The Issue

This page will highlight a known potential issue with Visual Studio in the desktop lab environment (physical lab computers and remote desktop via RDS). In some cases, the user's profile will not properly load all Visual Studio packages. This results in inability to execute certain commands or projects.
If you are experiencing this issue or something similar...please note it does not pertain to the VM you are on, but instead follows you on your NETID student profile.

Solution

1. Log into RDS as normal, sign in, and open the Windows desktop.
2. Make sure that Visual Studio is completely closed. (Not open in tray, task manager, or anything before deleting the folders)
   
   
3. From the Windows Desktop, Search ‘%appdata%’
   
   
   
   

4. Once selected, File Explorer will open from the Roaming folder. There are a few folders we are looking for that we want to delete.
   
   

5. Path of first delete:    C:\Users\(NETID)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\VisualStudio
   [folder(s) to delete below are highlighted in screenshot]
   
   

   
   
   
6. Now navigate back to AppData folder – we want to open ‘Local’ folder.
   
   
7. Path of second delete:    C:\Users\(NETID)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio

          7a. Path of third delete:    C:\Users\(NETID)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio Services
                  [folder(s) to delete below are highlighted in screenshot]

       8. Once the 3 Highlighted file folders have been deleted from user’s profile, open Visual Studio to prompt a new login and new download of the Roaming packages.

Other Resources