The 'Visual Studio Explorers and Designer Package' package did not load correctly

Question

Every time I open solution in Visual Studio 2015 I get following message:

Here are last entries from ActivityLog.xml:

<entry>
   <record>827</record>
   <time>2015/12/23 11:26:13.919</time>
   <type>Error</type>
   <source>VisualStudio</source>
   <description>SetSite failed for package [Visual Studio Explorers and Designers Package][Object reference not set to an instance of an object.]:{   at Microsoft.VSDesigner.VSDMenus.Initialize(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)&#x000D;&#x000A;   at Microsoft.VSDesigner.VSDesignerPackage.VSDesignerPackage.Initialize()&#x000D;&#x000A;   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Package.Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsPackage.SetSite(IServiceProvider sp)}</description>
   <guid>{8D8529D3-625D-4496-8354-3DAD630ECC1B}</guid>
   <hr>80004003 - E_POINTER</hr>
   <errorinfo>Object reference not set to an instance of an object.</errorinfo></entry>

I followed suggestions found in a similar question but with no success.

Unfortunately re-installing NuGet via Extensions and Updates doesn't solve the issue.

Solution 1

If @batressc solution doesn't work, you have to delete the .VS folder in the solution folder also.

So:

1. Close all VS Windows
2. Delete folder C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\ComponentModelCache
3. Delete Folder [Solution Folder]\.vs

Solution 2

Delete the file Microsoft.VisualStudio.Default.Cachein the folder C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\ComponentModelCache

Solution 3

This one helps with VS 2017: https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/160124/failed-to-load-package-monoandroiddesignerpackage.html

1) Start VS

2) File->New->Project->Xamarin app (either iOS or Android)

3) Now click the Toolbox

4) Close VS

Comments

[jessehouwing]

I suspect a repair of Visual Studio 2015 and re-application of update 1 is required...

[MRainzo]

Could you resolve this?

[Quarkly]

Actually, resetting the Visual Studio settings worked for me, but both ideas seem like good troubleshooting tips.

[anjani]

Confirmed, deleting BOTH the ComponentModelCache folder and the .vs folder worked. Deleting only the ComponentModelCache folder by itself didn't work.

[rynkadink]

Deleting the .vs folder was enough for me. Thanks.

[Donna]

Just deleting cache folder worked for me - but... not immediately. Had to deal with error 1 more time and then load any other project. Close VS and re-open VS and the error was gone.

[Badr Bellaj]

I concur with you for VS 2017