Visual Studio

Resolving the Clingy DevExpress Tools Add-in Issue in Visual Studio

If you’ve ever faced the issue of an add-in in Visual Studio not wanting to leave, you’re not alone. Many developers have experienced the frustration of an add-in, such as DevExpress Tools, failing to load, and prompting them with the question of whether they’d like to remove it. This problem can lead to repeated error messages every time you launch Visual Studio, disrupting your workflow. Let’s dive into the issue and explore how to effectively resolve it.

Understanding the Problem

You may encounter the following scenario:

  • After uninstalling an add-in like Refactor Pro, you find that your Visual Studio instance starts throwing an error related to DevExpress Tools.
  • The error message typically reads: “The Add-in ‘DevExpress Tools’ failed to load or caused an exception. Would you like to remove this Add-in?”

When you choose to remove it, you might get another message stating: “Could Not rename Add-in file” along with a path where it supposedly exists. This can be particularly perplexing if you’re unable to locate the specified files in the directory mentioned.

Breaking Down the Solution

Step 1: Investigate the Registry

The issue may stem from problems within the Windows registry. Here’s how you can approach this:

  • Access the Registry Editor: Type regedit in the Windows search bar and press Enter.
  • Navigate to the appropriate keys: Look for any keys related to DevExpress along the lines of:
    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\*Version*\Addins
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\*Version*\Addins
  • Remove Unnecessary Keys: If you locate entries associated with DevExpress Tools, you can delete them to clear out the corruption.

Note: Be cautious while editing the registry. It’s a good practice to back it up before making any changes.

Step 2: Use a Cleanup Tool

If manually editing the registry feels daunting, check if there’s a cleanup tool available for your version of Visual Studio. In this specific case, earlier users had success with a cleanup tool provided by DevExpress for the VS.NET 2005 version. Here’s what you can do:

  • Search for a DevExpress Cleanup Tool: Look for a version that is compatible with Visual Studio 2008 or whichever version you’re using.
  • Run the Cleanup Tool: If you find one, execute it to help clear out any lingering files and references associated with the add-in.

Step 3: Manually Remove the Add-in File (if needed)

If the error persists, you might want to verify whether the file mentioned in the error still exists on your system:

  • Search for the File: Check if DevExpressToolsOrcas.Addin can be located through a system-wide search.
  • Delete the File Manually: If you find the file, delete it to prevent Visual Studio from referencing it upon startup.

Conclusion

Dealing with a stubborn add-in like DevExpress Tools can be irritating, but with a little patience and the right approach, you can banish it from your Visual Studio environment. Whether through registry editing, utilizing a cleanup tool, or removing leftover files, you can restore peace to your development process.

If you’re still experiencing issues, consider reaching out to DevExpress support for further assistance. Happy coding!