I have awindows form app. Icreated a Setup wizard project to the solution. But when I run the application from the start menu I get a FileNotFoundException. If I debug the exception I find that it is thrown by the licensing software assembly that I am evaluating.If I start the program from the windows explorer by drilling down to the c:\Program Files\.... the program runs fine.

If I remove the licensing assembly, but leave some Infragistics assemblies, the program starts fine (from the start menu). I have done this with 2 licensing products that I am evaluating and it is happening with both of them.

So, I added one of them to the Assembly cache (it was not in there)and it worked. Does this mean I need to add all of my commercial assemblies to the target GAC?

Thanks!

Bob

It depends on the assemblies.

For example, you can deploy DirectX locally without installing it in the GAC (which surprised me).

I would check with Infragistics and ask them if their assemblies have to be installed in the GAC, but from what you're doing here, it would seem that they do.

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RobinS. GoldMail.com

It depends on the assemblies.

For example, you can deploy DirectX locally without installing it in the GAC (which surprised me).

I would check with Infragistics and ask them if their assemblies have to be installed in the GAC, but from what you're doing here, it would seem that they do.

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RobinS. GoldMail.com

Hi Carver42,

I am not sure whether the problem is caused by the licensing assembly. But from your description, "If I start the program from the windows explorer by drilling down to the c:\Program Files\.... the program runs fine", I find there is some information missing when you start your application from Start Menu.

Please right click the shortcut to see if the "Start in" parameter is correct. If there is not text in "Start in" field, your application may meet problem. That's why when you start your application by clicking the exe instead of shortcut with no problem.

Hope this canalso help you.

Sincerely,
Kira Qian

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Please mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark if they don't.

Robin,

Thanks for the feedback. Just for the record, the Infragistics assembiles work just fine as they always do. It is another company's assemblies that are causing the problem.

Kira,

I have done a few tests since then. When I add the licensing assembly to a GAC Folder in the setup file system, everything works fine. I remove it from the GAC using control panel, and it breaks, I add it again using the control panel and it works again. So I think it needs to be in the GAC.

I was just suprised because all the documentation says don't add add things to the GAC unless you have to.

Then there is the .NET Framework pitch that it eliminates DLL hell, andall youhave to do is be sure the assembly is in the application folder... This doesn't seem to be the case.

Bob