BUG: Problems with commandbars of Visual Studio 2005 add-ins after importing settings

Author:	Carlos J. Quintero (Microsoft MVP)	Applies to:	Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Date:	January 2006

Introduction

This article explains a couple of problems that appear with the commandbars created by a Visual Studio 2005 add-in after the user executes the "Tools", "Import and Export Settings" wizard to import settings.

Cause

This is a bug of Visual Studio 2005.

More Information

Steps to reproduce the problem:

Create a Visual Basic 2005 add-in and merge the code below. The add-in creates a toolbar and adds a button from the Help.About command.

Private m_objDTE As DTE
Private m_objCommandBar As CommandBar
Private m_objCommandBarButton As CommandBarButton

Public Sub OnConnection(ByVal application As Object, ByVal connectMode As ext_ConnectMode, _
   ByVal addInInst As Object, ByRef custom As Array) Implements IDTExtensibility2.OnConnection

   Dim colCommandBars As CommandBars
   Dim objCommand As Command

   Try

      Select Case connectMode

         Case ext_ConnectMode.ext_cm_AfterStartup, ext_ConnectMode.ext_cm_Startup

            m_objDTE = CType(application, DTE)
            colCommandBars = CType(m_objDTE.CommandBars, CommandBars)
            m_objCommandBar = colCommandBars.Add(Name:="Test", Position:=MsoBarPosition.msoBarTop, _
               Temporary:=True)

            objCommand = m_objDTE.Commands.Item("Help.About")

            m_objCommandBarButton = CType(objCommand.AddControl(m_objCommandBar), CommandBarButton)
            m_objCommandBarButton.Style = MsoButtonStyle.msoButtonCaption
            m_objCommandBarButton.Visible = True

            m_objCommandBar.Visible = True

      End Select

   Catch ex As Exception
      MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString)
   End Try

End Sub

Public Sub OnDisconnection(ByVal disconnectMode As ext_DisconnectMode, ByRef custom As Array) _
   Implements IDTExtensibility2.OnDisconnection

   Try

      If Not (m_objCommandBar Is Nothing) Then
         m_objCommandBar.Delete()
      End If

   Catch ex As Exception
      MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString)
   End Try

End Sub

Run the project, load the add-in and unload it to see that it works correctly.
Load the add-in, and execute the "Tools", "Import and Export Settings" wizard.
Select "Import selected environment settings" and click the "Next" button.
Select "Yes, save my current settings" and click the "Next" button.
Select the "Default Settings", "Visual Basic Development Settings" and click the "Next" button.
Click the "Finish" button.
The new settings are applied. Click the "Close" button.
The first bug that you notice is that the toolbar of the add-in has been destroyed, while the wizard should affect only to built-in Visual Studio 2005 commandbars, not to commandbars created by add-ins.
If now you go to the Add-in Manager, the add-in is still loaded. If you unload it (to reload it to make its toolbar to reappear) you get COMException (0x800A01A8) at the Microsoft.VisualStudio.CommandBars.CommandBar.Delete procedure.

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