Visual Studio 2019 - No 'Attach to Unity' debug option

I installed VS2019 when it was released, and have been enjoying using the new features; however, I've had nonstop issues with the Unity development extension not working. No matter how I open VS, I don't get the attach option. I've tried running as admin and opening the project from the Editor in Assets->Open C# Project. I've been forced to revert to using VS2017 multiple times.

For what it's worth, my project is currently stuck in 5.6.6f2 (yeah, I know), but I have seen this same issue when working in the QA version that is now in 2018.3.1f1.

 

Using latest 2018 Unity build and had to revert to VS2017, all is well again. I'll wait until Unity bundles VS2019 before I try it again. Currently they still bundle 2017.

 

Shame they would release the extension for VS2019 but not support it...

 

Please Unity release VS2019 support extension

 

Hoping for an update on this so I can use VS 2019

 

Until they do you can use:
VS -> Debug -> Attach unity debugger -> double click project

 

If you install the Visual Studio tools for Unity manually. The Attach to Unity option re-appears, and Intellisense is now offering unity functions for auto complete.

1. Run Visual Studio Installer
2. On the version of VS2019 you have installed click Modify
3. At the top of the window navigate to Individual Components
4. About 2/3 of the way down you will see a subtitle "Games and Graphics" make sure Visual Studio Tools for Unity is checked.
5. In bottom right click install.

 

This was always the case @beefyt123 and the manner in which I installed the VS Tools for Unity extension. I updated to Visual Studio 2019.1.1 today so we will see if that fixes the issue for good.

 

it works for me you are my hero.

 

Yes, the attach option works. Just today, I installed VS 2019 from scratch, ensured the VS Tools for Unity was checked, and installed Unity 2019.2.0... When I double click on the script file in unity, and it opens up VS 2019, there is no way to press the green Play button and start debugging. I MUST go and attach to unity. I don't know why Beefy's solution works, but it doesn't for me. There are a lot of options in Unity and in the VS Tools for Unity extension, I don't know what, if anything, modifying them would help with.

 

I finally got my project upgraded to Unity 2018.3 and the attach option is working consistently. I imagine it was a compatibility issue with Unity 5.4.

 

gooooooooooood

 

I had first problems with the connection to Unity. After reinstall the VS 2019 it work. But when i want to lookup some commands by using Ctr+ALT + M and Ctrl + H, i get a
search option insted and if i let it search, it takes forever.


Edit: Tried to revert back to 2017, but the same search box appears when trying to look up
Mono commands with Ctrl+ALT +M and Ctrl +H.
Looks like it is the search and replace box that appear.

 

This fixed the issues! Thank you so much. After I installed VS2019, everytime I clicked on a Script it would open a new instance of VS. Now its all good!

 

Be sure to follow the mentioned steps above first (Install Visual Studio Tools for Unity), but if still does not work (in my case with version 18.3.3f1), do this:

- Exit Visual Studio if opened.
- With Unity opened go to Edit\Preferences\External Tools (check you have VS 2019 as External Script Editor) and set Editor Attaching to FALSE and then exit Unity.
- Open Unity and go again to Edit\Preferences\External Tools and set Editor Attaching to TRUE and exit Unity
- Open Unity again and then Open Visual Studio.

It should work now.

 

Nope - at least not for Unity 2019.2.17f1 and VS 16.4.3

 

This did the trick for me,

VS2019 Community 16.4.3

and

Unity 2019.2.19f1

. Thanks for reminding me about the external editor setting!!

 

Thank You Absolutely did the job for me!

 

This worked for me as well

 

I am suddenly having this age old issue today. I did not update VS2019 or Unity. Suddenly the Attach to Unity Option has disappeared. I am going to try to reinstall the unity tools.

I tried to reinstall Unity's Editor and Unity Tools from the Visual Studio 2019 install tool, but that did not work.

 

For whatever reason, it won't automatically show the attach to Unity. However I can still do it through the Debug options. Attach to Unity. Perhaps there was something that was hot patched?

EDIT: And the next day it is suddenly back.

 

For Newbie’s Like me. After updating to Visual Studio 2019 I lost the Debug facility, I followed the procedure above/ Preferences/External Tools. At the top by External Script Editor the were some unusual Characters. I clicked on the dropdown list and there was Visual Studio 2019 (Community) after selecting that Debug works fine. Another issue for beginners. When I tried to download Visual Studio the page opened up Minimized and I could not find the Unity addon then the penny dropped and I clicked the maximize button and all was revealed.

 

My 2 cents here, had the same issue today. Tried everything, some of the setting attributes stated in some of the posts above could not be found on my Unity Version (2020.1.0a25.3171 on Mac), so I finally figured out that the only thing that changed from yesterday (when I was debugging completely fine) and today is that I switched platform from Android to iOS. Reverting back the platform to Android made the Debug option appear back and everything's now working as intended.

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/vi...ng-visual-studio-tools-for-unity?view=vs-2019
What worked for me was ¨Open C# Project from the Assets menu in Unity.¨ Double-clicking a script file did not display the Attach to Unity button in VS 2019.

 

From VS installer... Individual Components -> Visual Studio Tools for Unity

 

Hey Folks,

I'm the Program Manager of Tools for Unity at Microsoft. I'm reading through the pain here and it's super alarming. If you're still experiencing trouble like this, please use the Help > Report a Problem menu from Visual Studio to file an issue on Developer Community.

