Visual Studio 2015: Type universe cannot resolve a

Question

I am encountering a problem with Visual Studio when trying to design UWP Forms. The designer doesn't load, all I'm getting is this error:

Microsoft.MetadataReader.UnresolvedAssemblyException
Type universe cannot resolve assembly: System.Runtime, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a.
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.SimpleUniverse.Microsoft.MetadataReader.ITypeUniverse.ResolveAssembly(AssemblyName name)
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.TypeNameParser.DetermineAssembly(AssemblyName assemblyName, Module defaultTokenResolver, ITypeUniverse universe)
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.TypeNameParser.c__DisplayClass1_0.b__0(AssemblyName assemblyName)
   at System.TypeNameParser.ResolveAssembly(String asmName, Func`2 assemblyResolver, Boolean throwOnError, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.TypeNameParser.ConstructType(Func`2 assemblyResolver, Func`4 typeResolver, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean ignoreCase, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.TypeNameParser.GetType(String typeName, Func`2 assemblyResolver, Func`4 typeResolver, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean ignoreCase, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.Type.GetType(String typeName, Func`2 assemblyResolver, Func`4 typeResolver, Boolean throwOnError)
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.TypeNameParser.ParseTypeName(ITypeUniverse universe, Module module, String input, Boolean throwOnError)
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.UnresolvedTypeName.ConvertToType(ITypeUniverse universe, Module moduleContext)
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.MetadataExtensionsPolicy20.TryTypeForwardResolution(MetadataOnlyAssembly assembly, String fullname, Boolean ignoreCase)
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.MetadataOnlyAssembly.b__30_1(Assembly assembly, String simpleTypeName, Boolean ignoreCaseInCallback)
   at System.TypeNameParser.ResolveType(Assembly assembly, String[] names, Func`4 typeResolver, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean ignoreCase, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.TypeNameParser.ConstructType(Func`2 assemblyResolver, Func`4 typeResolver, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean ignoreCase, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.TypeNameParser.GetType(String typeName, Func`2 assemblyResolver, Func`4 typeResolver, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean ignoreCase, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.Type.GetType(String typeName, Func`2 assemblyResolver, Func`4 typeResolver, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean ignoreCase)
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.MetadataOnlyAssembly.GetType(String name, Boolean throwOnError, Boolean ignoreCase)
   at Microsoft.MetadataReader.MetadataOnlyAssembly.GetType(String name)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.XamlDesigner.Metadata.XamlPlatformMetadata.GetReferenceType(Type runtimeType)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.XamlDesigner.Metadata.XamlPlatformMetadata.TryGetReferenceType(Type runtimeType, Type& referenceType)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.XamlDesigner.Metadata.XamlPlatformMetadata.InternalGetType(Type type, ExternalType externalType, IType& returnValue)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.XamlDesigner.Metadata.XamlPlatformMetadata.GetType(Type type)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.XamlDesigner.Metadata.XamlPlatformMetadata.GetPlatformType(String typeName, ITypeId typeId)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Platform.Metadata.PlatformMetadataBase.ResolveType(ITypeId typeId)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.XamlDesigner.Metadata.XamlPlatformMetadata.CreateExternalType(IPlatformTypes sourcePlatformTypes, IAssembly runtimeAssembly, IAssembly referenceAssembly, Type keyType, Type replaceType, ITypeId baseType, ITypeId neutralType, IXmlNamespace xmlNamespace, String clrNamespace, AttributeCollection attributes, ProxyPropertyDescription[] properties)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.Metadata.WindowsUIXamlPlatformMetadata.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.WindowsXamlDesigner.WindowsStoreXamlPlatform.Initialize()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Platform.PlatformCreatorBase.CreatePlatform(IPlatformReferenceAssemblyResolver referenceAssemblyResolver)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetProjectContext(IHostProject project, IPlatform platform, Boolean create)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.Project.ProjectContextManager.GetSourceItemContext(IHostSourceItem sourceItem)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.DesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.c__DisplayClass12_0.b__0(CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.c__DisplayClass6_0`1.b__0()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
Type universe cannot resolve assembly: System.Runtime, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a.

Server stack trace: 
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalInSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallModality callModality, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalIn(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, CallModality callModality, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalIn(IRemoteObject targetObject, Action action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, CallModality callModality, ApartmentState apartmentState, String memberName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.MarshalInWithCancellation[TResult](IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken, Func`2 func, ApartmentState apartmentState)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostProject remoteProject, IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Object[]& outArgs)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]: 
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostProject remoteProject, IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.CreateDesignerImpl(IRemoteDesignerService ds, IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, RemoteCancellationToken remoteCancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.c__DisplayClass14_0.b__0(IRemoteDesignerService ds, RemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.c__DisplayClass5_0`1.b__0(IRemoteDesignerService ds)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.c__DisplayClass28_0`1.b__0()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
Type universe cannot resolve assembly: System.Runtime, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOutSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, WaitHandle timeoutSignal, CancellationToken cancelToken, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOut(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, WaitHandle timeoutSignal, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, ApartmentState apartmentState, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action`1 action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, ApartmentState apartmentState, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.MarshalOutWithCancellation[TResult](CancellationToken cancelToken, Func`3 func, ApartmentState apartmentState)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IsolatedDesignerService.IsolatedDesignerView.CreateDesignerViewInfo(CancellationToken cancelToken)

I tried rebuilding, of course, with no success. It happens for blank apps, when I open MainPage.xaml. One thing that bothers me is that the supposed version of System.Runtime in this error report is 0.0.0.0, could that be a good hint for solving this?

Answer 1

I was able to resolve a similar error by checking "Automatically check for missing packages during build in Visual Studio" (the "Allow NuGet to download missing packages" was already checked), then rebuilding. You can find these settings in Tools --> NuGet Package Manager --> Package Manager Settings.