Visual Studio Developer News / MSDN: Visual Basic Headlines

Question

...I give up!  How do you get this feature to work - update!

And, please spare me: click Tools > Options > Startup > http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=96703&clcid=409  It doesn't work, transfer, download, whatever!  Nor does: http://sxp.microsoft.com/feeds/3.0/MSDNTN/VB_featured_resources

...some 'genuis' must know how to set Visual Studio's start page to update the headlines automatically when you open Visual Studio 2008!!!  ...mine is stuck on Tues. 14Feb2012 for the last update!  No matter what I do this is what continues to be presented. Oh, and don't tell me to change the home page in Options > Web Browser - already did that too.  Yes!  I'm connected to the Internet!

P.S.

This answer is useless: Visual Studio Developer News Start Page news channel URL

Answer 1

Hello RR2012,

Based on your above description, it seems that even though you change the Start Page URL in VS2008, you can't get the appropriate contents. I did a test on my side, if I change the URL, I can get the content in the MSDN:Visual Basic Headlines pane changed automatically, also I can navigate to the page of each link.

And for your scenario, I think that there may be some settings or add-ins in your VS2008 which prevent the contents changing automatically on the Start Page. Please try the following commands to see if they are helo you:

a)     Try to run devenv /ResetSettings (in command prompt) to eliminate the related potential settings problem.
b)     Try disabling Add-ins (e.g. “Tools” | “Add-in Manager”) or run “devenv.exe /SafeMode”.This can eliminate the possibility that third party Add-ins or packages are causing problems.

In addition, you can also get the Start Page changed by changing your VS settings. If you are a VB engineer and want to get the VB headlines, please go to Tools->Import and Export Settings->Reset all Settings->select whether to save your current settings or not->select Visual Basic Development Settings.

Thanks.

---

Vicky Song [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 2

...running through the 'usual suspects' to resolve this issue proved to be ineffective.  ...did learn how to add a Visual Studio 2008 command prompt to the Visual Studio Tools options.

If you would provide your 'Startup' configuration: At Startup: (Mine - Show Start Page); Start Page news channel: (Mine: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=96703&clcid=409); Download content every: (Mine - 60 minutes); Under 'Web Browser': Home Page: (Mine - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=36582&clcid=0x409); Search Page: (Mine - http://search.microsoft.com/search/search.aspx?view=msdn/)   By providing your settings, which work, it may provide some(?) clues to resolving this issue - we already have quite a few views - must be of interest!?

Answer 3

Hi RR2012,

Yes, I configure my VS with the same settings as yours. However, I can't reproduce your issue on my side. Have you tried the devenv commands I offered above? In addition, please also do not configure your IE with very high security setting.

Thanks.

---

Vicky Song [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 4

(1) http://services.social.microsoft.com/feeds/feed/VB_featured_resources  This URL gets you to 4/19/12 where your informed:  "This feed has been deprecated. Click the link above to find the feed that replaces it."  which directs you to: (2) http://sxp.microsoft.com/feeds/3.0/msdntn/VB_featured_resources which brings you to 7/5/12.

My Visual Basic Headlines takes me to (1) and ends with: Local Data Access in Windows Phone Mango 2/14/12.

Oh, if I uncheck: Startup > Download content every: it results in 'Visual Basic Headlines' reverting to 'Get News from Microsoft' - 'Download the latest information for developers to the Start Page' and when I do: I am back to (1) ending on 2/14/12 (Note: the software was installed on 2/23/12 on my current XP Pro, IE8 machine)  Also, I have looked in the registry and  the program directory to find if an image of this 'Headline' information is stored somewhere because it never changes and isn't current.

"Have you tried the devenv commands I offered above?"   Yes.

It would appear the answer lies beyond what the 'usual suspects' (default values) would dicatate.

Answer 5

Hi RR2012,

I am sorry that I feel confused about your issue now? Do you mean actually you already have your initial issue resolved, and now just caring the content you get?

Thanks.

