Visual Studio 2015: Multiple package load error after Update 3 failure: Windows 10

Question

So that's that.

1. Visual Studio 2015 with Update 2 was installed on Windows 8 64 bit. Everything was working well and good.
2. Windows 8 was upgraded to Windows 10. Visual Studio still worked, no issues.
3. While adding ClickOnce tool via setup, Update 3 got installed as well.
   Everything went and hit the proverbial fan.

Activity log XML is as below:

461 ERROR Exception parsing Advertised (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.143 462 ERROR Exception parsing AssemblyFolders (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.143 463 ERROR Exception parsing Fusion (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.143 464 ERROR Exception parsing NGen (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.143 465 ERROR Exception parsing NGenQueue (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.143 466 ERROR Exception parsing policy (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.143 467 ERROR Exception parsing Windows Presentation Foundation (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.144 468 ERROR Exception parsing Advertised (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.144 469 ERROR Exception parsing AssemblyFolders (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.144 470 ERROR Exception parsing Fusion (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.144 471 ERROR Exception parsing NGen (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.144 472 ERROR Exception parsing NGenQueue (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.144 473 ERROR Exception parsing policy (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.144 474 ERROR Exception parsing Windows Presentation Foundation (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.152 475 ERROR Exception parsing Advertised (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.152 476 ERROR Exception parsing AssemblyFolders (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.152 477 ERROR Exception parsing Fusion (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.152 478 ERROR Exception parsing NGen (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.152 479 ERROR Exception parsing NGenQueue (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.152 480 ERROR Exception parsing policy (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.152 481 ERROR Exception parsing Windows Presentation Foundation (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.154 482 ERROR Exception parsing Advertised (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.154 483 ERROR Exception parsing AssemblyFolders (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.155 484 ERROR Exception parsing Fusion (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.155 485 ERROR Exception parsing NGen (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.155 486 ERROR Exception parsing NGenQueue (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.155 487 ERROR Exception parsing policy (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.155 488 ERROR Exception parsing Windows Presentation Foundation (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.155 489 ERROR Exception parsing Advertised (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.155 490 ERROR Exception parsing AssemblyFolders (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.155 491 ERROR Exception parsing Fusion (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 492 ERROR Exception parsing NGen (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 493 ERROR Exception parsing NGenQueue (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 494 ERROR Exception parsing policy (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 495 ERROR Exception parsing Windows Presentation Foundation (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 496 ERROR Exception parsing Advertised (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 497 ERROR Exception parsing AssemblyFolders (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 498 ERROR Exception parsing Fusion (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 499 ERROR Exception parsing NGen (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 500 ERROR Exception parsing NGenQueue (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 501 ERROR Exception parsing policy (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.156 502 ERROR Exception parsing Windows Presentation Foundation (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft.NETFramework) as a version Microsoft.VisualStudio.IDE.ToolboxControlsInstaller.ToolboxInstallerPackage 2016/08/02 09:38:18.157 503 Done loading new toolbox content, total time = 265 ms

Answer 1

I have finally solved it.

Performed about 3 repairs, 4 uninstalls and reinstalls already before posting this question. Read couple of suggestions from another post on stackoverflow, and finally did the following:

Deleted ComponentModelCache folder and run Visual Studio. That's it.

Find “C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0 folder and delete the ComponentModelCache folder.

You have to completely delete the ComponentModelCache folder. Take backup if you want.