The automatically saved settings file cannot be found.

Applies to: SQL Server 2008 R2.
 

Problem Description.
 

The following error may appear when opening or closing SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):

"The automatically saved settings file '\\172.16.1.8\users\Administrator\SQL Server Management Studio\Settings\CurrentSettings-2014-08-05.vssettings' cannot be found. You can change this file on the 'Import and Export Settings' Tools Options page. The IDE will use your most recent settings for this session."

Cause.

Thanks to Jackie Xu (Microsoft Support Engineer) for the cause of this issue.

A group policy was once configured Folder Redirection on the domain,and the %USERPROFILE%\Documents folder was redirected to a network location. At the first run of SQL Server Management Studio, the program saves its settings in the redirected Documents folder. By some reason, the Documents folder was redirected back to the local userprofile location. So SSMS would show the user the error telling the settings file is not found.

Workaround.


Thanks to Jackie Xu (Microsoft Support Engineer) for the workaround. The workaround provided is the following:

1. Open the Registry.

2. Navigate In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Shell.

3. Locate a value named VisualStudioLocation on the right pane.

4. Change the value to the default setting %USERPROFILE%\Documents\SQL Server Management Studio.

5. If the value does not exist, recreate it using below information.


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Shell
Value name: VisualStudioLocation
Value Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ
Value: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\SQL Server Management Studio



 

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