Developer technologies | Visual Studio | Debugging
A core feature of Visual Studio that allows developers to inspect, analyze, and troubleshoot code during execution.
Upgrading to version 18.7.0 resolves the issue.
[Visual Studio 2026 18.6.2] object values are evaluated, nested rows are visible, but expand/collapse glyphs/arrows/+ controls are missing.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(131.20000000000002, 9%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EFF%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
FOURCARD Fabrice MarkBtoArdEur
0
Reputation points
Visual Studio 2026 18.6.2
Debugger: managed C#/.NET
Window: Autos
Issue: object values are evaluated, nested rows are visible, but expand/collapse glyphs/arrows/+ controls are missing.
Workarounds tried: Reset Window Layout, delete .vs folder
Developer technologies | Visual Studio | Debugging
-
Viorel 127.3K Reputation points2026-06-01T17:28:00.87+00:00 So the row can be expanded even if “>” element does not appear?
-
FOURCARD Fabrice MarkBtoArdEur 0 Reputation points
2026-06-02T07:41:44.7566667+00:00 So the row can be expanded even if “>” element does not appear?
Yes, the row can be expanded.
-
Viorel 127.3K Reputation points
2026-06-02T09:55:11.44+00:00 Probably something has deteriorated in Visual Studio or Windows. Visual Studio contains several options related to graphics in Options window for investigations: “Environment ❯ Visual Experience” and “Environment ❯ Visual Experience ❯ Effects”. Maybe even a repair of Visual Studio is necessary using Visual Studio Installer.
Sign in to comment
Answer recommended by moderator
FOURCARD Fabrice MarkBtoArdEur
0
Reputation points
3 additional answers
Sort by: Most helpful
-
AI answer
2026-06-01T12:25:45.89+00:00 In Visual Studio, the Autos window shows expandable objects with a disclosure glyph (arrow) when the debugger recognizes child members and visual styles are applied correctly. The context only documents how to open and use Autos/Locals and what expandable objects look like, not any known issue or fix specific to Visual Studio 2026 18.6.2 where the expand/collapse glyphs are missing while nested rows are still visible.
Because no product bug or configuration workaround for this specific behavior is documented in the provided material, no additional, supported troubleshooting steps can be given beyond the general guidance already tried (window layout reset, solution cache cleanup).
References:
AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information. -
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(163.2, 69%, 25%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EVD%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Varsha Dundigalla(INFOSYS LIMITED) 5,185 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff2026-06-02T11:09:33.76+00:00 Thank you for sharing the screenshot and details.
From what you described, the debugger is actually working correctly because the object values are evaluated and the nested rows are already visible and expanded. The only issue here is that the expand/collapse arrow (the small triangle or “+” control) is not being shown in the Autos window.
So this is not a debugging or data problem, it is only a UI display issue in Visual Studio where the glyph is missing.
This usually happens due to rendering or display issues in the IDE. You can try a few simple things to fix it: change the Visual Studio theme (Light/Dark/Blue), check Windows display scaling and try 100% temporarily, restart Visual Studio after clearing the ComponentModelCache folder, or disable hardware graphics acceleration from Tools → Options → Environment. If the issue still continues, running a Visual Studio repair or updating to the latest version also helps in cases like this.
Please let us know if you require any further assistance, we’re happy to help. If you found this information useful, kindly mark this as "Accept Answer". So that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.
-
FOURCARD Fabrice MarkBtoArdEur 0 Reputation points
2026-06-02T14:13:37.5266667+00:00 I have already tried all the standard troubleshooting steps, but the issue still persists.
Specifically:
- I ran a Visual Studio repair
- I changed the Visual Studio theme (Light/Dark/Blue)
- I tested different Windows display scaling settings (including 100%)
- I disabled hardware graphics acceleration from Tools → Options → Environment
Unfortunately, none of these actions resolved the problem, and the expand/collapse glyph is still not displayed in the Autos window.
At this point, it appears to be a persistent rendering issue rather than a configuration problem.
Please let me know if there are any other advanced steps or known fixes for this issue.
-
Varsha Dundigalla(INFOSYS LIMITED) 5,185 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff
2026-06-03T08:01:00.5766667+00:00 Thank you for trying all those steps and sharing the detailed update. Since the standard fixes like repair, theme change, scaling, and hardware acceleration did not help, this confirms that the debugger itself is working fine and this is a persistent UI rendering issue in Visual Studio.
In your case, because the rows are already expanded and values are visible, the expand/collapse control is functionally working but the glyph is not being drawn. When the issue continues even after repair, it usually points to a product-level regression in that specific version rather than a local configuration problem.
At this point, there isn’t any further reliable client-side fix to restore the glyph. The best approach would be to report this as a bug through the Visual Studio feedback channel so it can be investigated by the product team. As a temporary workaround, you can continue using the Autos window since expansion still works, or use Locals/Watch windows where the behavior may appear correctly.
If possible, also try a newer update or preview/insiders build, as these types of UI issues are often fixed in later releases.
Sign in to comment -
-
FOURCARD Fabrice MarkBtoArdEur 0 Reputation points
2026-06-02T07:41:08.6366667+00:00 So the row can be expanded even if “>” element does not appear?
Yes, the row can be expanded.