"Publish server data files" consistently fails (using standard COM ports), I can upload my code to all the boards I have tried (using COM ports).  Everything was working until last night.  The only thing I did differently was finally login to Microsoft within the visual studio IDE so they would quit nagging me about the trial ending. I have 
updated Visual Micro to version 1906.26.0 in an attempt to remedy this issue. I did verify the existence of all the files mentioned in the Spiffs upload output (see attachment).  I attempted to copy the files to see if it was a permission issue and discovered I could only copy them if I replaced the last  forward slash with a back slash.  As the forward as last back slash as the last deliminator for the paths appears systemic I am dubious as to that being the root cause.  I tried executing the commands in the visual studio command window... How would I go about executing the commands directly to test the forward slash theory?

-chlore

System: 
Win7, 
Visual Studio 2019 community, 
Visual micro 1906.26.0
Python 3.7 (3.6 appears to also be installed) 

Edit:

Solved: Reinstall Python 3.7, restart visual studio.
See post #16

I have confirmed that mkspiffs.exe does indeed exist @:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\Common7\IDE\Extensions\ru3henro.cop\ESP8266FSUpload.exe"
Other steps i have taken:
I have deleted every trace of arduino and reinstalled. Both in local users folder and "Program Files (x86)".  I reinstalled visual micro.  I used the visual studio visual micro explorer to install libraries... now the libraries cannot be found in spite of the fact they are displayed under the "installed" tab... compiling using the Arduino ide does indeed work.  I attempted to install on my puny wn10 laptop... but I think it is too memory constrained to properly run visual studio... I also installed on my win10 gaming rig and everything works.  I did make sure to turn off sync settings (damn you microsoft) this time i am still running a "trial" instance on the rig as I have not "signed in"... will update when i do "sign in".  Since using the gaming rig is out i am back to attempting to get my lab pc working. 

Of note all my libraries are being installed to my users "~\AppData\Local\arduino15\packages\"
while I clearly have only have "C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino" listed as my IDE location.  

-chlore

Attached are the requested files... I have included two

1. VS VisualMicro: "Deep Search" ON and then OFF      (fail) 
2. Arduino IDE (1.8.9)                                                (success)


Note: After examining the files it seems there is another location where libraries were being stored
"C:\Users\chlore\Documents\Arduino\libraries\"

-chlore

Ok.  Attached is the verbose output of the the Arduino IDE.
-chlore

Since I only had two slots for attachments I pasted the deep search off under the deep search on.  The deep search on is  short with an "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" exception.  I have attached the deep search on output.

BTW: My current mode of operation is to use visual micro to code since intelli-sense and code navigation are so useful and then drop out to the Arduino IDE to compile and upload...

-Chlore

So that um broke things real good... attempting to install libraries using visual micro results in the following error message:  "Unable to install the new library: Could not find a part of the path."   

Fortunately all i need to do is restore from Recycle bin... Im getting the feeling I may be in for a full arduino/vs/vm reinstall... under a new account... and the case for a virtual machine tool-chain is strengthened.

-chlore

So i uninstalled everything.  
Visual Studio, Visual Micro, Arduino
After uninstalling i either verified the following were removed and if not I directly deleted:

C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio
C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio Services
C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VSApplicationInsights
C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VSCommon
C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Arduino15
C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Temp\*
C:\Users\chlore\Documents\Arduino\libraries
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino

rebooted.

Reinstalled Visual Studio community 2019
Reinstalled Arduino 1.8.9.
Used the Arduino IDE to install additional boards  (ESP32, ESP8266, Teensy) and libraries.
Installed Visual Micro using the gallery.

Result:
Exactly the same.  Arduino compiles.  Visual Micro fails directly after "deep search... object not set to a reference of that object"  

Of note:
I was "required" to sign in to my microsoft account... (insert explicates here... and a bunch of rantings...)  i used my same account... so all my personalized exceptions were persisted across all my devices. Oh wait...

-chlore

Yes the reinstall described above resolves the ability to install libraries using visual micro library install issue, however the deep search compile fail issue remains: I am still experiencing the error:

Quote:


I have not set or modified any settings from "default" other than whatever occurs when I login to my microsoft account.  Are these the proper default locations or is this a setting that is "persisted across my devices" for my convenience when logging into a microsoft account?


Note 2: 
Libraries installed using ArduinoIDE:
Download folder:C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Arduino15\staging\packages
Install folder: C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages

Libraries installed using Visual Micro Explorer:
Download: C:\Users\chlore\AppData\Local\Arduino15\staging\libraries\
Install: C:\Users\chlore\Documents\Arduino\libraries 

Note:  my work laptop and gaming rig all have a working tool chain (VS2019, VM, Arduino) it is just my primary development PC I am having trouble resolving. 

-chlore

Solved.  It was a python issue.  

I executed the upload command displayed in the output window on the command prompt after substituting the full path for "python.exe" and was rewarded with a useful error message saying pyserial was not installed.  So the issue appears to be something modifying my python install. 

Solution: I installed the latest python 3.7 and it started working... only after I closed and reopened visual studio. 

Note: I still want to know about re-initializing all the settings.

-chlore