ServiceHub.IdentityHost.exe has stopped working error when trying to open Visual Studio 2019

Question

I have a server, Server 2019, with Visual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio 2022 installed. They both use to work and today we were notified about an issue; ServiceHub.IdentityHost.exe has stopped working. After a reboot VS2022 seems to be ok, but VS2019 is still getting that error when we try and open VS2019.

I can start Visual Studio 2022, with no issues.

Visual Studio 2019 errors with: ServiceHub.IdentitiyHost.exe has stopped working.

• When I click on Close the Program, it just keeps coming back.

Steps I have taken:

• I have restarted the Server.
• I have performed a Repair on both VS2019 and VS 2022.
• I have tried to run VS 2019 from Command prompt with /safemode

No change after trying the above.

*I did look at updates and the VS2019 had updated applied on 6/12/2024 > Visual Studio 2019 version 16.11.37 security update

Any idea on what I can try to get VS2019 working again?

Answer 1

Hello @Greg Carson,

Please try following:

1. Close VS 2019, rename C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\.IdentityService folder(for example .IdentityService_backup), launch VS again.
2. Rename following folder => %localappdata%\Microsoft\VSCommon\OnlineLicensing\VisualStudio\16.0 and launch VS again.
3. The ServiceHub.IdentityHost.exe file should be stored in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\<edition>\Common7\ServiceHub\Hosts\ServiceHub.Host.netfx.x86 folder. If it’s possible, try to download VS 2019 on another machine, find the corresponding file and replace the one on the server with the new one. Also, replace the ServiceHub.IdentityHost.exe.config file, see if this works(in case the two files were corrupted, this is helpful).
4. As for your description, it seems that VS 2019 got this error suddenly. Can you confirm that there’s nothing changed(you didn’t modify any settings and files) in your server and for VS 2019, VS 2022?

Feel free to let us know the results.

Best Regards,

Tianyu

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