Exception of type 'System.TypeInitializationException' in 'Microsoft.Build.Shared.XMakeElements' when loading a solution file.

[ElektroStudios]

Solution file content:

<Solution>
  <Configurations>
    <Platform Name="Any CPU" />
    <Platform Name="x64" />
    <Platform Name="x86" />
  </Configurations>
  <Project Path="SetDesktopWallpaper/SetDesktopWallpaper.vbproj" Id="19fc5409-cfdc-4e79-b3ad-34be4c8eefdd">
    <Platform Solution="*|x64" Project="x64" />
    <Platform Solution="*|x86" Project="x86" />
  </Project>
</Solution>

Full error log:

2026-06-06 16:25:20.676 [info] VB.NET Language Support activating...
2026-06-06 16:25:20.676 [info] Platform: win32 (x86_64)
2026-06-06 16:25:20.676 [info] Starting vbnet language server at: c:\Users\Administrador\.vscode\extensions\dnakode.vbnet-language-support-0.1.9-win32-x64\.server\VbNet.LanguageServer.exe
2026-06-06 16:25:20.676 [info] Locating .NET runtime version 10.0...
2026-06-06 16:25:20.741 [info] Using .NET runtime at: C:\Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe
2026-06-06 16:25:20.744 [info] Using transport: namedPipe
2026-06-06 16:25:20.744 [info] Spawning: c:\Users\Administrador\.vscode\extensions\dnakode.vbnet-language-support-0.1.9-win32-x64\.server\VbNet.LanguageServer.exe --logLevel Information --pipe
2026-06-06 16:25:20.976 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer[0]
      Registered MSBuild from: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\10.0.201 (version 10.0.201)
2026-06-06 16:25:20.991 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer[0]
      VB.NET Language Server v0.1.8 starting with NamedPipe transport
2026-06-06 16:25:20.992 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Core.LanguageServer[0]
      VB.NET Language Server starting...
2026-06-06 16:25:21.091 [info] Server started with named pipe: \\.\pipe\vbnet-lsp-3a9cc948
2026-06-06 16:25:21.092 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Protocol.NamedPipeTransport[0]
      Pipe ready, name output to stdout: {"pipeName":"\\\\.\\pipe\\vbnet-lsp-3a9cc948"}
2026-06-06 16:25:21.384 [info] Language client state: Stopped -> Starting
2026-06-06 16:25:21.387 [info] Connected to named pipe: \\.\pipe\vbnet-lsp-3a9cc948
2026-06-06 16:25:21.392 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Protocol.NamedPipeTransport[0]
      Client connected to named pipe
info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Core.LanguageServer[0]
      Transport ready, waiting for initialize request
info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Protocol.MessageDispatcher[0]
      Message dispatcher started
2026-06-06 16:25:21.447 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Core.LanguageServer[0]
      Initialize request received from client: Visual Studio Code 1.123.0
info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Core.LanguageServer[0]
      Workspace root: file:///c:/Users/Administrador/Documents/Visual Studio Projects/_para conservar/_C�digos para conservar/SetDesktopWallpaper
2026-06-06 16:25:21.499 [info] Language client state: Starting -> Running
2026-06-06 16:25:21.511 [info] Language client trace level set to off
2026-06-06 16:25:21.511 [info] VB.NET Language Client started successfully
2026-06-06 16:25:21.512 [info] VB.NET Language Support activated in 865ms
2026-06-06 16:25:21.514 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Core.LanguageServer[0]
      Server initialized and running
2026-06-06 16:25:22.192 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      MSBuildWorkspace created successfully
2026-06-06 16:25:23.903 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      Loading solution: c:\Users\Administrador\Documents\Visual Studio Projects\_para conservar\_C�digos para conservar\SetDesktopWallpaper\SetDesktopWallpaper.slnx
2026-06-06 16:25:24.309 [info] [Server] fail: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      Workspace diagnostic: [BuildHost PID 8472] Exception while shutting down the BuildHost process.
2026-06-06 16:25:24.310 [info] [Server] fail: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      Workspace diagnostic: [BuildHost PID 8472] The BuildHost process is not responding. Process output:
      BuildHost Runtime Version: .NET Framework 4.8.4772.0
      Registered MSBuild instance at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2026\Professional\MSBuild\Current\Bin
2026-06-06 16:25:24.322 [info] [Server] fail: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      Failed to load solution: c:\Users\Administrador\Documents\Visual Studio Projects\_para conservar\_C�digos para conservar\SetDesktopWallpaper\SetDesktopWallpaper.slnx
      Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.RemoteInvocationException: An exception of type System.TypeInitializationException was thrown: Se produjo una excepci�n en el inicializador de tipo de 'Microsoft.Build.Shared.XMakeElements'.
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.RpcClient.InvokeCoreAsync(Int32 targetObject, String methodName, List`1 parameters, Type expectedReturnType, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.RpcClient.InvokeAsync[T](Int32 targetObject, String methodName, List`1 parameters, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.RemoteBuildHost.LoadProjectFileAsync(String projectFilePath, String languageName, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.Worker.DoOperationAndReportProgressAsync[TResult](ProjectLoadOperation operation, String projectPath, String targetFramework, Func`1 doFunc)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.Worker.LoadProjectFileInfosAsync(String projectPath, DiagnosticReportingOptions reportingOptions, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.Worker.LoadProjectInfosFromPathAsync(String projectPath, DiagnosticReportingOptions reportingOptions, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.Worker.LoadAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.LoadSolutionInfoAsync(String solutionFilePath, IProgress`1 progress, ILogger msbuildLogger, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.LoadSolutionInfoAsync(String solutionFilePath, IProgress`1 progress, ILogger msbuildLogger, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildWorkspace.OpenSolutionAsync(String solutionFilePath, ILogger msbuildLogger, IProgress`1 progress, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager.LoadSolutionAsync(String solutionPath, CancellationToken cancellationToken, SolutionChangeKind changeKind) in D:\a\vbnet-lsp\vbnet-lsp\src\VbNet.LanguageServer.Vb\Workspace\WorkspaceManager.vb:line 130
2026-06-06 16:25:24.330 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Core.LanguageServer[0]
      Project loading enabled after configuration change; loading workspace
2026-06-06 16:25:25.758 [info] [Server] info: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      Loading solution: c:\Users\Administrador\Documents\Visual Studio Projects\_para conservar\_C�digos para conservar\SetDesktopWallpaper\SetDesktopWallpaper.slnx
2026-06-06 16:25:26.010 [info] [Server] fail: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      Workspace diagnostic: [BuildHost PID 5640] Exception while shutting down the BuildHost process.
fail: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      Workspace diagnostic: [BuildHost PID 5640] The BuildHost process is not responding. Process output:
      BuildHost Runtime Version: .NET Framework 4.8.4772.0
      Registered MSBuild instance at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2026\Professional\MSBuild\Current\Bin
2026-06-06 16:25:26.011 [info] [Server] fail: VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager[0]
      Failed to load solution: c:\Users\Administrador\Documents\Visual Studio Projects\_para conservar\_C�digos para conservar\SetDesktopWallpaper\SetDesktopWallpaper.slnx
      Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.RemoteInvocationException: An exception of type System.TypeInitializationException was thrown: Se produjo una excepci�n en el inicializador de tipo de 'Microsoft.Build.Shared.XMakeElements'.
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.RpcClient.InvokeCoreAsync(Int32 targetObject, String methodName, List`1 parameters, Type expectedReturnType, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.RpcClient.InvokeAsync[T](Int32 targetObject, String methodName, List`1 parameters, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.RemoteBuildHost.LoadProjectFileAsync(String projectFilePath, String languageName, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.Worker.DoOperationAndReportProgressAsync[TResult](ProjectLoadOperation operation, String projectPath, String targetFramework, Func`1 doFunc)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.Worker.LoadProjectFileInfosAsync(String projectPath, DiagnosticReportingOptions reportingOptions, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.Worker.LoadProjectInfosFromPathAsync(String projectPath, DiagnosticReportingOptions reportingOptions, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.Worker.LoadAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.LoadSolutionInfoAsync(String solutionFilePath, IProgress`1 progress, ILogger msbuildLogger, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildProjectLoader.LoadSolutionInfoAsync(String solutionFilePath, IProgress`1 progress, ILogger msbuildLogger, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.MSBuild.MSBuildWorkspace.OpenSolutionAsync(String solutionFilePath, ILogger msbuildLogger, IProgress`1 progress, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         at VbNet.LanguageServer.Workspace.WorkspaceManager.LoadSolutionAsync(String solutionPath, CancellationToken cancellationToken, SolutionChangeKind changeKind) in D:\a\vbnet-lsp\vbnet-lsp\src\VbNet.LanguageServer.Vb\Workspace\WorkspaceManager.vb:line 130

