Manage Nuget Packages crashes VS2017

Question

I get Visual Studio crashing everytime I add a Nuget Reference. It feels like a BUG.

It was reported to the Developer Community (beta) site: https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/6782/manage-nuget-packages-crashes-vs2017rc.html

It states it was fixed, so the exact root cause of this must be different:

The problem looks like it existed back in 2015 but no answers: Nuget Package Manager crashes when clicking "Manage nuget packages for solution" Visual Studio 2015

Its so annoying I have to use the Console to install packages or edit the packages.config file manually and then restore the packages. Not Happy - does anyone have a solution?

Specs
Win7 x64
Microsoft Visual Studio Enterprise 2017
Version 15.2 (26430.6) Release
VisualStudio.15.Release/15.2.0+26430.6
Microsoft .NET Framework v 4.7.02053

Installed Version: Enterprise

.....

NuGet Package Manager 4.2.0

---

Event Log:

Application: devenv.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.UnauthorizedAccessException
   at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHRInternal(Int32 errorCode, IntPtr errorInfo)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Settings.ShellWritableSettingsStore.CreateCollection(String collectionPath)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.CategoryMRUItems.SaveItems(WritableSettingsStore store)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.MRUItemsStoreService.AddMRUItem(Guid& guidCategory, String lpszItem)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.MruItemsStoreServiceDecorator.AddMRUItem(Guid& guidCategory, String lpszItem)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.WindowSearchHost.Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.IWindowSearchEventsHandler.OnAddMRUItem(String searchedText)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.WindowSearchDataSource.OnAddMRUItem(String searchedText)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.SearchControlDataSource.AddMRUItemAction(GelDependencyObject datasource, Object parameter)
   at Microsoft.Internal.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.GelDependencyObject.Invoke(GelVerb descriptor, Object param)
   at Microsoft.Internal.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.GelDependencyObject.Invoke(String verb, Object param)
   at Microsoft.Internal.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.GelDependencyObject.Invoke(String verb, Object pvaIn, Object& pvaOut)
   at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHRInternal(Int32, IntPtr)
   at Microsoft.Internal.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.Utilities.Invoke(Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsUIDataSource, System.String, System.Object)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.SearchControl.AddToMRUItems(System.String)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.PlatformUI.SearchControl.SearchBox_LostKeyboardFocus(System.Object, System.Windows.Input.KeyboardFocusChangedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.Input.KeyboardFocusChangedEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(System.Delegate, System.Object)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(System.Delegate, System.Object)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(System.Object, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(System.Object, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(System.Windows.DependencyObject, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseTrustedEvent(System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEvent(System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessStagingArea()
   at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessInput(System.Windows.Input.InputEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.Input.KeyboardDevice.ChangeFocus(System.Windows.DependencyObject, Int32)
   at System.Windows.Input.KeyboardDevice.TryChangeFocus(System.Windows.DependencyObject, System.Windows.Input.IKeyboardInputProvider, Boolean, Boolean, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.Input.KeyboardDevice.Focus(System.Windows.DependencyObject, Boolean, Boolean, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.Input.KeyboardDevice.Focus(System.Windows.IInputElement)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.Focus()
   at System.Windows.Controls.ListBoxItem.HandleMouseButtonDown(System.Windows.Input.MouseButton)
   at System.Windows.Controls.ListBoxItem.OnMouseLeftButtonDown(System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.OnMouseLeftButtonDownThunk(System.Object, System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(System.Delegate, System.Object)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(System.Delegate, System.Object)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(System.Object, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(System.Object, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.ReRaiseEventAs(System.Windows.DependencyObject, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs, System.Windows.RoutedEvent)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.OnMouseDownThunk(System.Object, System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(System.Delegate, System.Object)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(System.Delegate, System.Object)
   at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(System.Object, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(System.Object, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs, Boolean)
   at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(System.Windows.DependencyObject, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.ContentElement.RaiseTrustedEvent(System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessStagingArea()
   at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessInput(System.Windows.Input.InputEventArgs)
   at System.Windows.Input.InputProviderSite.ReportInput(System.Windows.Input.InputReport)
   at System.Windows.Interop.HwndMouseInputProvider.ReportInput(IntPtr, System.Windows.Input.InputMode, Int32, System.Windows.Input.RawMouseActions, Int32, Int32, Int32)
   at System.Windows.Interop.HwndMouseInputProvider.FilterMessage(IntPtr, MS.Internal.Interop.WindowMessage, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
   at System.Windows.Interop.HwndSource.InputFilterMessage(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
   at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr, Boolean ByRef)
   at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(System.Object)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32)
   at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(System.Object, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32, System.Delegate)
   at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.LegacyInvokeImpl(System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherPriority, System.TimeSpan, System.Delegate, System.Object, Int32)
   at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr)

