NuGet Package Manager: "No packages found" even though the package exists

Question

After updating Visual Studio to 2015 Update 2 I kept getting a "No packages found" error in NuGet Package Manager, despite browsing/searching for packages that I knew existed and which could be added from the Package Manager Console.

This is frustrating as the NuGet site clearly shows the packages are available. As a workaround I can install them via the Package Manager Console - but the GUI just shows "No packages found".

Answer 1

As of VS2015 Update 2 the default and only feed installed is MS-Curated "Microsoft and .NET", https://www.nuget.org/api/v2/curated-feeds/microsoftdotnet/

This feed is missing a LOT of commonly used packages.

You can resolve this by simply adding the "normal" NuGet feed with all packages:

1. Open Visual Studio 2015 as admin
2. Tools > Options
3. NuGet Package Manager > Package Sources

4. Click the green "add" icon, and add the following feed:

   NuGet: https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

Answer 2

Here are the troubleshooting steps I would take when looking into this issue.

1. Visual Studio Settings
   • Make sure you are in the BROWSE section.
   • Click on the Package Source drop down to the right.
     • Make sure nuget.org is listed.
       • If nuget.org is not listed, add it.
         • Open Tools > Options (Options window will open)
         • Locate NuGet Package Manager > Package Sources
         • Under available sources, click the + icon.
         • Enter NuGet.org as the package name
         • Enter https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json as the package source.
         • Click the OK button to save changes.
     • **IMPORTANT** Choose ALL as your package source to search all sources.

2. Connectivity & DNS

   • Make sure internet is connected
     • Open CMD
     • ping 8.8.8.8
       • If this does not respond your internet is not connected
     • ping api.nuget.org
       • If this does not resolve to an IP, then you have a DNS issue.
     • nslookup api.nuget.org 8.8.8.8
       • This should list the same IP address as the ping (along with some other info), If it does not then you may have a DNS issue (some local ISP DNS servers are not very good). Try changing your internet connection's DNS server to 8.8.8.8 and trying again.

3. Proxy Issue

   • Do you have Fiddler open? This can interfere with your connection to the nuget repository. Try shutting it down.
   • Did you set all .NET to run through a proxy? This is a common step taken in troubleshooting if you need to see all requests coming in.
     • Open C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Config\machine.config
     • Remove or comment out the proxy configuration

Proxy Config Section

<system.net>
<defaultProxy enabled = "true" useDefaultCredentials = "true">
<proxy autoDetect="false" bypassonlocal="false" 
proxyaddress="http://127.0.0.1:8888" usesystemdefault="false" />
</defaultProxy>
</system.net>