Cannot find file, even though I already found it.

[Troy Lundin]

I am getting an error stating the program cannot find the file, even though the file was found using a loop to grab all files in the directory.

Code:

For Each file In IO.Directory.GetFiles(Application.StartupPath & "\Editors")
 
            pbar.Value += 1
            pbar.Text = "Checking: " & New IO.FileInfo(file).Name
 
            ' Only search files that end in .dll
            If file.EndsWith(".dll") Then
 
                Try
                    ' Load the assembly.
                    asm = Reflection.Assembly.Load(IO.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(file))
                Catch ex As Exception
                    Continue For
                End Try
 
...

Exception:

-       ex  {"Could not load file or assembly 'testModule' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.":"testModule"}    System.Exception
-       System.IO.FileNotFoundException {"Could not load file or assembly 'testModule' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.":"testModule"}    System.IO.FileNotFoundException
        _className  "System.IO.FileNotFoundException"   String
        _COMPlusExceptionCode   -532462766  Integer
        _data   Nothing System.Collections.IDictionary
        _dynamicMethods Nothing Object
        _exceptionMethod    Nothing System.Reflection.MethodBase
        _exceptionMethodString  Nothing String
        _fileName   "testModule"    String
        _fusionLog  "=== Pre-bind state information ===  LOG: DisplayName = testModule  (Partial)  WRN: Partial binding information was supplied for an assembly:  WRN: Assembly Name: testModule | Domain ID: 1  WRN: A partial bind occurs when only part of the assembly display name is provided.  WRN: This might result in the binder loading an incorrect assembly.  WRN: It is recommended to provide a fully specified textual identity for the assembly,  WRN: that consists of the simple name, version, culture, and public key token.  WRN: See whitepaper [url]http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=109270[/url] for more information and common solutions to this issue.  LOG: Appbase = file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/  LOG: Initial PrivatePath = NULL  Calling assembly : NDSMain, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null.  ===  LOG: This bind starts in default load context.  LOG: Using application configuration file: C:\Users\Troy Lundin\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\_Emulation\NDS\__Output\NDSMain.vshost.exe.Config  LOG: Using host configuration file:   LOG: Using machine configuration file from C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\config\machine.config.  LOG: Policy not being applied to reference at this time (private, custom, partial, or location-based assembly bind).  LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/testModule.DLL.  LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/testModule/testModule.DLL.  LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/testModule.EXE.  LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/testModule/testModule.EXE.  "  String
        _helpURL    Nothing String
        _HResult    -2147024894 Integer
        _innerException Nothing System.Exception
        _ipForWatsonBuckets 1820636370  System.UIntPtr
        _maybeFullPath  Nothing String
        _message    "Could not load file or assembly 'testModule' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified."   String
        _remoteStackIndex   0   Integer
        _remoteStackTraceString Nothing String
+       _safeSerializationManager   {System.Runtime.Serialization.SafeSerializationManager} System.Runtime.Serialization.SafeSerializationManager
        _source Nothing String
+       _stackTrace {SByte()}   Object
        _stackTraceString   Nothing String
        _watsonBuckets  Nothing Object
        _xcode  -532462766  Integer
        _xptrs  0   System.IntPtr
+       Data    {System.Collections.ListDictionaryInternal} System.Collections.IDictionary
        FileName    "testModule"    String
        FusionLog   "=== Pre-bind state information ===  LOG: DisplayName = testModule  (Partial)  WRN: Partial binding information was supplied for an assembly:  WRN: Assembly Name: testModule | Domain ID: 1  WRN: A partial bind occurs when only part of the assembly display name is provided.  WRN: This might result in the binder loading an incorrect assembly.  WRN: It is recommended to provide a fully specified textual identity for the assembly,  WRN: that consists of the simple name, version, culture, and public key token.  WRN: See whitepaper [url]http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=109270[/url] for more information and common solutions to this issue.  LOG: Appbase = file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/  LOG: Initial PrivatePath = NULL  Calling assembly : NDSMain, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null.  ===  LOG: This bind starts in default load context.  LOG: Using application configuration file: C:\Users\Troy Lundin\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\_Emulation\NDS\__Output\NDSMain.vshost.exe.Config  LOG: Using host configuration file:   LOG: Using machine configuration file from C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\config\machine.config.  LOG: Policy not being applied to reference at this time (private, custom, partial, or location-based assembly bind).  LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/testModule.DLL.  LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/testModule/testModule.DLL.  LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/testModule.EXE.  LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Users/Troy Lundin/Documents/Visual Studio 2012/Projects/_Emulation/NDS/__Output/testModule/testModule.EXE.  "  String
        HelpLink    Nothing String
        HResult -2147024894 Integer
        InnerException  Nothing System.Exception
        IPForWatsonBuckets  1820636370  System.UIntPtr
        IsTransient False   Boolean
        Message "Could not load file or assembly 'testModule' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified."   String
        RemoteStackTrace    Nothing String
        s_EDILock   {Object}    Object
        Source  "mscorlib"  String
        StackTrace  "   at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly._nLoad(AssemblyName fileName, String codeBase, Evidence assemblySecurity, RuntimeAssembly locationHint, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, IntPtr pPrivHostBinder, Boolean throwOnFileNotFound, Boolean forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks)     at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.nLoad(AssemblyName fileName, String codeBase, Evidence assemblySecurity, RuntimeAssembly locationHint, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, IntPtr pPrivHostBinder, Boolean throwOnFileNotFound, Boolean forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks)     at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.InternalLoadAssemblyName(AssemblyName assemblyRef, Evidence assemblySecurity, RuntimeAssembly reqAssembly, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, IntPtr pPrivHostBinder, Boolean throwOnFileNotFound, Boolean forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks)     at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.InternalLoad(String assemblyString, Evidence assemblySecurity, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, IntPtr pPrivHostBinder, Boolean forIntrospection)     at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.InternalLoad(String assemblyString, Evidence assemblySecurity, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, Boolean forIntrospection)     at System.Reflection.Assembly.Load(String assemblyString)     at NDS.Main.LoadModule() in C:\Users\Troy Lundin\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\_Emulation\NDS\_NDS\Main.vb:line 182" String
+       TargetSite  {System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly _nLoad(System.Reflection.AssemblyName, System.String, System.Security.Policy.Evidence, System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly, System.Threading.StackCrawlMark ByRef, IntPtr, Boolean, Boolean, Boolean)} System.Reflection.MethodBase
        WatsonBuckets   Nothing Object

The exception informs me it cannot load the assembly 'testModule' because it cannot find the file ":"testModule".

What's with the three quotes and the colon? Why would I get this error even though the assembly was grabbed in the loop?

[ident]

did you write all that?

[jmcilhinney]

I suggest that you read the documentation for that Assembly.Load method that you're calling. The String you pass should contain the long-form assembly name, NOT a file path.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...vs.110%29.aspx

[ident]

John did not mention

If file.EndsWith(".dll") Then

[Troy Lundin]

I understand what you are saying. I am just a bit confused. I have used the same code for over two years now and haven't once gotten an error. In fact, I am able to load two assemblies from the same directory (Editors) prior to the assembly that causes the exception.

After some fiddling, I was able to load it using the same process, Reflection.Assembly.Load(IO.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(file)), but I changed the directory from 'Application.StartupPath & "\Editors"' to just 'Application.StartupPath'. This made it work, but I am still wondering why it would load two other assemblies from the 'Editors' directory, but not 'testModule'.