BUG: "Unable to debug application" error message when you remove Visual Studio .NET 2003 and then debug a COM+ application (823239)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2003), Professional Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2003), Enterprise Architect Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2003), Enterprise Developer Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2003), Academic Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2002), Enterprise Architect Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2002), Enterprise Developer Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2002), Professional Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2002), Academic Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you remove Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 on a computer where Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 is already installed, and then you try to debug a COM+ application from the Component Services console, you may receive the following error message:
Unable to debug application. Visual Studio .NET 2003 does not seem to be installed on this machine.

CAUSE

When you install Visual Studio .NET 2003, the default debugger path is set to Vs7jit.exe in Visual Studio .NET 2003. When you remove Visual Studio .NET 2003, this path becomes obsolete. When you try to debug the COM+ application, the process tries to start the debugger in the path that is no longer valid.

RESOLUTION

To resolve the problem, follow these steps to modify the path that is referred by the COM+ application to the existing debugger path:
  1. In the Component Services console, expand COM+ Application, and then locate your COM+ application.
  2. Right-click the COM+ application, and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Advanced tab, and then set the Debugger path to "%Folder Path%\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" /debugexe dllhost.exe /ProcessID:{2E28A8CA-9995-4C20-B70F-CAC81C285B82}

    Note:
    • %Folder Path% is a placeholder for the path of the Visual Studio .NET 2002 folder on your computer. The Visual Studio .NET 2002 folder is located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
    • {2E28A8CA-9995-4C20-B70F-CAC81C285B82} is a placeholder for the process ID of your COM+ application.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

  1. Install Visual Studio .NET 2002.
  2. Install Visual Studio .NET 2003.
  3. Remove Visual Studio .NET 2003.
  4. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Component Services. The Component Services window appears.
  5. In the left pane of the Component Services window, under Console Root, expand Component Services, expand Computers, expand My Computer, and then expand COM+ Applications.
  6. Locate the COM+ application that you created, right-click the application, and then click Properties.
  7. In the Properties window, click the Advanced tab.
  8. In the Debugging section, click to select the Launch in debugger check box, and then click OK.
  9. To debug the application, right-click the COM+ application, and then click Start. You may notice the error that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

REFERENCES

For more information, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web sites:

Serviced Component Overview
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/cpguide/html/cpconservicedcomponentoverview.asp
Serviced Component Example
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/cpguide/html/cpconservicedcomponentexample.asp

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:2/4/2006
Keywords:kbvs2005doesnotapply kbvs2005swept kbvs2002sp1sweep kbpending kbDebug kbJIT kbcomplusobj kbbug KB823239 kbAudDeveloper
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