It has happened to be me twice. As soon as my developer license expires and it prompts me to renew it, my visual studio designer starts to crash and i get following exception when i try to load any xmal:
System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException The application cannot be started. Try reinstalling the application to fix the problem. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80073CFC) at Microsoft.Expression.HostUtility.AppPackage.AppPackageNativeMethods.IApplicationActivationManager.ActivateApplication(String appUserModelId, String activationContext, ActivateOptions options, Int32& processId) at Microsoft.Expression.HostUtility.AppPackage.WrtUtility.ActivateApplication(String appUserModelId, String activationContext, Object site) at Microsoft.Expression.HostUtility.Platform.AppContainerProcessDomainFactory.ActivateApplicationInternal(String appUserModelId, String activationContext, Object site) at Microsoft.Expression.HostUtility.Platform.AppContainerProcessDomainFactory.CreateDesignerProcess(String applicationPath, String clientPort, Uri hostUri, IDictionary environmentVariables, Int32& processId, Object& processData) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Primitives.ProcessDomainFactory.ProcessIsolationDomain..ctor(ProcessDomainFactory factory, IIsolationBoundary boundary, AppDomainSetup appDomainInfo, FrameworkName targetFramework, String identifier, String baseDirectory) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Primitives.ProcessDomainFactory.CreateIsolationDomain(IIsolationBoundary boundary) at Microsoft.Expression.HostUtility.Platform.AppContainerProcessDomainFactory.CreateIsolationDomain(IIsolationBoundary boundary) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Primitives.IsolationBoundary.Initialize() at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.Primitives.IsolationBoundary.CreateInstance[T](Type type) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.IsolatedExportProvider.Initialize() at Microsoft.VisualStudio.ExpressionHost.Services.VSIsolationService.CreateExportProvider(IIsolationTarget isolationTarget, ICatalogFactory catalogFactory, IExportFilter filter) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.IsolationService.CreateLease(IIsolationTarget isolationTarget) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.IsolatedDesignerService.CreateLease(IIsolationTarget isolationTarget, CancellationToken cancelToken, DesignerServiceEntry& entry) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.IsolatedDesignerService.IsolatedDesignerView.CreateDesignerViewInfo(CancellationToken cancelToken) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.IsolatedTaskScheduler.InvokeWithCulture[T](CultureInfo culture, Func2 func, CancellationToken cancelToken) at Microsoft.Expression.DesignHost.Isolation.IsolatedTaskScheduler.<>c__DisplayClassa1.b__6() at System.Threading.Tasks.Task`1.InnerInvoke() at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Execute()
I have tried a lot to find the solution but nothing worked the only way out was to re-install windows and re-install visual studio all over again.