Unhandled Exception: System.IO.FileLoadException: Could not load file
or assembl y 'TheLibrary, Version=1.2.3905.36284, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=14 04827c3a8f2601' or one of its dependencies. The
application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration
is incorrect. Please see the application event log for more detail.
(Exception from HRESULT: 0x800736B1) File name: 'TheLibrary,
Version=1.2.3905.36284, Culture=neutral, PublicKe
yToken=1404827c3a8f2601' —>
System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x800 736B1): The
application has failed to start because its side-by-side configurati
on is incorrect. Please see the application event log for more detail.
(Exceptio n from HRESULT: 0x800736B1)
When I look at the event log, I get this error.
Activation context generation failed for
"C:\project\Debug\MyLibrary.dll". Dependent Assembly
Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",version="9.0.21022.8"
could not be found. Please use sxstrace.exe for detailed diagnosis.
I used sxstrace to log the error and here is the result:
================= Begin Activation Context Generation. Input Parameter: Flags = 0 ProcessorArchitecture = x86 CultureFallBacks =
en-US;en ManifestPath = C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe
AssemblyDirectory = C:\Windows\system32\ Application Config File =
—————– INFO: Parsing Manifest File C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe. INFO: Manifest Definition Identity is
Microsoft.Windows.FileSystem.CMD,processorArchitecture="x86",type="win32",version="5.1.0.0".
INFO: Activation Context generation succeeded. End Activation Context
Generation.================= Begin Activation Context Generation. Input Parameter: Flags = 0 ProcessorArchitecture = x86 CultureFallBacks =
en-US;en ManifestPath = C:\Debug\TheLibrary.dll AssemblyDirectory =
C:\Debug\ Application Config File =
—————– INFO: Parsing Manifest File C:\Debug\TheLibrary.dll. INFO: Manifest Definition Identity is (null). INFO: Reference:
Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",version="9.0.21022.8"
INFO: Resolving reference
Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",version="9.0.21022.8".
INFO: Resolving reference for ProcessorArchitecture x86. INFO:
Resolving reference for culture Neutral. INFO: Applying Binding
Policy.
INFO: No publisher policy found.
INFO: No binding policy redirect found. INFO: Begin assembly probing.
INFO: Did not find the assembly in WinSxS.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_32\Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT\9.0.21022.8__1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b\Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT.DLL.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Debug\Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT.DLL.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Debug\Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT.MANIFEST.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Debug\Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT\Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT.DLL.
INFO: Attempt to probe manifest at C:\Debug\Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT\Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT.MANIFEST.
INFO: Did not find manifest for culture Neutral. INFO: End assembly probing. ERROR: Cannot resolve reference
Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT,processorArchitecture="x86",publicKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",type="win32",version="9.0.21022.8".
ERROR: Activation Context generation failed. End Activation Context
Generation.
Cannot resolve reference Microsoft.VC90.DebugCRT,processorArchitecture=...
Any ideas?
Best Answer
We've just had this exact same error but the cause was so misleading compared to the error it's hopefully worth adding here as it comes top on google...
The "The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect" error was occurring when starting a windows service. In our instance this was caused by the services application.config xml file not being valid - someone had edited it manually and pasted in an extra closing tag. Amending this resolved the "not related in any way whatsoever" error message.
The quickest way to check this would be to paste the xml file into one of the many on-line xml validators free on the web.