NullReference thrown at XAML designer right after project creation

Question

I got this exception thrown right after I tried to open XAML file in UWP project

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Platform.Metadata.MetadataStore.GetTypeConverter(Type type)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsUIXamlDesignTimeProperties.ResolveImplementation(IPlatformMetadata platformMetadata, DesignTimePropertyId neutralProperty, IType declaringType, PropertyChangedCallback callback)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsUIXamlDesignTimeProperties.RegisterProperty(IPropertyId neutralPropertyKey, IType declaringType, PropertyChangedCallback callback)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsUIXamlCommonDesignTimeProperties.Initialize(WindowsUIXamlDesignTimeProperties designTimeProperties)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsUIXamlDesignTimeProperties..ctor(IPlatformTypes platformMetadata)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.UniversalXamlDesigner.UniversalXamlPlatformMetadata.CreateDesignTimeProperties()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.Metadata.WindowsUIXamlPlatformMetadata.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsStoreXamlPlatform.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Platform.PlatformCreatorBase.CreatePlatform(IPlatformReferenceAssemblyResolver referenceAssemblyResolver)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetProjectContext(IHostProject project, IPlatform platform, Boolean create)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetSourceItemContext(IHostSourceItem sourceItem)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.DesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass12_0.<Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__0(CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass6_0`1.<MarshalInWithCancellation>b__0()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Server stack trace: 
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalInSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallModality callModality, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalIn(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, CallModality callModality, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalIn(IRemoteObject targetObject, Action action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, CallModality callModality, ApartmentState apartmentState, String memberName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.MarshalInWithCancellation[TResult](IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken, Func`2 func, ApartmentState apartmentState)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostProject remoteProject, 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.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostProject remoteProject, IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.CreateDesignerImpl(IRemoteDesignerService ds, IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, RemoteCancellationToken remoteCancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass14_0.<Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__0(IRemoteDesignerService ds, RemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass5_0`1.<MarshalOutWithCancellation>b__0(IRemoteDesignerService ds)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.<>c__DisplayClass27_0`1.<MarshalOut>b__0()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOutSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, WaitHandle timeoutSignal, CancellationToken cancelToken, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOut(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, WaitHandle timeoutSignal, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, ApartmentState apartmentState, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action`1 action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, ApartmentState apartmentState, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.MarshalOutWithCancellation[TResult](CancellationToken cancelToken, Func`3 func, ApartmentState apartmentState)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IsolatedDesignerService.IsolatedDesignerView.CreateDesignerViewInfo(CancellationToken cancelToken)

I haven't done a single thing, also this Visual Studio just got installed right after I upgraded to 10 from 8.1. Before this Visual Studio 2015, I once had VS2013, and I uninstalled it right after upgrading to change to VS2015

I found a post about it : https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/59ee2840-4329-413a-80ce-5c6a2f1390cc/rtm-known-issue-opening-a-xaml-page-from-ac-uwp-in-visual-studio-2015-may-cause-the-xaml?forum=Win10SDKToolsIssues

but this doesn't help

Is something happen with my XAML?

Answer 1

This worked for me on 2 different HP products (HP sets the "Platform" environment variable).

delete the "Platform" environment variable in System->Advanced System Settings->Environment Variables ...

In my case it said =HPD

Answer 2

To workaround this problem, please try these steps:

1.) Close the existing C++ UWP project in Visual Studio.

2.) Create a dummy C# UWP in Visual Studio (File -> New -> Project -> Installed -> Templates -> Visual C# -> Windows -> Universal -> Blank App)

3.) Open the MainPage.xaml file (double click it).

4.) Observe that the MainPage.xaml file opens fine.

5.) If the MainPage.xaml page opens fine, close the dummy project you just created and open the C++ project which you were encountering the problem with. The MainPage.xaml page should now render properly without the above exception.

Problem details:

The problem happens because when the XAML designer is loading, it is looking for contents in the "%userprofile%.nuget" folder. When you create a blank C++ UWP, the .nuget folder is not there by default. As soon as you create a blank C# UWP, the .nuget package cache gets created and then the XAML designer works fine even with the C++ project.