Azure Related Error - VS 2013 Professional - The 'CctProjectPackage' package did not load correctly

Question

I am running Visual Studio Professional 2013 to create Azure Cloud websites using Azure 2.4.

This has been running fine without issues for months, and then all of a sudden on my home machine, I am getting the above error and all my Azure Cloud Service projects in all my existing solutions are listed as incompatible with my version of the software. If I try and create a new Azure Cloud Service project, it just outright fails.

<entry>
<record>641</record>
<time>2015/02/14 09:56:30.100</time>
<type>Warning</type>
<source>UserConnection</source>
<description>Newer version of resource during SetAttribute: VSS011053: A different version of resource &apos;VisualStudio.12;Environment.General&apos; exists on the server. Given version &apos;0&apos; while existing version is &apos;2373&apos;. (ActivityId: a432dc90-386f-4215-85d3-ad0f89dd8bd0)</description>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>642</record>
<time>2015/02/14 09:56:30.991</time>
<type>Warning</type>
<source>UserConnection</source>
<description>Newer version of resource during SetAttribute: VSS011053: A different version of resource &apos;VisualStudio.12;Environment.Startup&apos; exists on the server. Given version &apos;0&apos; while existing version is &apos;2374&apos;. (ActivityId: 27589d22-4ba2-416c-8950-f6998dc49a3c)</description>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>643</record>
<time>2015/02/14 09:56:34.756</time>
<type>Information</type>
<source>VisualStudio</source>
<description>Entering function CVsPackageInfo::HrInstantiatePackage</description>
<guid>{E269B994-EF71-4CE0-8BCD-581C217372E8}</guid>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>644</record>
<time>2015/02/14 09:56:34.756</time>
<type>Warning</type>
<source>VisualStudio</source>
<description>Unexpected system error mode before loading package [Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editor.Implementation.EditorPackage]</description>
<guid>{E269B994-EF71-4CE0-8BCD-581C217372E8}</guid>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>645</record>
<time>2015/02/14 09:56:34.756</time>
<type>Information</type>
<source>VisualStudio</source>
<description>Begin package load [Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editor.Implementation.EditorPackage]</description>
<guid>{E269B994-EF71-4CE0-8BCD-581C217372E8}</guid>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>646</record>
<time>2015/02/14 09:56:34.802</time>
<type>Information</type>
<source>VisualStudio</source>
<description>End package load [Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editor.Implementation.EditorPackage]</description>
<guid>{E269B994-EF71-4CE0-8BCD-581C217372E8}</guid>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>647</record>
<time>2015/02/14 10:56:16.398</time>
<type>Information</type>
<source>ClientRights</source>
<description>Read client rights token for IdeUser User: &apos;[email protected]&apos; (ActvityId: &apos;b5c38855-50e7-40c8-804c-f164a010b1a7&apos;) from &apos;C:\Users\ismithers\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\12.0\Licenses\1_kdatcfot.crtok&apos;</description>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>648</record>
<time>2015/02/14 11:32:03.632</time>
<type>Information</type>
<source>VisualStudio</source>
<description>Entering function CVsPackageInfo::HrInstantiatePackage</description>
<guid>{3CF1DF15-44F2-4467-AB0E-1F90BA69A3E0}</guid>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>649</record>
<time>2015/02/14 11:32:03.632</time>
<type>Information</type>
<source>VisualStudio</source>
<description>Begin package load [CctProjectPackage]</description>
<guid>{3CF1DF15-44F2-4467-AB0E-1F90BA69A3E0}</guid>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>650</record>
<time>2015/02/14 11:32:03.632</time>
<type>Error</type>
<source>VisualStudio</source>
<description>CreateInstance failed for package [CctProjectPackage]</description>
<guid>{3CF1DF15-44F2-4467-AB0E-1F90BA69A3E0}</guid>
<hr>80131604</hr>
<errorinfo>Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.</errorinfo>
</entry>
<entry>
<record>651</record>
<time>2015/02/14 11:32:03.632</time>
<type>Error</type>
<source>VisualStudio</source>
<description>End package load [CctProjectPackage]</description>
<guid>{3CF1DF15-44F2-4467-AB0E-1F90BA69A3E0}</guid>
<hr>80004005 - E_FAIL</hr>
<errorinfo>Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.</errorinfo>
</entry>

Visual Studio -> Help Menu -> About - Shows this error window:

"The 'CctProjectPackage' package did not load correctly."

File -> New -> Project -> Azure Cloud Service -> OK -> OK -> Shows a window with the message:

"'C:\etc\etc...\AzureProject.ccproj' cannot be opened because its project type (.ccproj) is not supported by this version of the application."

I have tried:

A full uninstall of Visual Studio 2013 Professional. Then reinstalled.
Removed all optional packages and reinstalled.
Repaired Visual Studio 2013 Professional and Azure Tools 2.4.
Tried various command line commands such as reinstalling the templates, manually registering the AzureDiagnostics.dll and resetting Visual Studio 2013 Professional.
Cleaned registry.
Installed to a new directory.

One thing which surprised me, was that when I installed a different version of Visual Studio 2013 (for example the Web Express version). Everyone worked. But, not in my Visual Studio 2013 Professional.

Eagerly await your reply and assistance, many thanks.

Answer 1

I had the same problem after windows 10 updated. I was able to fix it by following these steps:

1. Close Visual Studio
2. Open the Users\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\12.0\ folder
3. Rename the ComponentModelCache folder
4. Restart Visual Studio.

Hope it helps... :)

Answer 2

So I resolved this by re-installing Windows 8.

That is about as a legitimate solution to this issue, as fixing a broken air-con by buying a new car, is. But in the end continuing to troubleshoot this was time prohibitive.

Answer 3

This can also be solved by repairing the install of Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio.

Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl)

Select Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio from the list of installed programs, click change and repair. When if completes, reboot (if prompted) and the issue should be gone.