---

Vicky Song [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 6

...I give up!  How do you get this feature to work - update!

"I am sorry that I feel confused about your issue now? Do you mean actually you already have your initial issue resolved, ..."  

...work with me on this: What part of "update" is confusing?  It doesn't update - period - It (MSDN:Visual Basic Headlines) is 'Stuck' on 2/14/12 as the last article - see above (7/14/12)response.

I know there is an answer and a way to correct this 'issue' since it's just 'code'!

Answer 7

You marked the 7/16/12 response as the answer!?  I unmarked it!!!  You, sadly to say, are an incompetent!  And in the words of Donald Trump: You're Fired!

Answer 8

Hi RR2012,

Sorry for my misunderstanding. And from your words " I know there is an answer and a way to correct this 'issue' since it's just 'code'! " I understand as you already have your issue resolved, so I mark it as answer, and now I know that I misunderstand your words.

To be honest, actually I totally misunderstand your issue, and after reading your replies more carefully again, I now know that your issue is: with the above settings you offered, the news channel does not update and you can't get the latest news. And I can reproduce your issue, as we know that the news channel on the Start page reflects the links on the RSS feed, so the information on the Start page will not change until the RSS feed changed. And if I copy http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=96703&clcid=409 to IE, and it will show me the same information as that in VS2008 Start Page, so I think maybe the http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=96703&clcid=409 does not change since 2/14/12, so we can only get news update to 2/14/12 on the Start Page.

I think that instead of using the http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=96703&clcid=409 link as the start page, you can consider using http://sxp.microsoft.com/feeds/3.0/msdntn/VB_featured_resources which will get you the latest information timely.

I hope it can help you. If you still have anything unclear, please post back. Sorry again for my misunderstanding.

Have a nice day.

---

Vicky Song [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 9

Hi RR2012,

What about your issue now? Does my reply help you? If not, please post back your concern.

Thanks.

---

Vicky Song [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 10

...got tired of this issue for which there has got to be a simple explanation/fix - more in the next day or two! 

Answer 11

This is were and why MSDN Visual Basic Headlines & Visual Studio Headlines remains the same:  C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Microsoft\VBExpress\9.0\StartPageCache --  MSNews.dat (10 Mar 2010) & NewsChannel.dat (14 Feb 2010); as well as, ...VisualStudio\9.0\StartPageCache, ...VSTA\9.0\StartPageCache, ...Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Shell\StartPageCache.

Now how do you fix this; and, how do you 'adjust' the registry for VBExpress 9 (where this comes from is a mystery - probably just another MS sloppy uninstall remnant - since it doesn't show up in 'Add/Remove' etc.), and Visual Studio 9 as regards the 'Start' and 'WebBrowser' entries to reflect the current status - IF you don't know the answer, please, please find someone who does!   Oh, the current Visual Basic Headlines news is up to 2 Aug 2012!

Rdgs,

A dumb customer trying to operate above his 'paygrade'!

Additional comment(s): This issue has been going on without resolution (none that I could find) since 2005!  The .dat files located in the 'paths' indicated above just don't change - this would appear to be at the core of this issue - and - no were are these .dat files mentioned and/or referred to...

Oh, when I put: http://sxp.microsoft.com/feeds/3.0/msdntn/VB_featured_resources

in the StartPage I get: "There is no content available yet. Content will be downloaded once a connection to the internet is established."  This message is referenced in a number of frustrated pasts of the past in relation to this issue.

My question: HOW DO YOU GET THESE .DAT FILE TO UPDATE? to reflect the current StartPage NewsChannel?

FYI: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Search/en-US/vstudio?query=newschannel&rq=meta:Search.MSForums.ForumID(0f60fa48-1ceb-41ee-a10a-0dfcee7e19bd)+site:microsoft.com&rn=Visual+Basic+General+Forum&ac=8

There are 1210 NewChannel related issues and 'our' exchange is a part of the 1210!   Again, with all the 'geniuses' working / commenting on this issue (related issue) I couldn't find the .dat file update question addressed!

