title: Why does NuGet fail to load in Visual Studio 2012 after updating to VS Update 3?
body: <p>After updating to Visual Studio 2012 Update 3 (I was previously running Update 2), NuGet fails to load.  By that I mean the Package Manager no longer shows up after I have loaded a solution that uses NuGet and used to work.
  * It does not show up under the Tools Menu.
  * NuGet (Manage NuGet Packages) does not show up in the menu after right click on the solution
  * NuGet (Manage NuGet Packages) does not show up in the menu after right click on the project</p>
  
  <p>The Extensions and Updates dialog (TOOLS/Extensions and Updates...) does show the NuGet Package Manager as installed and when I click on  it it shows that it can be uninstalled.</p>
  
  <p>Also when I checked the installation log after uninstalling and then re-installing the NuGet Package Manager (from the download I got on the CodePlex nuget site) it shows that it was successfully installed:  </p>
  
  <pre class="lang-none prettyprint-override"><code> /10/2013 11:39:05 AM - Beginning to install extension to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2012...
  7/10/2013 11:39:05 AM - Install to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2012 completed successfully. The extension has been installed to C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\MICROSOFT VISUAL STUDIO 11.0\\COMMON7\IDE\EXTENSIONS\VYALGTD2.XZS\
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I checked and this folder does in fact exist and contains NuGet dlls. </p>
  
  <p>When I go to the TOOLS/Options... dialog and select Package Manager the right hand pane shows the text: "An error occurred loading this property page".  The same text is shown when Package Manager is expanded and either General or Package Sources are selected.</p>
  
  <p>I have uninstalled and re-installed NuGet numerous times and I have installed both from the downloaded VSIX and directly in the Extensions and Updates dialog and the result is always the same.</p>
  
  <p>I have installed an older version of NuGet and I get the same results.  I have uninstalled Visual Studio and re-installed it and I get the same results with version 1, Update 2, or Update 3.</p>
  
  <p>The <em>Activity.log.xml</em> file shows the following issue when attempting to load NuGet:</p>
  
  <pre class="lang-xml prettyprint-override"><code>&lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;211&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:44.295&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Information&lt;/type&gt;
        &lt;source&gt;Microsoft.VisualStudio.CommonIDE.ExtensibilityHosting.VsShellComponentModelHost&lt;/source&gt;
  &lt;description&gt;Successfully loaded component assembly from cache&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;path&gt;C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\MICROSOFT VISUAL STUDIO 11.0\COMMON7\IDE\EXTENSIONS\VYALGTD2.XZS\NuGet.VisualStudio.dll&lt;/path&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;212&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:44.295&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Information&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;Microsoft.VisualStudio.CommonIDE.ExtensibilityHosting.VsShellComponentModelHost&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Successfully loaded component assembly from cache&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;path&gt;C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\MICROSOFT VISUAL STUDIO 11.0\COMMON7\IDE\EXTENSIONS\VYALGTD2.XZS\NuGet.Console.dll&lt;/path&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;213&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:44.295&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Information&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;Microsoft.VisualStudio.CommonIDE.ExtensibilityHosting.VsShellComponentModelHost&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Successfully loaded component assembly from cache&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;path&gt;C:\PROGRAM FILES (X86)\MICROSOFT VISUAL STUDIO 11.0\COMMON7\IDE\EXTENSIONS\VYALGTD2.XZS\NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShellProvider.dll&lt;/path&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;214&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:44.298&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Information&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;End package load [Visual Studio Component Model Host Package]&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;guid&gt;{49D12072-378B-4FFA-A09E-40E0B5D097CC}&lt;/guid&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;215&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:44.383&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Information&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;End package load [Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editor.Implementation.EditorPackage]&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;guid&gt;{E269B994-EF71-4CE0-8BCD-581C217372E8}&lt;/guid&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This part looks OK.  But then there are the following  warnings and errors:</p>
  
