Visual Studio 2008 Window layout annoyance

Question

I'm having a weird issue with Visual Studio 2008. Every time I fire it up, the solution explorer is about an inch wide. It's like it can't remember it's layout settings.

Every un-docked window is in the position I place it. But if I dock a window, it's position is saved, but it's size will be reset to very-narrow (around an inch) when I load.

I've never come across this before and it's pretty annoying. Any ideas?

The things I've tried:

• Saving, then reloading settings via Import/Export.
• Resetting all environment settings via Import/Export.
• Window -> Reset Window layout.
• Comination of rebooting after changing the above.
• Installed SP1. No improvement

none of which changed the behaviour of docked windows. (Also, definitely no other instances running..)

I do run two monitors, but I've had this setup on three different workstations and this is the first time I've come across it.

Answer 1

Maybe you're closing Visual Studio while some other instance is still alive. The settings of the last instance that is closed is the one that will be applied.

Answer 2

I occasionally get this bug, and others related to layout/fonts/colouring etc. A little trick I've found is use the Tools -> Import and Export Settings, export your current settings once you've got everything setup as you like, then close and reopen Visual Studio and import. Hopefully that'll sort you out.

In 2005 there were some little bugs with viewing Project/Solution property panels when the Solution Explorer wasn't in its default position, docked on the left of the screen - I don't know if that's changed in VS2008, but you might want to put it back there and see.

Now, when are we going to get decent MultiMonitor support?!

Answer 3

I had the same problem. It turned out that if the VS window was non-maximized, it was really small. So after making the non-maximized wider, the problem disappeared.

Answer 4

Thanx for the answer Ali Parr. However, i did export and import. It didn't work.

Toolbox is opened very narrow every time i start up the VS2009. It pisses me off

Answer 5

Thanks for this thread! I was having a "VS2008 IDE has encountered an error and needs MOAR coffee now!" error whenever I would dock my solution explorer on the opposite side panel and close. This got me back to zen.

In VS2008: "Tools" > "Import and Export Settings..." > (Import and Export Settings Wizard) "Reset all settings" > (navigate through the rest of the wizard.)

Answer 6

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/84556/whats-your-favorite-programmer-cartoon/84710#84710