Answer 12

Hi RR2012,

click Tools > Options > Startup > http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=96703&clcid=409

check the download content every:

input 5 minutes.

click OK to test,

the latest news is : Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:45:00 Z-.....

click MSDN Forums on the menubar  , input http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=96703&clcid=409 in the URL textBox, you'll find the content is just same with the start page of VS08

try this link in the Tools....http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=87676&clcid=409 to see if it works.

Answer 13

It appears that Vicky has changed her last name to: Swansong!

As regards JennyLi's answer - well - had she clicked on: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=96703&clcid=409  yes, she would have found appropriately the last date as being 19 Apr 2012 followed by: "This feed has been deprecated. Click the link above to find the feed that replaces it." which would have led her to: http://sxp.microsoft.com/feeds/3.0/msdntn/VB_featured_resources with the last date being 02 Aug 2012. (I had previously discovered this link and it was also referred to by Vicky Song (aka Swansong)   ...don't you just love these forums where the "Blind lead the blind"!

Ok! Ok!  Enough of this nonsense!  Here is the answer - and it is simple - just like me!

The first time you run VS 2008, you see a dialog box labeled: "Default Enviornment Settings" which gives you the option to: "Choose your default environment settings".  Above this wording is the option (check box) to: Allow Visual Studio to download and display online RSS content.  To my knowledge this is the only time this 'option' appears since when you use 'import / export settings you are not given this option again - ever / anywhere!  Obviously, if you don't check it, you won't get feeds / updates - which answers a previous question of mine: How do you get the 'NewsChannel' .dat file to change?!  So how did I 'fix / correct?' this issue.  I did it the 'cheap / lazy' persons way - (and won't know if it worked until the 'NewsChannel' is updated from 02 Aug 2012). NOTE: When the 'NewsChannel' updated to 13 Aug 2012 do did my VS 2008 'NewsChannel. - Note: 'NewsChannel' just updated to 16 Aug 2012)  Since everything is 'hidden' in the registry I used Windows Install Clean Up to delete the registry entries for Visual Studio 2008 > then > reinstalled it which, by the way, has you go though all the steps but doesn't give you the option for the RSS feed which 'appears' to have been installed since my NewsChannel is current and if I delete the NewsChannel .dat file it is recreated when I close and reopen Visual Studio 2008!   There is a little more to the solution but it is not significant.

NOW - If a genuis could tell me where in the registry the (1) & the (0) is for RSS feed it would be appreciated since that would have been the really, really, simple answer instead of all this time consuming activity and  gibberish!!!!   But then again: Welcome to the Wonderful World of Microsoft!

Answer 14

I think I located the registry entry for this update. I went to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\StartPage and changed the NewsChannel value to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=87676&clcid=%VSSPV_LCID_HEX%.  When the Visual Studio Developer News / MSDN: Visual Basic Headlines window updated, it was updated until 8.15.2012. I am no pro tho. I consider myself to be part of the blind population.

Answer 15

...thanks for taking a shot!  But, I want the 'Start Page' to reflect and update MSDN: Visual Basic Headlines which has been accomplished:  http://sxp.microsoft.com/feeds/3.0/msdntn/VB_featured_resources

What I wanted to know is how to turn on the RSS feed without without reinstalling Visual Studio which is what - partially - had to be done to get the feed to connect to the Internet upon starting Visual Studio.

