FIX: Controls disappear from the Windows Forms Designer in Visual Studio .NET 2003 (842706)


The information in this article applies to:

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

SYMPTOMS

When you are developing a Microsoft Windows Forms application in Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, instances of custom user controls or of derived Windows Forms controls may disappear from the Windows Forms Designer. When this problem occurs, you receive the following error messages in the task list:
Could not find type 'Namespace.TypeName'. Please make sure that the assembly that contains this type is referenced. If this type is a part of your development project, make sure that the project has been successfully built.
The variable 'ControlName' is either undeclared or was never assigned.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if the user control project or the derived Windows Forms control project is in the same solution as the Windows Forms project, and you build the solution by using both a Debug configuration and a Release configuration. Under these conditions, when you open the Windows Forms Designer, the Windows Forms Designer may not correctly resolve the type for the control and may remove it from the Windows Form designer UI.

RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that this article describes. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
   Date         Time   Version        Size       File name                   
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   9-June-2004  05:07  1.1.4322.1050  1,200,128  Microsoft.VisualStudio.dll

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:4/7/2006
Keywords:kbQFE KBHotfixServer kbfix kbbug KB842706 kbAudDeveloper
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