How can I resurrect my Windows Store app after several packages fail to load?

Question

The last time I had my Windows Store app open (last night), I had a XAML error in it. I (tried to) open it tonight to try to fix it, but got all kinds of errors about things not being able to be loaded. Here are the important excerpts from the ActivityLog.xml file:

460 2014/12/25 01:39:17.198 Error VisualStudio SetSite failed for package [LocalHistoryPackage] {3A6E8827-8C64-42EC-B83A-9CA32DA7BBF5}

---

80131500 No exports were found that match the constraint: ContractName Microsoft.VisualStudio.Text.ITextDocumentFactoryService RequiredTypeIdentity Microsoft.VisualStudio.Text.ITextDocumentFactoryService

. . .

935 2014/12/25 01:43:39.091 Error VisualStudio SetSite failed for package [LocalHistoryPackage] {3A6E8827-8C64-42EC-B83A-9CA32DA7BBF5}

---

80131500 No exports were found that match the constraint: ContractName
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Text.ITextDocumentFactoryService RequiredTypeIdentity
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Text.ITextDocumentFactoryService

. . .

937 2014/12/25 01:43:39.092 Warning VisualStudio Package failed to load; error message suppressed by skip flag {3A6E8827-8C64-42EC-B83A-9CA32DA7BBF5}

. . .

966 2014/12/25 01:43:52.147 Error VisualStudio SetSite failed for package [Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editor.Implementation.EditorPackage] {E269B994-EF71-4CE0-8BCD-581C217372E8}

---

80131500 No exports were found that match the constraint: ContractName
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Utilities.IContentTypeRegistryService RequiredTypeIdentity
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Utilities.IContentTypeRegistryService

I shut VS down, reopened it and the project and, although I didn't see all those err msgs, and the project was ostensibly open, there was nothing in the Solution Explorer (no files displayed). I tried opening MainPage via File > Open, but that just resulted in another err msg.

The only other thing that changed the last time I had the project open was that I updated SQLite from version 3.8.7.1 to 3.8.7.2

What could be the solution (no pun intended)?

UPDATE

On trying to shut down Visual Studio, I got over and over again: "No exports were found that match the constraint...(bla bla bla)" until I had to stop it via Ctrl+Alt+Del

UPDATE 2

Here's what's even more bizarre: I can open the project and, although Solution Explorer is completely empty/no files

visible, if I build the project via Ctrl+Shift+B, it does give me the errors in the Error List (XAML errors in MainPage.xaml).

2-clicking them brings up nothing in the editor, though.

If I try to open MainPage.xaml, I get this:

But, although I just saved this file (the screen shot above), the date on it is 10/19/2014 - more than two months in the past. What the...?!?

What must I do to get this back to normal?

UPDATE 3

I do see this with the Team Explorer tab open (this app is not under version control):

Page '3185ed96-1cbd-4381-a439-636973542e50' not found.

I fixed the XAML issue by opening MainPage.xaml in Notepad ++ and changing the XAML around. I was then able to successfully build the app in Visual Studio, but trying to run the app caused VS to crash and then start up again (still with no files in Solution Explorer).

UPDATE 4

Now I get, "Package Designer Package failed to load" when I try to open MainPage.xaml via File > Open in VS 2013...

UPDATE 5

Now I can run the app (sort of); F5 causes the splash screen to display, and then it just goes gray-black. When I Alt+F4 to shut that down, VS starts back up again (apparently after shutting down - I intended to only shut down my running app, not Visual Studio.

AutoHistory tells me:

An exception was encountered while constructing the content of this frame.  This information is also logged in "C:\Users\Clay\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\VisualStudio\12.0\ActivityLog.xml".

Exception details:
System.Exception: Exception of type 'System.Exception' was thrown.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsShell5.LoadPackageWithContext(Guid& packageGuid, Int32 reason, Guid& 
context)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.WindowFrame.GetPackage()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.WindowFrame.ConstructContent()

Anyway, I then notice that I do have a (literal) red flag, and mashing it shows me an "Renew your developer license" message.

I was able to update my dev license, but my solution is still wacky in the same ways as before.

UPDATE 6

Answering Walt Ritscher, I get this in AutoHistory on starting VS (no solution opened):

An exception was encountered while constructing the content of this frame. This information is also logged in "C:\Users\Clay\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\VisualStudio\12.0\ActivityLog.xml".

Exception details:
System.Exception: Exception of type 'System.Exception' was thrown.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsShell5.LoadPackageWithContext(Guid& packageGuid, Int32 reason, Guid& context)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.WindowFrame.GetPackage()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Platform.WindowManagement.WindowFrame.ConstructContent()

Then, when opening another project that was working fine the last time I had it open, it, too, shows no files in the Solution Explorer. If I try to run it, I get that same "No exports were found" err msg.

So VS itself is hosed, it seems. What need I do? Uninstall/reinstall?

Answer 1

It seems likely that your VS install is hosed. You can try a repair first, before doing a reinstall.