Form Designer Error: None of the classes can be designed (Help!)

[Chris]

I just installed (fresh) Studio .Net 2003, followed by ActiveSync 3.7,
PPC2003 SDK, and the PPC2003 Emulator.

I want to create a simple form application (to use with replication later
on). Everytime I try to create a new SDE project (c#), the form designer
will not appear and I get this error message in its place:

"An error occurred while loading the document. Fix the error, and then try
loading the document again. The error message follows: The designer could
not be shown for this file because none of the classes within it can be
designed."

Creating applications of any other type works fine. This only occurs when
trying to create a PPC application.

I pushed my company to get me VS .Net 2003 so I can use the CF, but after
the hassles I've had trying to get this far, I'm starting to regret it. (is
it possible to miss eVB?).

Please Help!
Thanks,
Chris

 

[Chris]

One other thing to note, if I try to add a new item, I do not have the
ability to add a new form anywhere.

 

[Chris]

Small progress, but I still need your help here, Microsoft.

For some reason no references were available to the project, so I pointed it
to the correct folder containing the CE DLLs. Now it will allow me to add a
new form, HOWEVER, I still can't see anything in the Form Designer. In
addition to the error message I was getting before, I now get:

The base class "System.Windows.Forms.Form" could not be loaded. Ensure the
assembly has been referenced or built if it is part of the project.

Feedback from any type of sentient being is welcome. I'm reaching wit's
end.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Chris]

Ok.

Added manual reference to mscorlib and that got rid of the sytem.byte errors
(only AFTER copying and pasting existing code to a new project). I can add
new forms now that I manually added the references.

Also:
Once I added a new form, then removed it, the original form's icon finally
changed from a code-behind file to a form icon.
Had to change the protection level on the default form's constructor from
private to public.

Status:
Can rebuild the solution without any errors.
Still can't view the form in the Form Designer. (Still getting the "Ensure
the assembly has been referenced or built...")

Help appreciated.

 

[David So [MSFT]]

Where you able to creat Pocket PC Windows Application after you just
install Visual Studio 2003?

I believe install ActiveSync 3.7 after install Visual Studio 2003 might
cause problem in deployment but not on the designer.

Also installing the Pocket PC 2003 SDK would install the emulator, so there
is no need to install PPC2003 Emulator.

Could you try to uninstall ActiveSync 3.7, PPC2003 SDK, and the PPC2003
Emulator and see if you can create a Pocket PC Application using Visual
Studio 2003? I'll test your configuration to see if I can repro the
problem. If you couldn't get the designer working after uninstall
ActiveSync 3.7, PPC2003 SDK, and the PPC2003 Emulator, try do a repair on
your Visual Studio 2003 and it should bring it back to a working state.

Let me know what the outcome is and I'll try to find out what is causing
the problem with your configuration.

Thanks,

David


This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--------------------
| From: "Chris" <[email protected]>
| References: <[email protected]>
| Subject: Re: Form Designer Error: None of the classes can be designed
(Help!)
| Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 12:43:45 -0500
| Lines: 44
| X-Priority: 3
| X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
| X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158
| X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165
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| Xref: cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework:37954
| X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework
|
| Ok.
|
| Added manual reference to mscorlib and that got rid of the sytem.byte
errors
| (only AFTER copying and pasting existing code to a new project). I can
add
| new forms now that I manually added the references.
|
| Also:
| Once I added a new form, then removed it, the original form's icon finally
| changed from a code-behind file to a form icon.
| Had to change the protection level on the default form's constructor from
| private to public.
|
| Status:
| Can rebuild the solution without any errors.
| Still can't view the form in the Form Designer. (Still getting the "Ensure
| the assembly has been referenced or built...")
|
| Help appreciated.
|
| > I want to create a simple form application (to use with replication
later
| > on). Everytime I try to create a new SDE project (c#), the form
designer
| > will not appear and I get this error message in its place:
| >
| > "An error occurred while loading the document. Fix the error, and then
| try
| > loading the document again. The error message follows: The designer
could
| > not be shown for this file because none of the classes within it can be
| > designed."
| >
| > Creating applications of any other type works fine. This only occurs
when
| > trying to create a PPC application.
| >
| > I pushed my company to get me VS .Net 2003 so I can use the CF, but
after
| > the hassles I've had trying to get this far, I'm starting to regret it.
| (is
| > it possible to miss eVB?).
| >
| > Please Help!
| > Thanks,
| > Chris
| >
| >
|
|
|

 

[Chris]

Thanks for replying, David.

Where you able to creat Pocket PC Windows Application after you just
install Visual Studio 2003?

