The MacBook Neo increase will probably attract the most attention. Apple introduced the laptop in March for $599, pitching it as a more affordable Mac for students and buyers considering Windows laptops or Chromebooks. It uses an A18 Pro processor and originally undercut Dell’s new $699 XPS 13 by $100. Following the increase, the two laptops now have the same starting price. The M5 MacBook Air has also lost the price Apple promoted when it launched in March. The 13-inch model arrived with 512GB of storage for $1,099, while Apple’s store now lists the MacBook Air range as starting at $1,299. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip and 1TB of storage has gone from $1,699 to $1,999. Apple has made similar changes to its iPads. The recently released M4 iPad Air, which launched at the same $599 starting price as its predecessor, now starts at $749 for the 11-inch version. The 13-inch version has risen from $799 to $949. The iPad Pro increases are larger in dollar terms. Apple’s 11-inch M5 iPad Pro now starts at $1,199, up from $999, while the 13-inch version has moved from $1,299 to $1,499. Both base models still include 256GB of storage. Apple blamed the increases on the rapidly rising cost of DRAM and NAND flash, which provide system memory and device storage. The company told Reuters that it had tried to shield customers from the increases but could no longer absorb them. “We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly,” Apple said. Tim Cook had already warned that price increases were coming. Cook said Apple’s existing component inventory had softened the immediate impact, but that higher memory costs would increasingly affect the company after the June quarter. Much of the pressure comes from the construction of AI data centers. Memory manufacturers are directing more production toward high-margin server products, leaving PC, tablet, and smartphone makers competing for the remaining supply. Apple has not said whether the new prices are temporary or whether further increases are planned. For now, the changes show that even Apple’s purchasing power has not been enough to keep the AI-driven memory shortage away from consumer devices.
    • Ventoy 1.1.16

      By Copernic · Posted

      Ventoy 1.1.16 is out.
    • This Chinese company is reportedly developing a feature Apple and Samsung can only dream of

      By Mateus · Posted

      This is a none story - these low volume Chinese models will always get new experimental features first because Apple and Samsung can't produce them in huge volume to meet demand.

  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      kinowa earned a badge
      First Post
    • Rookie
      krychek57 went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Grand Master
      Jaybonaut went up a rank
      Grand Master
    • One Year In
      Philsl earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Dedicated
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Dedicated

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      461
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      171
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      135
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      77
    5. 5
      Xenon
      77
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!