Visual Studio 2008 (ORCAS) "Project Creation Failed"

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For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three.
--Alice Kahn

This is due to some assembly redirects that are added to the devenv.exe.config file by installing the GAX (Guidance Automation Extensions).

Here is the fix, and it's an easy one:

1) Navigate to: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE in Windows Explorer

2) Load devenv.exe.config in your favorite text editor.

3) Find this string: "Microsoft.VisualStudio.TemplateWizardInterface"

4) Comment out the element so it looks like this:

<dependentAssembly>
<!--assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.VisualStudio.TemplateWizardInterface" publicKeyToken="b03f5f7f11d50a3a" culture="neutral" /-->
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-8.9.9.9" newVersion="9.0.0.0" />
</dependentAssembly>

5) Restart Visual Studio 2008. All fixed!

Peter has been active on the C# and other MS newsgroups, has had samples at gotdotnet.com (now codegallery.com) that have been downloaded over 56,000 times, and has written numerous articles for eggheadcafe.com, for which he is a co-founder, and MSDNAA sites. He has also been a technical reviewer on books from Prentice Hall, Manning and other publishers. Peter was a Microsoft MVP for 10 years. Peter was born and raised in New York City, and after a stint as a jazz musician playing contrabass with the Robert Hunt Trio, migrated to sunny Florida, where he was hired as a rookie Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch in Orlando, specializing in Corporate Services. It was at Merrill that Peter realized computers and technology were his forte. He spent his last few years at Merrill developing real – time computerized trading and and stock charting program using advanced technical analysis indicators, some of which are his own inventions. In 1997, he moved on to architect and serve as lead developer on a number of innovative web-based and middleware solutions for the healthcare and financial services industry.

Comments

  1. Anonymous1:48 PM

    Thanks!
    Saved me some serious time!

    Nuri

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:50 AM

    super!

    thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous3:18 PM

    Thank you very much

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous7:04 AM

    I did not find in that file Microsoft.VisualStudio.TemplateWizardInterface
    and I still get this error when creating database project, please somebody help me

    ReplyDelete
  5. Michael3:39 AM

    I've published a tiny ui-based tool that applys the described patch automatically.
    You can downloaded it at http://www.codeplex.com/gaxpatch.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:12 AM

    I don't have a devenv.exe.config file the only config file that I have şs VCExpress.exe.config

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous8:50 PM

    Thanks guys. Had problems with a Workflow project. I had just installed the Guidance Automation for the web services factory (studio 2005), looks like that was the conflict.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous8:01 PM

    How microsoft release a product that doesnt work from the first step ??? Incredible ! Microsoft retail versions are just beta!
    ( w/e I dont have that line )

    ReplyDelete
  9. peterbromberg9:07 PM

    Sorry, but it looks like you don't get it. The product works fine, it's just that installation of the GAT causes a configuration file entry that needs to be corrected, OK?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous11:20 AM

    Hi - I am getting the same sort of error while trying to create "Excel Workbook Project" from VS2008. Once I click the OK button to create it, I am getting "Project Cannot Be Created" error message and nothing else. I tried repairing my Professional Office 2003 installation and that didn't solve the problem. I also tried commenting different parts of the config file that I thought would help and that didn't help either.

    Also, when I try opening a project containing an excel workbook that someone created, it gives me an error saying "Excel Designer Could Not Be Activated". I am experiencing this issue only for Excel projects. I can create ms word project without any problem.

    Do you have any suggestion as to how I could get over this problem? I am using the professional version of VS2008.

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous9:50 PM

    Cool. It solved my problem and saved my times. thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous3:08 PM

    I don't have that file....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous4:26 PM

    I think Web Service Factory (Model Edition) or one of its prerequisite installs broke mine..

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous4:03 PM

    Grrr... Thanks for your help!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous5:38 PM

    I don't have that line. Can somebody help?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous4:24 PM

    Saved me time, Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous3:10 PM

    It worked...thanks

    ReplyDelete
  18. TW7:36 AM

    Thanks a LOT !!!!

    hope you dont mind me reposting the same...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Daniel3:39 AM

    Thanks for the help. Linked to you on my blog:
    http://www.framewreck.net/2008/02/completely-awesome-message-box_24.html

    Btw, the new February 2008 GAX/GAT releases don't cause this issue.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous12:05 AM

    Thanks.

    Works for Visual Studio 2008 final release as well.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous9:17 AM

    Thank you very much!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous6:25 PM

    Great!!!!

    -Rino

    ReplyDelete
  23. Unknown7:45 AM

    I don't have the file either. Did anyone come up with another solution?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous8:06 AM

    I don't have that file either...

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous6:29 AM

    Thanks! Great. You saved me from reinstalling all developer tools.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous1:49 PM

    Thanks a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Avinash12:43 AM

    Awesome !!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous11:00 PM

    I have the file, but not that entry.

    It really isn't that simple, and yes it is pretty lame to not be able to create projects/solutions when you first install a product.

    Let me also point out that this only happened to me on Vista. I had no issues with XP.

    I actually could not create a damn thing with VS2008 in Vista. I had to run a subinacl ( in admin mode ) to be able to create a VB project. This fixed all except C++.

    More googling to do.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous11:01 PM

    OH, I should have mentioned. I have MSDN versions of both.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous12:00 AM

    Well, after many googles and then going to MSDN forums, I found the solution that worked for me. I thought i might be good to post a link here so that people realize that there is more than just one problem that causes this issue...and more than one solution.

    Reference: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2895894&SiteID=1

    ReplyDelete
  31. Gulfraz Khan10:37 PM

    It worked for me.
    Thanks Peter.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Mark Abraham5:15 PM

    Peter,
    You're the man! It was your fix, or wait on hold with our State's helpdesk. You won.

    Installation info:
    - Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, Version 9.0.30729.1 SP
    - Microsoft .NET Framework Version 3.5 SP1
    - Installed Edition: Professional

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous1:20 PM

    It worked ! Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Unknown8:26 AM

    Having the same problem

    Downloaded Visual Studio C++ 2008 Express Edition. Installed it, and when I go to create a project. It says project creation failed.

    Tried following your steps but there is no file called devenv.exe.config. There is, however, a file called VCExpress.exe.config. Regretably there is no path in this file that you describe in your blog that needs to be commented out.

    Similarly I tried the patch that one of your Commenters left. Unfortunately this also does not work.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated

    Jason

    ReplyDelete
  35. Unknown7:40 AM

    Thank you Peter, it was so ridiculous.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous2:52 AM

    Thanks! Super Its Working
    Thanks a log........

    ReplyDelete
  37. Brad Fallon11:03 AM

    Is it possible to write assembly language code and combine with visual basic in visual studio 2008?

    ReplyDelete
  38. awni1:47 PM

    Thank you, this did the trick for all .Net Projects.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous9:20 PM

    umm. not sure why but i dont have devenv.exe.config, could someone please help me, anyone else with same problem??

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous7:12 AM

    I have this problem in VSExpress 2012, I can't find devenv with it. Could you please help me?

    ReplyDelete

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