Package management initialization failed. When launching Visual Studio 2017 (15.7.2)

Question

After installing VS2017 Community ver. 15.7.2 on Win 7 64-bit, following error was found when launching VS2017 with or without admin privilage:

Package management initialization failed.

You can get more information by examining the file: C:\Users\NAME\Appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\VisualStudio\15.0_5024a39e\ActivityLog.xml

These are the errors found in ActivityLog.xml file:

Infos: Could not find ConfigurationChanged timestamp.

Error: merging configuration file C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\15.0_5024a39e\devenv.exe.config

Error: merging configuration file C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Local\Temp\dev6FC4.tmp

Error: merging configuration file C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Local\Temp\dev6FC5.tmp

Error: merging configuration file C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Local\Temp\dev6FC6.tmp

Error: Configuration file merge failed.

Error: Failure calling FinishInitialize.

Tried to install VS2017 Enterprise as well as the VS2017 Community 15.6.7 and got the same errors.

There is a similar problem answered here but it doesn't work for me.

Any input is appreciated

Answer 1

I had the same problem, i solve that doing this

• Uninstall Visual Studio 2017 and other Visual Studios
• Delete C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\VisualStudio
• Uninstall any Visual C++
• Look for any Visual Studio Key on the Regedit and delete
• Delete C:\Users\UserName\Documents\Visual Studio 2017 (Backup your projects)
• Delete C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Visual Studio\15.##
• Update your Windows and restart your pc
• Install Visual Studio 2017 again
• Try to open, and one error apears
• Copy the devenv.exe.config file locate in the root of the IdE to C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Visual Studio\15.##
• Try to open again
• Try to open in safe mode
• Try devenv.exe /resetSettings
• Try to repair Visual Studio Again

For me works :) !