I did not attempt to create a Pocket PC application until I installed
ActiveSync, PPC2003SDK, and PPC2003 emulator (PPC2003 is our target
platform).

I believe install ActiveSync 3.7 after install Visual Studio 2003 might
cause problem in deployment but not on the designer.

Also installing the Pocket PC 2003 SDK would install the emulator, so there
is no need to install PPC2003 Emulator.

Could you try to uninstall ActiveSync 3.7, PPC2003 SDK, and the PPC2003
Emulator and see if you can create a Pocket PC Application using Visual
Studio 2003? I'll test your configuration to see if I can repro the
problem. If you couldn't get the designer working after uninstall
ActiveSync 3.7, PPC2003 SDK, and the PPC2003 Emulator, try do a repair on
your Visual Studio 2003 and it should bring it back to a working state.

Ok, I uninstalled ActiveSync, PPC2003SDK, the PPC2003 Emulator and rebooted.

Started a new SDE project and the designer still showed the same error
mentioned initially.

Form1.cs appeared (as it has been) as a code-behind file until I changed the
protection level on InitializeComponent() to public (the icon then changed
to that of a Form). I closed the form designer, rebuilt the solution (no
errors), and then reopened the Form Desiger with the same results, an error
stating:

Form1 --- The base class 'System.Windows.Forms.Form' could not be loaded.
Ensure the assembly has been referenced or built if it is part of the
project.

Notes: I manually added references to mscorlib, System, System.Data,
System.Drawing, System.Windows.Forms (they are never properly referenced
upon starting a new SDE prj, evident by the lack of intellisense).

Next: I did a repair on the Studio .Net 2003 installation

Upon completion, I rebooted and attempted to create a new SDE Pocket PC
windows form application. I get the exact same results. The designer still
displays the identical error. I feel like its missing a reference
somewhere.

I am at a loss of what to do. I've reinstalled, repaired.. basically done
everything by the book to get Studio running properly in order to develop CF
applications (it works fine with desktop .Net applications). I invested
some serious money in to my MSDN subscription due to an upcoming deadline,
and now I'm wondering if I will be able to use it at all.

Feedback appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Chris]

Something I forgot to mention: I used to have .Net Studio 2002, however I
completely uninstalled this prior to installing 2003. (I'm not sure if that
would matter b/c I never deveveloped any mobile applications in 2002).

 

[David So [MSFT]]

Chris,

Is there some way I can remote access to your machine to investigate? I can
work with you on this offline.

Thanks,

David
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[David So [MSFT]]

After investigation, it turns out to be and issue with files and registry
entry left from the uninstallation of Visual Studio 2002, thanks for Chris
work this out.

David
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
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| References: <[email protected]>
<#cy0#[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<#[email protected]>
<#[email protected]>
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| Content-Type: text/plain
| Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
| From: (e-mail address removed) (David So [MSFT])
| Organization: Microsoft
| Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2003 23:00:22 GMT
| Subject: Re: Form Designer Error: None of the classes can be designed
(Help!)
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|
| Chris,
|
| Is there some way I can remote access to your machine to investigate? I
can
| work with you on this offline.
|
| Thanks,
|
| David
| This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
|
|
|

 

[Guest]

Can you please let me know what files and registry settings need to be cleaned up. I have the exact same problem. I have tried all the repairs and reinstalls like Chris. Nothing.

 

[Guest]

Additional note - I also had VS2002 installed prior to VS2003. I removed it prior to installing VS2003 just like Chris.

 

[Chris]

Joe,

I've been meaning to put together some sort of documentation on what I had
to do, but I haven't had the time. Here's the jist of it.

1.Uninstall Studio 2003 following these directions:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824642
(you should have msizap.exe somewhere on your machine, do a search for it)
2. Uninstall Studio 2002 following these directions:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320114
*reboot*
3. Uninstall any .Net frameworks if you have them installed, following these
directions: http://tinyurl.com/up2r
*reboot*
4. Delete everything under C:\Documents and
Settings\yourusername\Application Data\Microsoft\VisualStudio
5. Delete everything under C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Microsoft\VisualStudio
6. Go to Start -> cmd -> type %temp% -> delete everything in the folder
*reboot*

Now reinstall Visual Studio .Net 2003. I'm hoping I didn't leave anything
out, as it took me multiple times before this worked. But in the end, I'm
up and running properly and I didn't have to reformat my hard drive.

Best of luck,
Chris

Additional note - I also had VS2002 installed prior to VS2003. I removed

it prior to installing VS2003 just like Chris.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the details

Unfortunately, I just spent about 3 hours doing and redoing these steps with no success. If you think of anything else that needs to be done, please let me know.