  <pre class="lang-xml prettyprint-override"><code>&lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;234&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.070&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} LANG:0409 ID:1003&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;235&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.072&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} LANG:0409 ID:1004&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;236&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.073&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{5FB7364D-2E8C-44A4-95EB-2A382E30FEC7} (EditorExtensionsPackage) LANG:0409 ID:101&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;237&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.073&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{5FB7364D-2E8C-44A4-95EB-2A382E30FEC7} (EditorExtensionsPackage) LANG:0409 ID:106&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;238&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.073&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{5FB7364D-2E8C-44A4-95EB-2A382E30FEC7} (EditorExtensionsPackage) LANG:0409 ID:102&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;239&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.073&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{5FB7364D-2E8C-44A4-95EB-2A382E30FEC7} (EditorExtensionsPackage) LANG:0409 ID:101&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;240&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.074&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{5FB7364D-2E8C-44A4-95EB-2A382E30FEC7} (EditorExtensionsPackage) LANG:0409 ID:107&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;241&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.074&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{5FB7364D-2E8C-44A4-95EB-2A382E30FEC7} (EditorExtensionsPackage) LANG:0409 ID:103&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;242&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.074&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{5FB7364D-2E8C-44A4-95EB-2A382E30FEC7} (EditorExtensionsPackage) LANG:0409 ID:105&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;243&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:39:57.074&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Performance warning: String load failed. Pkg:{5FB7364D-2E8C-44A4-95EB-2A382E30FEC7} (EditorExtensionsPackage) LANG:0409 ID:104&amp;#x000D;&amp;#x000A;&lt;/description&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;244&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:40:00.908&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Information&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Entering function CVsPackageInfo::HrInstantiatePackage&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;guid&gt;{5FCC8577-4FEB-4D04-AD72-D6C629B083CC}&lt;/guid&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;245&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:40:00.908&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Information&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Begin package load [NuGet.Tools.NuGetPackage, NuGet.Tools, Version=2.6.40627.9000, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a]&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;guid&gt;{5FCC8577-4FEB-4D04-AD72-D6C629B083CC}&lt;/guid&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;246&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:40:00.915&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Error&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;CreateInstance failed for package [NuGet.Tools.NuGetPackage, NuGet.Tools, Version=2.6.40627.9000, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a]&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;guid&gt;{5FCC8577-4FEB-4D04-AD72-D6C629B083CC}&lt;/guid&gt;
    &lt;hr&gt;80070002&lt;/hr&gt;
    &lt;errorinfo&gt;Could not load file or assembly 'NuGet.Tools, Version=2.6.40627.9000, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.&lt;/errorinfo&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;247&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:40:00.915&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Error&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;End package load [NuGet.Tools.NuGetPackage, NuGet.Tools, Version=2.6.40627.9000, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a]&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;guid&gt;{5FCC8577-4FEB-4D04-AD72-D6C629B083CC}&lt;/guid&gt;
    &lt;hr&gt;80004005 - E_FAIL&lt;/hr&gt;
    &lt;errorinfo&gt;Could not load file or assembly 'NuGet.Tools, Version=2.6.40627.9000, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.&lt;/errorinfo&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
    &lt;record&gt;248&lt;/record&gt;
    &lt;time&gt;2013/07/10 17:40:00.915&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;type&gt;Warning&lt;/type&gt;
    &lt;source&gt;VisualStudio&lt;/source&gt;
    &lt;description&gt;Package failed to load; error message suppressed by skip flag&lt;/description&gt;
    &lt;guid&gt;{5FCC8577-4FEB-4D04-AD72-D6C629B083CC}&lt;/guid&gt;
  &lt;/entry&gt;
  &lt;entry&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>With the main clue being in record 246 -- 
      <strong>Could not load file or assembly 'NuGet.Tools, Version=2.6.40627.9000, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.</strong>
      </p>
  
  <p>The question is why can't the system find the file or what dependency is missing.  MSDN Tech support was helping me, but then decided that this was a problem they would not support and that I should post the issue here.</p>