Visual Studio 2022: "Task List" window is empty when VS starts

Question

Found several similar questions for older VS versions, some especially mentioning C++. I'm getting the effect with C# as well as VB.Net projects in Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2022 (64-bit) - Version 17.3.3

Steps to reproduce:

• Open a new VS2022 IDE instance
• "Create new Project", say type "ASP.Net Core Web App (C#)" or a "Console App (Visual Basic)"
• Open the View -> "Task List" window
• Open any code file, e.g. WebApplication1\Pages\Index.cshtml.cs
• In C# add a line

    //TODO: find this in the IDE's "Task List" window // in the OnGet() event handler
    ' Or TODO: something ' in VB.Net code

• Observed: the TODO line appears in the Task List window as expected //Okay
• Save, and close the IDE instance
• Open a the same newly created "WebApplication1" solution in a new VS IDE instance.
• Observed: Task List window is empty although the TODO line still exists // not Okay
• As soon as one edits any code file, e,g. WebApplication1\Pages\Error.cshtml.cs, even by just adding and removing a single space
• Observed: unexpectedly (all if there are more than just one) TODO lines magically reappear in the Task List

Actual question: Is that a reproducible VS Bug or is it just me / my PC/setup?

Antirrhinum

I just tried it and it works ok for me. I create a new project. Add a TODO line and verify that both TODO lines show up in task list. Close the entire IDE. reopen the solution, and without modifying the .cs file, I can see both TODO lines in the Task List. – Guile

Interesting info, @J'e , that sounds as if it could be my local setup, doesn't it – Antirrhinum

You could trying running it in safe mode using the /SafeMode option. I don't know if this will help solve your issue. learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/reference/…. – Guile

@J'e, tried but no joy, thanks again. Doing a "Visual Studio Installer"-> "Repair" seems to have cured the symptom fortunately – Antirrhinum

Answer 1

In the (hidden) .vs\ProjectEvaluation\ folder, deleting the older versions of the files .metadata.vx.y and .projects.vx.y of the project in question solved the problem for me.

Goldman

There is also a .strings.vx.y file in that folder for each solution so delete that too. – Fleeta

Doing this does populate the task list on reopening the solution, but I have found an additional problem. I add to-do items as // TODO <Jira ticket number> ... and have always been able to filter the task list by <Jira ticket number> to see just tasks for my current task. But in VS 2022 17.10.6 that filtering isn't working either. Fortunately sorting by description does work and brings those items to the top of the task list. – Fleeta

Answer 2

Doing a "Visual Studio Installer" -> "Repair" seems to have cured the symptom so far fortunately. (That part took a while though and also demanded an O/S restart. Reinstalling one Extension and arranging desired IDE/Debug windows layout afterwards was easy.)

Antirrhinum

Answer 3

I encountered the same issue on VS 2022 17.10.3. For me, this worked:

1. Exit Visual Studio.
2. Go to the folder of your solution.
3. Delete the hidden .vs folder.

When something unexpected happens in my solution on VS, I usually do this trick first.

Bolanos

Answer 4

This also happened to me. I have been using VS 2022 for a while, and today is the first time I've seen it. Making a small code edit didn't change anything, but just closing and restarting VS did.

I have been clearing caches and cleaning solutions today. I have also had both 2019 and 2022 open, but that hasn't caused a problem (that I've noticed) before.

Larner