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Visual Studio 2015 (Community) designer shows NullReferenceException for blank Universal App
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Solved c#visual-studio-2015win-universal-appxaml-designer
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3

11

I'm getting a bit frustrated by this, maybe someone has encountered a similar problem or has an idea how to fix it.

I upgraded to Windows 10.
I installed Visual Studio 2015 Community.
I created a new solution, with only 1 project for a blank Universal Windows app. I am using C#.

Problem: I tried to open MainPage.xaml in the designer, but the designer won't load. I get a NullReferenceException in the designer window. I tried opening it in Blend, same result. As Visual Studio suggested, I tried turning off the "Run project code in XAML Designer" feature in the Options menu, but it didn't help.

It has no problem with opening other xaml files in the designer though (WPF, Windows Phone 8, or 8.1 Universal apps all work fine). The app runs both in on local machine, and in emulator, it is only the designer that's acting up.

Any suggestions are welcome.

EDIT

Exception from the designer window:

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Platform.Metadata.MetadataStore.GetTypeConverter(Type type)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsUIXamlDesignTimeProperties.ResolveImplementation(IPlatformMetadata platformMetadata, DesignTimePropertyId neutralProperty, IType declaringType, PropertyChangedCallback callback)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsUIXamlDesignTimeProperties.RegisterProperty(IPropertyId neutralPropertyKey, IType declaringType, PropertyChangedCallback callback)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsUIXamlCommonDesignTimeProperties.Initialize(WindowsUIXamlDesignTimeProperties designTimeProperties)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsUIXamlDesignTimeProperties..ctor(IPlatformTypes platformMetadata)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.UniversalXamlDesigner.UniversalXamlPlatformMetadata.CreateDesignTimeProperties()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.Metadata.WindowsUIXamlPlatformMetadata.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsStoreXamlPlatform.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Platform.PlatformCreatorBase.CreatePlatform(IPlatformReferenceAssemblyResolver referenceAssemblyResolver)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetProjectContext(IHostProject project, IPlatform platform, Boolean create)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetSourceItemContext(IHostSourceItem sourceItem)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.DesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass12_0.<Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__0(CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass6_0`1.<MarshalInWithCancellation>b__0()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Server stack trace: 
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalInSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallModality callModality, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalIn(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, CallModality callModality, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalIn(IRemoteObject targetObject, Action action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, CallModality callModality, ApartmentState apartmentState, String memberName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.MarshalInWithCancellation[TResult](IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken, Func`2 func, ApartmentState apartmentState)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostProject remoteProject, IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Object[]& outArgs)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]: 
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostProject remoteProject, IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.CreateDesignerImpl(IRemoteDesignerService ds, IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, RemoteCancellationToken remoteCancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass14_0.<Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__0(IRemoteDesignerService ds, RemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass5_0`1.<MarshalOutWithCancellation>b__0(IRemoteDesignerService ds)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.<>c__DisplayClass27_0`1.<MarshalOut>b__0()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOutSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, WaitHandle timeoutSignal, CancellationToken cancelToken, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOut(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, WaitHandle timeoutSignal, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, ApartmentState apartmentState, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action`1 action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, ApartmentState apartmentState, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.MarshalOutWithCancellation[TResult](CancellationToken cancelToken, Func`3 func, ApartmentState apartmentState)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IsolatedDesignerService.IsolatedDesignerView.CreateDesignerViewInfo(CancellationToken cancelToken)
Finding answered 30/7, 2015 at 15:37 Comment(5)
post the complete stack of the Exception. – Gleet
try the answer, otherwise report it on connect: connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback – Gleet
See this other question. The strange solution listed there worked for me as well as others. #31788571 – Boozy
Just curious, what if you open the same project in Blend? – Flush
Like I mentioned above, it is the same in Blend. ...which is not that surprising, after all, theoretically VS and Blend have the same designer since a few versions – Finding
D
8

If you're using HP, this worked for me:

delete the "Platform" environment variable in System->Advanced System Settings->Environment Variables ...

In my case it said =HPD

Dioptometer answered 10/8, 2015 at 14:15 Comment(4)
Yep, I am indeed using an HP, and deleting the environment variable solved it! – Finding
It works for me as well. I wonder how come did you find this solution. Thanks! – Pottery
This worked! How in the seven seas did you figure this out?! – Solitary
I'm glad it worked! All I did was some good Google searching to find that. No idea how the person figured it out, but I had tried several things, and eventually found that solution, tried it, success! So I figured I should share it with those having that problem, since it took a while to dig it up. Google-fu, for the win. – Dioptometer
N
2

Have you enabled your device for development? I was suffering this issue until I had enabled it.

Go to settings, then Update & security and then For Developers. Select Developer mode and you should be ok.

Full list of instructions here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/dn706236.aspx

Hope that helps!

Navar answered 30/7, 2015 at 22:48 Comment(1)
Yes, I have. I got a popup first time I tried to run the project telling me that I have to switch on Developer mode, so I did. – Finding
S
1

I reported this to Microsoft via Visual Studio and they kindly got back to me with 2 suggestions and one of them worked, so I thought I'd share it here:

  1. Please see the following known issue and see if it helps resolve your problem: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/f34da155-a4ad-4933-ba82-071de9c7c0b3/uwp-apps-fail-to-launch-and-xaml-designer-crashes-if-visual-studio-and-windows-store-apps-are-both?forum=Win10SDKToolsIssues

  2. If this doesn’t help, also try the following (replacing the path as appropriate):

    icacls "c:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\UnionMetadata\Windows.winmd" /grant *S-1-15-2-1:(RX)

Please note that I did not try the first suggestion as it didn't apply to me but the second one did resolve my problem. Make sure to run the above in a command line prompt with administrative rights.

Hope this will help others facing the same problem.

Sidhu answered 4/3, 2016 at 3:15 Comment(0)

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