Visual Studio crashing silently when trying to view ASPX

[Thorin]

Right, so some of us here use Visual Studio to work on .NET code.  It's quite common to be working on ASPX files.  So when I went to open an ASPX file today, to view the markup in it, Visual Studio disappeared.  No crash report, no error message, just >blink< gone.

I traced this back to the hotfix for kb958484, by uninstalling hotfixes one at a time until the problem went away.  Once I could view ASPX files again, I went to Microsoft Update and installed all critical updates.

Although I uninstalled kb958484, it is still listed in my Add/Remove Programs applet.  I assume it came back with the .NET 3.5 SP1 Family Update.

Searching for my problem, I didn't find any truly useful bits of information, which is why I went to the hit-it-with-a-hammer method of uninstalling hotfixes until Visual Studio could successfully open ASPX files.  kb958484 does indicate that it has to do with a change to how the ASLR works:

In the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, because of the changes that are made in checking a NULL value to support address space layout randomization (ASLR), a failure case causes an access violation in the runtime. This access violation manifests as an ExecutionEngineException exception. Additionally, the process is terminated.

This matches exactly, as my Event Viewer showed an ExecutionEngineException was recorded, and the Visual Studio process was indeed terminated (causing it to disappear).

Kinda sucks that the solution is uninstall-try-uninstall-try-uninstall-try-success-reinstall.

Anyway, hopefully none of y'all get this problem popping up with your Visual Studio.

[Mr. Analog]

I had to install a hotfix recently to force it to stop checksumming EVERY FILE IN THE SOLUTION when using the context menu.

On a small size project this is no problem but the solution I'm working with has OVER 100 PROJECTS this wasn't my idea it's just something I have to live with but there are literally hundreds of thousands of files to check every time you right click.

I swear, Visual Studio is designed to make your eyes bleed. For all its warts I miss Eclipse (oh wait, it has no warts in comparison).

[Thorin]

Wait...  ONE HUNDRED PROJECTS?!  Wow, that must be fun to work with.  I assume you have custom solutions each with a subset of the projects required for the application area that the custom solution covers?  Otherwise, INSANITY WILL ENSUE.

[Mr. Analog]

Wait...  ONE HUNDRED PROJECTS?!  Wow, that must be fun to work with.  I assume you have custom solutions each with a subset of the projects required for the application area that the custom solution covers?  Otherwise, INSANITY WILL ENSUE.

The powers that be do not want to split it up into smaller solutions. :shrug:

I have to adjust my estimates when I change some core classes because of the resulting rebuilding of nearly 30-40 assemblies

[Thorin]

INSANITY WILL ENSUE.

The powers that be do not want to split it up into smaller solutions

Sir, I think I've found the cause of your insanity.

[Mr. Analog]

INSANITY WILL ENSUE.

The powers that be do not want to split it up into smaller solutions

Sir, I think I've found the cause of your insanity.

LOL, I knew it! It's all an experiment to drive me nuts!