One common reason VS would not show the Attach to Unity option is that the solution/project was not recognized as a Unity project and instead it was opened as a normal C# project. This usually means that the Tools for Unity extension is not installed.

Another common issue recently was with Unity 2020.x versions and the new way external editors integrate - with Unity Packages. If you're using 2020.x with VS 2019 and have issues where IntelliSense isn't working or similar debugger options missing, update the "Visual Studio" package in Unity Editor > Windows > Package Manager to version 2.0.2.

If you continue to have issues, follow the advice of Report a Problem above and feel free to send me a message so I can help troubleshoot to save you some time and pain - my apologies to those who already had to debug this on their own, but many thanks to the community here that stepped up.

 

This was it for me. After months of suffering with the debug menu way I made another attempt at finding the issue, and that was it. What does Unity do when you click that option that it usually doesn't!?

 

Opening from Assets menu worked for me. Thanks!

 

@Orion @AronTD

What versions of Visual Studio and Unity were you using at the time of that issue?

 

@John_MSFT I'm using 2020.1.2f.

 

Make sure to have your scripts in Assets/Scripts folder of unity project.

 

This solution worked for me today

 

Tried all the above with no joy. This one however worked for me. It did prompt that my Solution had changed and I had to confirm to Reload it. Then the Attach to Unity option suddenly showed up.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This really works !!! Even the intellisense that was not working, returned to work. Thanks a lot!!!

 

For me, it turns out that my project was not opening as a Unity project. Not sure what happened, but this solution worked for me.

Edit -> Preferences -> External Tools -> Regenerate project files.

When I clicked this button and switched back to VS, I was prompted to reload the project, and it loaded as a Unity project this time, allowing me to utilize the Attach to Unity button.

 

https://developercommunity.visualst...dio-2019-no-attach-to-unity-debug-option.html

 

I have same issue I tested ANY of solution proposed and doesn't work.
I tried:
- reinstall all
- enable / disable visual studio as editor
- regenerate project
- open from asset menu.
When I open the C# files, it open correctly Visual Studio, and menu attach to Unity appears, but when I try to start debugger, it terminate immediately without any information.
We are completely stuck in that problem, what should we do again?

 

I fixed by myslef.
We removed any previsious installations of Unity and Unity hub itself. After, we removed manually any file of previous installation left (there was some either after uninstall all). After reinstalled a clean version with Unity 2020.1.13F1.
In my opinion in some cases, with multiple installations present, Visual Studio points to wrong Unity executable and is not able to attach correctly to process.

 

Once in a while, this issue occurs and this solution has been working for me.

 

Worked for me (Unity 2020.2.0f1)
Thank you very much

 

Be sure you has setup Unity debugger then go

to Unity opened go to Edit\Preferences\External Tools and change to exactly Visual Studio ( I has done ... Last name before is Dev... ,It worked for me ! hope some cases can fix ^^

 

I just started working with Unity 2020.2.1f1, using Visual Studio 2017 v 15.8.9, with Package Manager packages of Visual Studio Code Editor 1.2.3 and Visual Studio Editor 2.0.5. I keep getting a situation (at least once a day) where the "Attach To Unity" button suddenly stops working instead it shows the "Select Unity Instance" dialog with no instances available even though I had been attaching and running successfully just 5 minutes earlier.

Going to Debug | Attach Unity Debugger shows the same dialog but with 2 instances of Unity running, both Editor copies with different ports, even though I have no other instances of Unity open. I can attach to one of those versions (seems random which one) and it will correctly hit breakpoints while running. Attaching to the other seems to work but no breakpoints are hit.

Closing VS & restarting it by double-clicking on a script from Unity does not help, nor does Regenerate Project Files.

Exiting Unity & VS, ensuring all Unity processes are gone via Task Manager & then restarting from Unity Hub may or may not fix the issue. The only guaranteed way I have found so far is a full Reboot.

This is getting time-consuming & frustrating. Any idea why it would suddenly spawn a second process or start using a second port?

 

@LHAppri

Sorry to hear about this issue! I will check with team on what might cause the behavior you mentioned - but in the meantime please report issues with Visual Studio using the Help > Submit Feedback > Report a Problem menu. That will help our team track and provide updates as we investigate.

 

I've had the exact same issue that LHAppri describes above, but today the "Play" button is completely removed and replaced with a "Tools&Hammer" button, for building the project. But any trace of Unity is gone. Attach to process is greyed out etc.
I've tried restarting, deactivating and reactivating the Unity plugin, but it's like any trace of Unity awareness are gone.
Wierd thing is that this happened during a debugging session today. Poof, no more Unity integration.

 

@Polyfemos

Yikes! Please report the issue using the Help menu in Visual Studio. There is a Report a Problem menu in there that will guide you to Developer Community to file a bug. That will automatically include some logs and version information. Please document the issue and any other details you can share so we can investigate. Thank you!

 

I also encountered this issue and resolved it using this technique.
I am using Unity 2020.2.1f1.

 

that worked for me, thanks.

 

I clicked 'Open C# Project' on a random script and it fixed my studio: attach to unity appeared

 

Updating everything to latest version in VS2019 fixed it for me and now I have an "attach unity debugger" option.

 

This works for me