Also, another issue: Visual Studio Headlines.  ...can't find where this comes from or how it is controlled.  The information comes from a .dat file: MSNews.dat in C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\StartPageCache and reads:

M S D N :   V i s u a l   S t u d i o   M i c r o s o f t   S D L   T e a m   R e l e a s e s   t h e   M S F - A g i l e + S D L   P r o c e s s   T e m p l a t e   f o r   V i s u a l   S t u d i o   2 0 0 8   W e d ,   1 0   M a r   2 0 1 0   1 5 : 2 1 : 4 0   - 0 7 0 0   -     D o w n l o a d   t h e   M S F - A g i l e + S D L   P r o c e s s   T e m p l a t e   t o   e a s i l y   i n t e g r a t e   s e c u r i t y   a n d   p r i v a c y   i n t o   y o u r   A g i l e   d e v e l o p m e n t   p r o j e c t .     h t t p : / / w w w . m i c r o s o f t . c o m / d o w n l o a d s / d e t a i l s . a s p x ? F a m i l y I D = c 4 b 4 4 8 6 0 - c f b a - 4 9 4 a - b a 4 3 - 1 3 c 4 a e c f 8 6 a f & d i s p l a y l a n g = e n  

If you delete it: you get under "Visual Studio Headlines: "Thank you for using Visual Studio" and clicking on that you're taken to: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/    The next time you open Visual Studio the .dat file has regenerated itself and you get the above 'junk' from 2010.  WHERE DOES THIS .DAT FILE COME FROM AND HOW DOES IT KEEP RECREATING ITSELF; AND WHY CAN'T IT BE CHANGED AND/OR WHERE CAN IT BE CHANGED?

Oh, why do I pursue such seeming nonsense - simple - like me. If something says that it does X, it should do X- not Y.

Answer 16

A little creative searching came up with http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Languages/.NET/Visual_Studio_.NET_2005/A_10158-Changing-the-news-feed-in-Visual-Studio-2008.html.

Briefly, (what I did):

Make a backup of your settings:

    In VS2008:  Tools > Import and Export Setting ... (Export all settings)

Exit Visual Studio 2008

Edit "My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Settings\CurrentSettings.vssettings" with a text or XML editor:

    Find "StartPageRSSUrl"

    Replace the current link in the tag with (you guessed it) http://sxp.microsoft.com/feeds/3.0/msdntn/VB_featured_resources

    Save

Launch VS2008 - voila!  VB headlines up to date.

Answer 17

Thank you for trying - the issue you are referring to (MSDN: VISUAL BASIC HEADLINES IN THE CENTER OF THE START PAGE) was solved.

HOW DO YOU GET "VISUAL STUDIO HEADLINES" TO UPDATE!  THIS IS IN THE LOWER LEFT HAND BOX ON THE VISUAL STUDIO 2008 START PAGE.

Also, another issue: Visual Studio Headlines.  ...can't find where this comes from or how it is controlled.  The information comes from a .dat file: MSNews.dat in C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\StartPageCache and reads:

M S D N :   V i s u a l   S t u d i o   M i c r o s o f t   S D L   T e a m   R e l e a s e s   t h e   M S F - A g i l e + S D L   P r o c e s s   T e m p l a t e   f o r   V i s u a l   S t u d i o   2 0 0 8   W e d ,   1 0   M a r   2 0 1 0   1 5 : 2 1 : 4 0   - 0 7 0 0   -     D o w n l o a d   t h e   M S F - A g i l e + S D L   P r o c e s s   T e m p l a t e   t o   e a s i l y   i n t e g r a t e   s e c u r i t y   a n d   p r i v a c y   i n t o   y o u r   A g i l e   d e v e l o p m e n t   p r o j e c t .     h t t p : / / w w w . m i c r o s o f t . c o m / d o w n l o a d s / d e t a i l s . a s p x ? F a m i l y I D = c 4 b 4 4 8 6 0 - c f b a - 4 9 4 a - b a 4 3 - 1 3 c 4 a e c f 8 6 a f & d i s p l a y l a n g = e n  

If you delete it: you get under "Visual Studio Headlines: "Thank you for using Visual Studio" and clicking on that you're taken to: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/    The next time you open Visual Studio the .dat file has regenerated itself and you get the above 'junk' from 2010.  WHERE DOES THIS .DAT FILE COME FROM AND HOW DOES IT KEEP RECREATING ITSELF; AND WHY CAN'T IT BE CHANGED AND/OR WHERE CAN IT BE CHANGED?