Recent upgrade of SQL Search to 3.0 causes package to not load correctly in SMSS 22

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  correction….  Sql Search 3.9

  keith bergoch February 13, 2026 14:02

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  Same issue experienced.  Uninstalled all Red Gate tools from Windows App installer.  Deleted all Red Gate Folders.  Restarted computer.  Launched SSMS 22.3 to make sure that the version is stable - it was ok. Closed SSMS.

  Reinstalled Red Gate from latest install package. Launched SSMS again.  Issue has not happened again (yet!)

  Glenn February 13, 2026 17:41

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  Please read this article for information of incompatibility issues between Redgate utilities and SSMS 22.3.
  Compatibility issues with SSMS 22.3

  Tony Nancarrow February 16, 2026 10:49

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  Stack trace of the exception after SSMS 22 closed:

  Application: SSMS.exe
  Framework Version: v4.0.30319
  Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
  Exception Info: System.IO.FileNotFoundException
    at RedGate.SQLSearch.Shell.VersionSpecific.ShellSpecificConnectionWatcher.ConvertServerNode(Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.INodeInformation)
    at RedGate.SQLSearch.Shell.VersionSpecific.ShellSpecificConnectionWatcher+<get_ServerNodes>d__8.MoveNext()
    at System.Linq.Enumerable+WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2[[System.__Canon, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089],[System.__Canon, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089]].MoveNext()
    at System.Collections.Generic.List`1[[System.__Canon, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089]]..ctor(System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable`1<System.__Canon>)
    at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToList[[System.__Canon, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089]](System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable`1<System.__Canon>)
    at RedGate.SQLSearch.Shell.VersionSpecific.ShellSpecificConnectionWatcher.HaveServerConnectionsChanged()
    at RedGate.SQLSearch.Shell.VersionSpecific.ShellSpecificConnectionWatcher.OnObjectExplorerContextChanged(System.Object, Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.NodesChangedEventArgs)

  Exception Info: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
    at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(System.Object, System.Object[], System.Signature, Boolean)
    at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(System.Object, System.Object[], System.Object[])
    at System.Delegate.DynamicInvokeImpl(System.Object[])
    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlStudio.Explorer.BufferedNotification.Fire()
    at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
    at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, System.Object, Boolean)
    at System.Threading.NetCore.TimerQueueTimer.CallCallback()
    at System.Threading.NetCore.TimerQueueTimer.Fire()
    at System.Threading.NetCore.TimerQueue.FireNextTimers()
    at System.Threading.TimerQueue.AppDomainTimerCallback(Int32)
   

  Piotr February 17, 2026 06:09

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  I have the same problem. Even deleting all Red Gate folders did not help.

  ---------------------------
  Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
  ---------------------------
  The 'SqlSearchSsmsPackage' package did not load correctly.

  The problem may have been caused by a configuration change or by the installation of another extension. You can get more information by examining the file 'C:\Users\adminmp\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SSMS\22.0_64d2bdc4\ActivityLog.xml'.

  Restarting Visual Studio could help resolve this issue.

  Continue to show this error message?
  ---------------------------
  Yes   No   
  ---------------------------
   

  Misa February 17, 2026 07:01

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  I also have the same problem. 
  Even reinstalling ssms did not fix it.

  Reijer February 17, 2026 08:13

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  Redgate have just released an update to SQL Prompt (11.3.6) that is compatible with SSMS 22.3.
  Unfortunately SQL Search and some other utilities are still incompatible with SSMS 22.3.
  See SQL Prompt compatibility update for SSMS 22.3.
  I suggest holding off upgrading to SSMS 22.3 until Redgate release compatibility updates for all of the utilities mentioned in the linked article above.

  Tony Nancarrow February 17, 2026 12:06

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  I have the same problem

  Connor O'Shea February 17, 2026 13:42

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  I have exactly the same issue. This is really poor. Are these things not tested with the latest version of SSMS? 

