Visual Studio for Windows Authentication service is unavailable

Question

Up until a month ago, I was able to build my iOS mobile app, and create an ipa file for distribution to my iPhone. However, since then, my role appears to have changed in the Tools > Xamarin > Apple Accounts from agent to XCODE_FREE_USER. This is the only thing that I spotted that had changed. Apart from the fact that it had been exactly one year since I joined the Apple Developer program.

Currently any attempt to change to either Automatic or Manual Provisioning in the iOS Bundle Signing, or to re-download the current profile for my development and distribution certificates in the Tools > Xamarin > Apple Accounts ends with “Authentication service is unavailable”.

Over the last month, I’ve literally tried everything short of a complete Visual Studio uninstall and reinstall. So far I have tried the following:

• deleted the local XMA folder and restarted vs
• upgraded vs 2019 to the latest version 16.9.3
• upgraded my Mac OS to Catalina 10.15.4
• deleted my dev and dist certificates and profile in my Apple Dev portal and re-added them
• removed and re-added many times my Apple ID in Tools > Xamarin > Apple Accounts and even reset my password
• manually deleted the certificates and profiles from local iOS cache before attempted reload

I am at my wits end. Can someone please help? Surely there should be a simple fail proof procedure to reset and synchronise the security settings on both my Mac and Visual Studio for windows. Cheers.

Answer 1

Thank you for your reply. I have previously seen the stackoverflow article and tried some of these suggestions, but I’ll retry them all and see how I go. Only one question about the Xcode steps in the other link. Is this referring to Xcode on my Mac or my PC? Or both? As mentioned, I have Visual Studio for Windows on my PC and a Mac networked in for build purposes. Cheers.

Answer 2

Hi. Well I surprised myself. I actually got it working again. See steps below!! But I think it was more by luck than through knowledge. The key was waiting for an hour between steps 7 and 8 below, and certainly doing a full rebuild and simulation run before attempting to build the new ipa file. Bizarrely, it would not build an ipa until I did these two processes. Sigh!! Now waiting on a proper Visual Studio bug fix. Cheers, and thanks for your help.

1. Remove App provisioning
   • Open Visual Studio project on PC
   • Using "Tools > Options > Xamarin > Apple Accounts" remove the Apple ID entry
   • Close Visual Studio
2. Clean out all certificates and profiles on the Apple Dev Portal
   • revoke any development and Distribution certificates
   • remove any relates profiles (devices and identifiers can be retained)
3. Clean out all certificates stored in the Mac KeyChain Access
   • delete both development and distribution certificates
   • ensure latest Apple Worldwide Developer Relatioons Certification Authority is installed
     (latest can be found in the https://developer.apple.com/support/expiration/)
4. Using Finder and Xcode, ensure all certificates and profiles are removed
   • Restart Mac if powered up while the above is being performed
   • Use Finder "Go > Go to Folder" to open ~/Library
   • open MobileDevice\Provisioning Profiles and delete all files in this location
   • use Xcode "Xcode > Preferences"
   • open the Accounts tab (and signin if required)
   • click on Manage Certificates and ensure none are present
5. Create 2 new Certificate Signing Requests in the Mac KeyChain Access
   • goto "Keychain Access > Certificate Assistant > Request a Certificate From a Certificate Authority"
   • enter Email Address and Common Name (leave CA Email blank) and choose Saved to disk then click Continue
   • Change the request name in Save As to AppleDevelopment.certSigningRequest
   • Repeat to create the AppleDistribution.certSigningRequest
6. Recreate and load the Development and Distribution certificates and profiles on the Apple Dev Portal
   • the developement certificate must use the AppleDevelopment.certSigningRequest created above
   • the distribution certificate must use the AppleDistribution.certSigningRequestcreated above
   • the profile must activiate all devices, use the appropriate identifier and link to the new distribution certificate
   • ???? download the created certificates to the Mac, open with Keychain Access (this will install them) and check they are valid
   • restart the Mac
7. Reset App provisioning
   • Ensure Visual Studio on PC is closed
   • delete the folder %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\Xamarin\XMA
   • delete the certificates in ..\Users\<USER ACCOUNT>\AppData\Local\Xamarin\iOS\Provisioning\Certificates
   • delete the profiles in ..\Users\<USER ACCOUNT>\AppData\Local\Xamarin\iOS\Provisioning\Profiles
   • delete the accounts.pass and Provisioning Profiles.index files in ..\Users\<USER ACCOUNT>\AppData\Local\Xamarin\iOS\Provisioning
   • Open Visual Studio project on PC
   • After initialization and Mac pairing completed, Set (or reset) Bundle Signing in the iOS proect settings to Automatic
     (note: you will need to add the Apple ID account first)
   • Close Visual Studio and Restart PC
   • Re-open Visual Studio project on PC
   • After initialization and Mac pairing completed, Clean the Solution

WAIT FOR AN HOUR FOR APPLE DEV PORTAL CHANGES TO BECOME AVAILABLE

8. Reset App provisioning again
   • Open Visual Studio project on PC
   • After initialization and Mac pairing completed, Set (or reset) Bundle Signing in the iOS proect settings to Automatic
     (THIS SHOULD NOW BRING IN THE CERTIFICATES AND PROFILE)
   • rebuild the full solution
   • run the App using a simulator
   • then change to the build device and build the ipa file