---

Faulting application name: devenv.exe, version: 15.0.26430.6, time stamp: 0x5914d7fe
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.1.7601.23807, time stamp: 0x5915f98e
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x0000c54f
Faulting process id: 0xf48
Faulting application start time: 0x01d2fb77b5f33dcc
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files x86\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\syswow64\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: f949036c-676b-11e7-8422-3417ebddc764

---

Error Handler Exception: System.ServiceModel.CommunicationException: There was an error reading from the pipe: Unrecognized error 109 (0x6d). ---> System.IO.IOException: The read operation failed, see inner exception. ---> System.ServiceModel.CommunicationException: There was an error reading from the pipe: Unrecognized error 109 (0x6d). ---> System.IO.PipeException: There was an error reading from the pipe: Unrecognized error 109 (0x6d).
   at System.ServiceModel.Channels.PipeConnection.OnAsyncReadComplete(Boolean haveResult, Int32 error, Int32 numBytes)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Runtime.AsyncResult.End[TAsyncResult](IAsyncResult result)
   at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ConnectionStream.EndRead(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.Net.FixedSizeReader.ReadCallback(IAsyncResult transportResult)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Net.Security.NegotiateStream.EndRead(IAsyncResult asyncResult)
   at System.ServiceModel.Channels.StreamConnection.EndRead()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Runtime.AsyncResult.End[TAsyncResult](IAsyncResult result)
   at System.ServiceModel.Channels.TransportDuplexSessionChannel.EndTryReceive(IAsyncResult result, Message& message)
   at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DuplexChannelBinder.EndTryReceive(IAsyncResult result, RequestContext& requestContext)
   at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.ErrorHandlingReceiver.EndTryReceive(IAsyncResult result, RequestContext& requestContext) \r\n    at System.Runtime.AsyncResult.End[TAsyncResult](IAsyncResult result)
   at System.ServiceModel.Channels.TransportDuplexSessionChannel.EndTryReceive(IAsyncResult result, Message& message)
   at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.DuplexChannelBinder.EndTryReceive(IAsyncResult result, RequestContext& requestContext)
   at System.ServiceModel.Dispatcher.ErrorHandlingReceiver.EndTryReceive(IAsyncResult result, RequestContext& requestContext)

Answer 1

I used SysInternals Process Monitor to find out that actual ACCESS_DENIED happens when VS attempts to RegCreateKey for a key:

\REGISTRY\A\{4B5F9AD2-BB8B-4CF8-9ACB-201C56F4D086}\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\15.0_05fc10d7\MRUItems\{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}\Items

This key appears to be stored in VS application hive file:

C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\15.0_05fc10d7\privateregistry.user.bin

I started regedit as admin, loaded hive file into regedit as described:

1. Launch RegEdit.exe
2. Select the Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE node in the left-hand pane
3. Select the File | Load Hive... menu item, and load the privateregistry.user.bin
4. When prompted for a key name, just type in something like "VSRegHive"
5. This will load the data into a VSRegHive under the HKLM node
6. Create the 2 absent keys {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}\Items:

7. When finished select the VSRegHive and select File | Unload Hive... , before exiting the RegEdit.exe utility, otherwise VS will fail to start. Keeping the hive loaded in regedit creates some sort of lock that prevents DevEnv.exe from launching.

With the 2 missing keys in place VS2017 doesn't crash in NuGet manager.