DataTable visualizer disappeared from my Visual Studio

Question

A while ago I noticed I don't have a magnifying-glass next to my datatables. I used to have it, and somehow, sometime, it disappeared...
Has anyone seen this happen? Do you know how to help me view my datatables again?

Update: I'm still clueless about this. Could anyone point me in some direction, where should I even start looking for an answer? Thanks a lot.

Update: I changed to a new computer, and still the same problem. But I pinpointed it to being only in Visual Studio 2005. On Visual Studio 2008 I have perfectly normal DataSet and Datatable visualizers. So I tried re-installing VS2005, to make sure all the components were installed, nothing left out - but Nada. Still no visualizer.

Update: Found the solution to my problem: My answer

Answer 1

1. Create a new clean project, does the Visualizer show up there?
2. Check if this file exist: "\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8.0\Common7\Packages\Debugger\Visualizers\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Debugger.DataSetVisualizer.dll"
3. Check if the dll is loaded in Visual Studio, Open your project, then open anther Visual Studio, attach the debugger into the first Visual Studio (Make sure that managed debugger is selected). Inside the debugging Visual Studio open Debug/Windows/Modules to see if the DataSetVisualizer is loaded.
4. try devenv /ResetSettings from an admin console.

Answer 2

Do you have any plugins installed in Visual Studio?

Answer 3

Give devenv /resetskippkgs a try...

Answer 4

Does anyone have an answer to this?

I have tried the steps given :

1. Created a new project
2. Yes - file does exist
3. DLL is not LOADED .I tried loading the DLL into GAC but that does not seem to work, gives me the following error : "The module Microsoft.VisualStudio.Debugger.DataSetVisualizer.dll was expected to contain an assembly manifest"
4. Did the reset to no use !

Any help would be really appreciated !! Thanks

Answer 5

Did anyone ever find out what was happening here and how to fix it?

I am running VS 2008 and have changed my settings from General to C# and back again and am having no luck at all.

The files are all present and correct as are the registry entries that go with them. The ONLY thing I can think of is that our local "My Documents" folders at work have been disabled. However, one of the guys in the office does have the DataSet Visualizer working just fine and he is in the same ad groups as I am and therefore subject to the same network and desktop rules etc.

I would really appreciate any help with this as I work with data lot and do like to see what data looks like while I'm debugging etc.

Answer 6

I have the same problem and it drives me crazy. Finally, I have it works after trying many advice from Googling and trail and error.

1. \Common7\IDE\devenv.exe /resetuserdata at the command prompt.
2. I rename Microsoft.VisualStudio.Debugger.DataSetVisualizer.dll to Microsoft.VisualStudio.Debugger.DataSetVisualizer.dll.test on both C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\PublicAssemblies And \My Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Visualizers

Answer 7

I was really bothered by the problem, so I turned to Microsoft support, and they solved my problem! The short solution is that apparently one of the DLL's in the My Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Visualizers folder was corrupted. I deleted all the contents of the folder, and the visualizer came back.
The long answer can be found in this post written by Faruk Celik - the person from Microsoft who solved my problem.

Answer 8

"devenv /ResetSettings" doesn't help. Neither does "devenv /ResetSkipPkgs"

yes the dll "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8.0\Common7\Packages\Debugger\Visualizers\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Debugger.DataSetVisualizer.dll" exists

I really need that dataset visualizer.

it works fine in VS2005 but not at all in VS2008.

Forcing the developers themselves to execute commands like "devenv /ResetSettings" or "devenv /ResetSkipPkgs" seems like a bad solution of bugs Microsoft couldn't get rid of in another way. more than 12 years after Win98 and Microsoft apps. still hungs and is buggier than ever!

Answer 9

Hi, Step 1: Right click the datasetvisualizer.dll in its folder and click properties. In Properties you could have an option to accept/trust internet downloaded files. In short find your way to unblock the dll.

Step 2: Add "loadFromRemoteSources enabled="true"" under "runtime" in the devenv.exe.config of your visual studio.

Visit "How to use" link of "Linq to Entity debug Visualizer" @ www.rajavenkatesh.com for a similar situation.

Regards Venkat