This post is more an aide memoir to myself as I regularly re-apply an image to my laptop.

Often, in Visual Studio, we need to open projects from Source Safe, which can be done by chooing File > Open > Project, then clicking Source Safe in the favourite folders.

But on my laptop (Server 2008 64bit) when trying the above, I couldn't see the sourcesafe project list - the window was empty, similar to the screen shot below.

The resolution was to download a hotfix from Microsoft (see this http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=939808 for detail) Once downloaded, install thehotfix, then I had to run the following:

[code:html]

regsvr32 "c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual SourceSafe\tdnamespaceextension.dll"

[/code]

For 32 bit systems, you may have to run

[code:html]

regsvr32 "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual SourceSafe\tdnamespaceextension.dll"

[/code]

Once Visual Studio was re-started, eveything was better and we could browse the Source Safe databases

Over on the Microsoft SharePoint Team Blog they've just announced the CTP for the next version of Visual Studio extensions for SharePoint (VSeWSS). This will give us a updated set of toys, sorry tools, to play with and see how they stack up against what we are using.

[From their blog] The new features in VSeWSS 1.3 are:

· Can be installed on x64 Server OS machines running SharePoint x64. Previously only x86 Server OS could be used.

· Separate build commands for package, deploy and retract are added

· Command line build, package and retract commands are included enabling continuous integration and build servers. Previously command line build of SharePoint projects was very difficult

· Refactoring support for renaming of Web Parts. Previously renaming a web part required changes in several files in the project

· WSP View improvements for consistency of deleting feature elements, merging features and adding event receivers to features

· Solution Generator can now generate solutions from publishing sites. Previously only regular sites could be generated

· Allowing partial trust BIN deployments of web parts. CAS configuration must still be provided by the developer.

· New project item template for SharePoint RootFiles items

· Deployment will now optionally remove conflicting existing features on the development server prior to redeployment. Previously any feature name conflicts would result in an error

· Ancillary assemblies such as for business logic can now be added to the SharePoint Solution WSP

· Hidden features related to Site Definition projects are now shown in WSP View. They are no longer hidden

· For advanced users a fast deploy is included to update only the compiled assembly on the SharePoint development installation

· The User Guide is now installed with the extensions instead of being a separate download

The final release of VSeWSS 1.3 is planned for the North American Spring of 2009.

Crawling across blogs yesterday I stumbled upon Waldek Mastykarz's blog. His articles on repeatable deplyoments were very interesting, but the post I thought I should pick up on is about extending help in Visual Studio for Sharepoint Development. He's started a codeplex project to build a dynamic help collection so we can gain access to resources without leaving Visual Studio. It's a great idea and he has already contributed some content, inviting the rest of us to fill in the gaps... You can read more here and find the codeplex project here.