  Ian February 17, 2026 14:39

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  Same issue here

  shannon.tarman February 17, 2026 18:14

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  same issues with the latest update (18.02)

  dchianura February 18, 2026 10:09

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  Seems to still be broken. I updated SSMS because the latest installer required it - just to find out that it crashes SSMS. 
  
  I'm rolling back SSMS now and I'll install the older version of the SQL Toolbelt

   

  Jon Holden February 18, 2026 20:41

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  Per the email that was sent out “Interim fixes for other affected Productivity tools are coming on Wednesday” well today is Thursday and no update for SQLSearch. Do you have an ETA on a fix?

  Ian Keogh February 19, 2026 12:51

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  Where can I download SQL Prompt version 11.3.5?

  The SQLToolbeltEssentials.exe in my license folder points to version 3.5.3.3038 which contains SQL Prompt version 11.3.6.

  Basically, I need to download the versions of SQL Prompt and SQL Search that will work with SSMS 22.2.1.

  Thanks!

  Edhy February 19, 2026 13:32

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  Oh I see an update (Version 3.9.5.6487) was just pushed out 😊
  
  download.red-gate.com
  
  Installed and working on with SSMS 22.3 woohoo 😊

  Ian Keogh February 19, 2026 13:50

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  Thank you for the update, problem that we all occurred, is during the installer said hey upgrade to SSMS 22.3 so we did, then SQL search was broken, then broke the other SSMS installs. Leaving everyone broken for entire 2 days before this hotfix. Please do better QA testing this one should have been caught and not released. I hope employees are not vibe coding this tool like Microsoft vibe coding it's updates.

  Kenny February 19, 2026 14:45

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  I just installed the new version of SQLSearch. SSMS no longer crashes connecting to a server. However, SQLSearch does not function and still throws an exception on startup.

  Bryant McClellan February 19, 2026 14:49

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  Thanks to Ian Keogh for posting the link to download individual updates.

  I upgraded SSMS to version 22.3.0, then installed SQLPrompt_11.3.6.21421.exe and SQLSearch_3.9.5.6487.exe.

  I opened SSMS and got not error, then try SQL Prompt and Search tools and they are working as expected.

  Many thanks to the team for rushing to fix this issue. Yes, it took longer than anybody expected but today I am so happy I can use both tools again.

  Edhy February 19, 2026 16:04

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  I confirm that it works for me too. Thanks for your help.

  Misa February 20, 2026 07:20

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  So where can we get SQLSearch_3.9.5.6487.exe ? 
  It's really not entirely obvious. 

  Ian February 23, 2026 15:18

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  This looks like a specific metadata conflict within the SSMS 22.3 extension manager. When SQL Search 3.9 attempts to hook into the updated Object Explorer, any orphaned registry keys from the previous build can trigger a fatal crash, even if the "Program Files" folder is deleted.

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  Technical Suggestion:
  Before re-enabling RedGate, try clearing the Component Model Cache for SSMS. You can usually find it at:
  %AppData%\Microsoft\AppEnv\15.0\ComponentModelCache
  Deleting this folder forces SSMS to rebuild its extension index, which often clears the "Package not loading correctly" error that persists after a standard reinstall.

  Do you think the move toward 64-bit architecture in the latest SSMS builds is making these legacy SQL tool integrations more prone to memory-addressing conflicts in 2026?

  oliviagardner February 26, 2026 17:11

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  Trying to get the recommended version SQLSearch_3.9.5.6487.exe. 

  Downloading from this site - SQLSearchDownload.exe is version 3.9.3.3.38 so that is not very helpful. 

  So where / how can I get SQLSearch_3.9.5.6487.exe please? 

  Ian February 27, 2026 10:53

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  I had the same issue.
  After installing the latest SQL Prompt and SQL Search  , the error disappeared, but SQL Search is not shown anywhere in the SSMS menus or toolbars.

  Oleksii.Puzyrenko February 27, 2026 15:43

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