Could not load "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0, Version=12.0.0.0" (VS2012)

[dsherret]

This occurs when I click the menu item to nest two files together. The program display an error message saying it failed to load, then says to look in ActivityLog.xml

I tried to open up the solution to figure out what was wrong with the references, but I can't load the project file because it's for VS2013 and I have VS2012. Basically, it wasn't worth my hassle so I will just edit the project file manually... but I thought I would leave you with my error log anyways:

  <entry>
    <record>540</record>
    <time>2014/01/17 01:15:58.470</time>
    <type>Error</type>
    <source>VisualStudio</source>
    <description>End package load [NestIn.NestInPackage, NestIn, Version=1.1.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=735d15f764f78d03]</description>
    <guid>{34CBC46C-355B-4FB7-98CB-75D76A6983D7}</guid>
    <hr>80004005 - E_FAIL</hr>
    <errorinfo>Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0, Version=12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.</errorinfo>
  </entry>

[tomdebie]

I've had the same issue and been able to create a workaround based on a connect report at "https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/794961/previous-version-assemblies-cannot-load-in-visual-studio-2013".

You can add the following binding redirect to your devenv.exe.config (By default located under "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE") to get Nestin running again.
A restart of visual studio is required.

<dependentAssembly>
    <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0" publicKeyToken="b03f5f7f11d50a3a" culture="neutral"/>
    <bindingRedirect oldVersion="12.0.0.0" newVersion="11.0.0.0"/>
</dependentAssembly>

On a sidenote:
Since the "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0, Version=12.0.0.0" is introduced as part of VS2013, I believe this bug has been introduced with the changes to Nestin regarding compatibility with VS2013.

[aaronmorgan]

@tomdebie Thank you, this fixed the problem on one of my VS 2012 PCs. The devenv.exe.config already contained the assemblyIdentity section but the oldVersion was 2.0.0.0-10.0.0.0. Changing it to 12.0.0.0 fixed NestIn.

However, on another PC the .config file change broke three other VS extensions, including AnkhSVN and Rename Visual Studio Window Title. I reverted to the original assemblyIdentity and added a new dependentAssembly section (as above). This seems to have fixed NestIn without breaking the other extensions. (I can't be sure this is the correct approach or won't create other issues.)

[jeremysimmons]

Recompiling NestIn.dll with an explicit reference to a lower version of Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0 also works great.

Would you consider this in a pull request?

index a658ac2..655d640 100644
--- a/NestIn/NestIn.csproj
+++ b/NestIn/NestIn.csproj
@@ -59,10 +59,7 @@
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.CSharp" />
-    <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.ComponentModelHost, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
-      <SpecificVersion>False</SpecificVersion>
-      <HintPath>..\..\..\..\..\..\..\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\IDE\PublicAssemblies\Microsoft.VisualStudio.ComponentModelHost.dll</HintPath>
-    </Reference>
+    <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.ComponentModelHost, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL"/>
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.OLE.Interop" />
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop" />
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.11.0, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
@@ -72,9 +69,7 @@
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.9.0" />
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.10.0" />
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextManager.Interop" />
-    <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0">
-      <Private>false</Private>
-    </Reference>
+    <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL"/>
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Immutable.10.0" />
     <Reference Include="System" />
     <Reference Include="System.ComponentModel.Composition" />

[jfromaniello]

@jeremysimmons Sorry, I wasn't receiving notifications for this repository :(

yes sure, go ahead and send me a pull request

Do you think it will work for newer versions for vs?

[jeremysimmons]

@jfromaniello I will submit the pull request. If the newer version of visual studio (2013) has that specific assembly, yes, it would work. Because that's a reference to an assembly with the strong name, both the name and version have to match. I don't know. I will put a copy of VS2013 on a clean OS to check if it does.

[jeremysimmons]

@jfromaniello I checked for Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0, Version=11.0.0.0 after a clean install of VS2013, it only had 12.0.0.0 in C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.10.0.
I don't think my pull request would have the benefit that's desired here of making all versions of VS compatible with this plugin. I think you're stuck distributing multiple versions.
The Nuget Package Manager has a version for 2010/2012 and different for 2013
https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/27077b70-9dad-4c64-adcf-c7cf6bc9970c 2010,2012
https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/4ec1526c-4a8c-4a84-b702-b21a8f5293ca 2013

Might be worth looking into how they accomplish this.

https://github.com/Haacked/NuGet/
See the msbuild properties ShellAssembly and ShellAssemblyHintPath for how they pull this off.

I will see if I can scrounge together some time this weekend.

[jeremysimmons]

@jfromaniello I looked into how Nuget is doing this. I didn't have time to implement but made some promising headway into understanding how it works. I'll keep you posted this week.

[jfromaniello]

@jeremysimmons awesome, thank you very much for taking care of this. I am in a completely different position right now, and I haven't been involved with .Net and VS since the last 3 years

I gave you access to the repository,

[mayerwin]

Check this very insightful answer on how to properly support multiple versions of Visual Studio:
http://stackoverflow.com/a/25629018/541420
There are Nuget packages for this!

[jeremysimmons]

Support Multiple Versions cleanly.

[jeremysimmons]

Moving build enhancement "Support Multiple Versions cleanly" to new Issue.