SSMS 18 will not start. What does this error mean (and how can I fix it)?

Question

SSMS 18 will not start. What does this error mean (and how can I fix it)?

Keith McIntyre 1

I just installed SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition and SSMS 18.

When I start SSMS 18, the splash screen displays for a moment then goes away. TaskManager does not show the app running.

The log file shows the following error. <entry> <record>44</record> <time>2021/04/14 03:06:10.659</time> <type>Warning</type> <source>VisualStudio</source> <description>Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{39C9C826-8EF8-4079-8C95-428F5B1C323F} LANG:0409 ID:2143
</description> </entry> </activity>

Searching the web, it appears the package is related to Visual Studio 2010?

I have no idea how to fix this.

I assume I need a replacement file. Any ideas which file? Any ideas where I get get the version that works with SQL2019 and SSMS 18?

Thanks for helping an old blind guy out...

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3 answers

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Answer 1

CathyJi-MSFT 22,431 Microsoft External Staff

Hi @Keith McIntyre ,

> When I start SSMS 18, the splash screen displays for a moment then goes away.

Please copy the file: Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.8.0.dll
from the directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 18\Common7\IDE\PrivateAssemblies\Interop
into the directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 18\Common7\IDE\PublicAssemblies
,then SSMS should start behaving.

If it is still not work, please try below steps;

Close all instances of SSMS
Edit ssms.exe.config
Remove the line that has the following text (should be line 38): NgenBind_OptimizeNonGac enabled=“1”

Or the another method;
Simply remove the file C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 18\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Platform\Microsoft.VisualStudio.MinShell.Interop.pkgdef

Quote from the thread SQL Server Management Studio 18 won't open (only splash screen pops up) and MS feed back SSMS2018 - Installed, but will not run.

If the response is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it, thank you.

Keith McIntyre 1 Reputation point

2021-04-15T23:56:43.01+00:00

I really appreaciate all the suggestions and ideas.

So far things are not getting better. (I now have half a dozen "fails" in my ssmslog.txt file.)

I am looking at creating a virtual machine (Hyper-V) so I can install SQL Server Developer and SSMS 18 in a sand box. Perhaps I will have more luck.

I started out as a software engineer back when CPM was popular. Way before MS-DOS and the IBM PC was around. I then spent at least 20 years developing DOS, Windows, UNIX, Apple, and embedded control (assembler and machine code) apps.

Windows has always been shaky due to reliance on shared libraries.

When my vision started failing me I retired.

It is amazing to see how little things have changed in the past 15 years...

Answer 2

Keith McIntyre 1

I ...JUST... downloaded both SQL Server Developer 2019 and SSMS 18.8 from the Microsoft website yesterday. I installed without error. SSMS fails to get past the splash screen..

I checked the SSMS page mentioned above. There is no link that I could find for installing Visual Studio.

I do not believe I installed VS on this computeer since I last whacked it. So whatever VS redistributable bits are on my SSD came from some other installation program.

I will try installing the latest Visual Studio Express and see if that helps.

To me, this seems to be a Microsoft installer issue...

Thanks

Keith McIntyre 1 Reputation point

2021-04-14T17:24:39.047+00:00

I installed Visual Studio 2019 Professional with a bunch of different development packages.

SSMS gives the same error on start up.

Any other ideas?

Does Microsoft monitor this site?

Thanks!
Erland Sommarskog 136.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2021-04-14T21:53:59.6+00:00

To me, this seems to be a Microsoft installer issue...

There are lots of people installing and running SSMS every day, so there is certainly something in your environment that is causing problems.

Maybe SSMS should be able to handle this, but you need to cut Microsoft some slack - they can't foresee all weirdness that is out there.

I installed Visual Studio 2019 Professional with a bunch of different development packages.

SSMS 18 is based on the VS2017 shell, so maybe VS 2017 would have been better.

Does Microsoft monitor this site?

There are people with -msft answering questions, but they not working in the product group. They may find some resource that explains the error, but these type of problems often go unresolved.

To get it resolved, you would need to support case, but that could cost you and arm and a leg, if it is not determined to be a bug in the product.

Answer 3

Olaf Helper 47,621

SSMS is a plugin for Visual Studio, that's why VS is reported in error message.

You could repair VS or install/update latest version from Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

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