VS2012 Windows 8 App Designer Security Exception

Question

I have a major problem when trying to design Windows 8 apps. I am using Visual Studio 2012 Express, Windows 8 version. When I try to load a XAML file (including newly generated ones in newly generated projects, the designer window where the app GUI would appears gives the following error:

System.Security.SecurityException
Requested registry access is not allowed.
   at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowSecurityException(ExceptionResource resource)
   at Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey.OpenSubKey(String name, Boolean writable)
   at MS.Internal.TextServicesLoader.TIPsWantToRun()
   at MS.Internal.TextServicesLoader.get_ServicesInstalled()
   at System.Windows.Documents.TextEditor..ctor(ITextContainer textContainer, FrameworkElement uiScope, Boolean isUndoEnabled)
   at System.Windows.Controls.Primitives.TextBoxBase.InitializeTextContainer(TextContainer textContainer)
   at System.Windows.Controls.TextBox..ctor()
   at Microsoft.Expression.Utility.ValueEditors.StringEditor..ctor()

System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
   at System.RuntimeTypeHandle.CreateInstance(RuntimeType type, Boolean publicOnly, Boolean noCheck, Boolean& canBeCached, RuntimeMethodHandleInternal& ctor, Boolean& bNeedSecurityCheck)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceSlow(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceDefaultCtor(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceImpl(BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object[] args, CultureInfo culture, Object[] activationAttributes, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, BindingFlags bindingAttr, Binder binder, Object[] args, CultureInfo culture, Object[] activationAttributes)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Object[] args)
   at System.Xaml.Schema.SafeReflectionInvoker.CreateInstanceCritical(Type type, Object[] arguments)
   at System.Xaml.Schema.SafeReflectionInvoker.CreateInstance(Type type, Object[] arguments)
   at System.Xaml.Schema.XamlTypeInvoker.CreateInstance(Object[] arguments)
   at MS.Internal.Xaml.Runtime.ClrObjectRuntime.CreateInstanceWithCtor(XamlType xamlType, Object[] args)
   at MS.Internal.Xaml.Runtime.ClrObjectRuntime.CreateInstance(XamlType xamlType, Object[] args)
   at MS.Internal.Xaml.Runtime.PartialTrustTolerantRuntime.CreateInstance(XamlType xamlType, Object[] args)
   at System.Xaml.XamlObjectWriter.Logic_CreateAndAssignToParentStart(ObjectWriterContext ctx)
   at System.Xaml.XamlObjectWriter.WriteStartMember(XamlMember property)
   at System.Xaml.XamlWriter.WriteNode(XamlReader reader)
   at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.TransformNodes(XamlReader xamlReader, XamlObjectWriter xamlWriter, Boolean onlyLoadOneNode, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Boolean shouldPassLineNumberInfo, IXamlLineInfo xamlLineInfo, IXamlLineInfoConsumer xamlLineInfoConsumer, XamlContextStack`1 stack, IStyleConnector styleConnector)
   at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.Load(XamlReader xamlReader, IXamlObjectWriterFactory writerFactory, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Object rootObject, XamlObjectWriterSettings settings, Uri baseUri)
   at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.LoadBaml(XamlReader xamlReader, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Object rootObject, XamlAccessLevel accessLevel, Uri baseUri)
   at System.Windows.Markup.XamlReader.LoadBaml(Stream stream, ParserContext parserContext, Object parent, Boolean closeStream)
   at System.Windows.Application.LoadComponent(Object component, Uri resourceLocator)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.UserInterface.PropertyInspector.SceneNodePropertyInspectorPane.InitializeComponent()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.UserInterface.PropertyInspector.SceneNodePropertyInspectorPane..ctor(DesignerContext designerContext)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.UserInterface.WindowContext.<.ctor>b__1()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.UserInterface.WindowContext.GetToolWindow(String identifier)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.DesignerContext.InitializeXamlProperties()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.Project.XamlProjectContext.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetProjectContext(IHostProject project, IPlatform platform, Boolean create)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetSourceItemContext(IHostSourceItem sourceItem)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignSurface.DesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass10.<>c__DisplayClass12.<Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__f(CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.CallWithCancellation[TResult](IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken, Func`2 func)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass10.<Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__e()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.<>c__DisplayClass16`1.<MarshalIn>b__15()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.

Server stack trace: 
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalIn(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalIn(IRemoteObject targetObject, Action action)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalIn[TResult](IRemoteObject targetObject, Func`1 func)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Object[]& outArgs)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]: 
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass8.<CreateDesignerImpl>b__6(IRemoteDesignerService d)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.<>c__DisplayClass4`2.<MarshalOut>b__3()
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOutSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOut(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action action, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TResult,TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Func`2 func, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.CreateDesignerImpl(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, RemoteCancellationToken remoteCancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass12.<Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__11(RemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.CallWithCancellation[TResult](CancellationToken cancelToken, Func`2 func)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.IsolatedDesignerService.IsolatedDesignerView.CreateDesignerViewInfo(CancellationToken cancelToken)

I have tried uninstalling and re-installing, as well as running a command prompt command that apparently deletes some designer files and requires me to then run a repair on the program. Neither have worked. I have filed a bug with Microsoft, but I don't see them addressing this since they asked me for a dump from a process that didn't exist. Anyone able to solve this? Really putting a knife in the heart of my app development.

Answer 1

Microsoft provided me with the solution so I'm posting it here! Turns out there is a group that needed permissions to run the editor but didn't have it. Thank you for the help MS! Also thank you for the suggestions Luke.

Posted by Microsoft on 6/15/2013 at 7:12 PM Can you run the following steps on this machine and let us know if both registry keys have the "ALL APPLICATIONS PACKAGES" setting?

1. Open 'regedit' via command prompt or start menu
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\CTF, right-click, Permissions...
3. Check if "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" shows under "Group or user names". If not, try and add it.
4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\CTF, right-click, Permissions...
5. Check if "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" shows under "Group or user names". If not, try and add it.