Sql Server Management Studio closes immediately after startup

Question

Sql Server Management Studio closes in about five seconds after startup. No messages are being displayed (even in a console) and no logs occur in a Windows Event Viewer. I h

Answer 1

I took a look at this. Problem seems to be with SMSS installing Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable. When that happens, Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 gets uninstalled. However, if you look at the System Requirements at this page:

Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2017

you'll see that Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2017, which is also installed by SMSS v18.0, requires Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable.

So, it seems the crash is caused by Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2017 when it tries to find Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable and can't since Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable removed it.

Don't bother trying to install Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable if 2017 is already there. Installer for 2015 won't do the install if it sees 2017 is already there. Uninstalling 2017 so 2015 will install works, but then, when you reinstall 2017, 2015 is removed.

I guess stay on SMSS v17.9.1 for now.