Windows 10: Why can't I install Virtual Studio Packages on my computer?

My problems started when I attempted to download and install a Control Program for my Focusrite Clarett+ audio interface. I got an error message which stated that a Virtual C++ 2022 x64 14.36.32325 was unavailable. This was the start of a week-long problem-laden attempt to resolve this issue which has still not been solved. I have tried contacting Microsoft Support for Windows 11 issues but keep getting pushed around to numerous departments none of which I have been able to contact. A most recent response from a technical support representative recommended that I go through a process of downlo

:)

 

Installing Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 on Windows 10 PC kills some of the installed virtual printers

I recently installed an updated version of VMWare Player which also installed
Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 (both x86 and x64 flavors). After this install I noticed that some virtual printers on my Windows 10 Pro PC no longer worked.

By "virtual printers" I mean installed printers that print to files or print directly into other applications (see the list further below).

By "no longer worked" I mean:

• I can no longer print to these printers from any app
• Windows pops up an error "Operation could not be completed" if I try to access the Printing Preferences
• Windows pops up an error "Test page failed to print... The specified module could not be found" if I try to print a Test Page
• These not-working printers show up as "offline" if I try to select them from within Microsoft Office applications like Excel, Word, etc.
  

I figured out the problem is directly related to the install of Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 by this series of experiments:

1. I tried uninstalling/re-installing some of the virtual printers (such as Bullzip PDF Printer), but this did not fix the problem
   
2. I used System Restore to restore to a point just before the VMWare Player and
   Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 installations.
   • All of the virtual printers now worked again
3. I downloaded and installed Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 (both x86 and x64 flavors) directly from Microsoft's "The latest supported Visual C++ downloads" web page.
   • The virtual printers stopped working again
4. I uninstalled Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 (both x86 and x64 flavors) from Control Panel's Programs, then restarted the PC
   • After restart the virtual printers still didn't work
5. I used System Restore to restore to a point just before theMicrosoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019
   installations.
   • All of the virtual printers now worked again

Based on the above results it is clear to me that:

• VMWare Player software is not the problem
• The problem is related to Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 installation (and/or the later versions too)
• The problem must be occuring during the installation of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017, and 2019 because uninstalling it doesn't make the problem go away
  • In other words - something during the installation process is making a permanent change which kills these virtual pdf printers, a System Restore is the only way to recover functionality

It is interesting to note that only some of the virtual pdf printers on my PC are affected/killed by installation of
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019, there are other virtual pdf printers that continue to work OK.

Here is the list of virtual pdf printers which continue to work OK after installation of
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019:

• eDoc Printer PDF Pro
• Foxit Reader PDF Printer
• Microsoft Print to PDF

Here is the list of virtual printers which no longer work after installation of
Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019:

• Bullzip PDF Printer
• PaperPort Image Printer (from PaperPort v14)
  
• Send to One Note 2010
• Snagit 2019

Clearly these virutal printers must be using some particular service/feature of Windows 10 that is being affected by the MS Visual C++ Redistributable 2015 (and later) installation.

For the record I'll note that I have many earlier-year versions of MS Visual C++ Redistributable installed on my PC - these do not affect the virtual printers.

This is a very serious problem/bug for me. I use the virtual printers all the time but realize that as time goes by various software updates (like VMWare Player) will want to install MS Visual C++ Redistributable 2015 (and later) which will then kill some
of my virtual printers.

I look forward to hearing from anyone who can provide insight and hopefully a fix for this issue.

Thanks!

 

Visual Studio is installing unauthorized package which takes over my computer

My computers have been destroyed by the installation of packages used by Visual Studio and NuGet. I discovered Nuget when using windows powershell. First I ran find-rolecapability which returned restricted, then I ran get-executionpolicy, which returned
NuGet provider is required to continue. I found the NuGet website and it uses Visual Studio, I tried to download and install Visual Studio but am blocked by another installation.

I have lost admin rights and a current package in a file SxS is pending installation. I tried to stop it but can't. This was the only clean computer I had left.

Can you please help?

 

Package Installation Error

Hi pankaj bankar，

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

The error message you're seeing indicates that the NuGet package manager is unable to find the specified version of the 'EntityFramework' package in the location it's checking. This could be due to several reasons, such as:

1. NuGet Package Source: The package source specified might not contain the 'EntityFramework' package, or it might not be reachable. By default, NuGet looks in the NuGet official package source, but if the package source is overridden or specified to a local directory (as it seems in your case with 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Shared\Entity Framework Tools NuGet Packages'), then NuGet will only look there.
   
2. Network Issues: If the package source is an online repository, there could be network issues preventing access to the NuGet repository.
   
3. Version Availability: The version '6.2.0' of 'EntityFramework' might not be available in the specified source. It's also possible that the version is pre-release and you have not specified to include pre-releases.
   

Here are some steps you can take to resolve this issue:

• Check NuGet Package Sources: Ensure that the NuGet package source is set to the official NuGet gallery (https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json) or another package source that you know contains the 'EntityFramework' package.
  
  Disclaimer: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate and safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.
  
• Use the Package Manager Console: You can try installing the package directly using the Package Manager Console in Visual Studio with the following command:
  
  
• Check for Typographical Errors: Make sure there are no typographical errors in your package name or version number.
  
• Clear NuGet Cache: Sometimes the NuGet cache can get corrupted. You can clear the cache using the following command in the Package Manager Console:
  
  
• Check Connectivity: If the package source is online, ensure that your machine has proper internet connectivity and that there are no firewalls or proxies blocking access to the NuGet repository.
  
• Check NuGet Configuration: If you're using a nuget.config file, ensure that it's properly configured with the correct package sources.
  
• Update NuGet: Make sure that your NuGet client is up to date. You can update the NuGet client through the Extensions and Updates option in Visual Studio.
  

If none of these solutions work, it might be helpful to manually download the .nupkg file for EntityFramework 6.2.0 from the official NuGet website and then add it to your local package source, or use the Package Manager GUI in Visual Studio to browse and install the package.

Thank you for your patience and understanding! If you have any questions, feel free to leave us a message.

Sincerely

Manson | Microsoft Support Specialist