[ElektroStudios]

I'm sharing here the full NET 4.8 solution for testing purposes. It is a pretty simple code of less than 100 lines.

SetDesktopWallpaper.zip

---

Please note that with this solution I'm also having almost same other problems that I've described in issue: #9

Compiler warning at line:

• Imports System.Windows.Forms

Compiler errors with symbols that can't be resolved:

• Application, MessageBox and MessageBoxButtons (from System.Windows.Forms namespace, imported at vb file level)
• Environment and Exception (from System namespace, imported at .vbproj level)
• My.Application (from Global.My namespace)

[govert]

Thank you for the issue reports - I will have a look

[govert]

Thanks again for the repro. We understand this as a compatibility problem with old-style / legacy VB.NET Framework project files: Roslyn's MSBuildWorkspace can fail while evaluating these projects, especially through the remote BuildHost path, and once that happens the language server loses the project-level context that Visual Studio still has.

I added a legacy fallback loader for non-SDK-style VB.NET Framework projects. When MSBuildWorkspace cannot load the project, the server now reads the .vbproj/.slnx directly enough to preserve compile items, project-level Imports, framework references, NuGet/package references where possible, project references, common VB options, and basic My.Application.Info symbols. The server will also show a gentle warning that SDK-style project files are preferred, while noting that SDK-style projects can still target .NET Framework, e.g. net48.

This should address the loading failure shown here and keep diagnostics much closer to the project as Visual Studio sees it.

Posted by Codex on behalf of @govert