Could not load file or assembly '***.dll' or one of its dependencies

Question

I have this dll that I created a long time ago and use to connect to the db of a specific software that I develop for. I have had no issues for well over 4 years and countless applications with this dll.

Trying to deploy my latest creation, I get the following error:

System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly '***.dll' or one of its dependencies. The specified module could not be found.

So, for every dll I ever wrote, I always made a simple forms application to test that dll just by itself. Running that simple app yielded the same error. The dll doesn't load or use anything else than: System, System.Data, System.XML. So as far as depencies of it go, I don't see anything wrong.

By the way everything works on a dev station. The problem is limited to deployment stations. .Net and the necessary redistributables, since I do everything in C++, are deployed and working.

Running FUSLOGVW.exe showed everything as working fine.

Running depends.exe said: Warning: At least one module has an unresolved import due to a missing export function in a delay-load dependent module.

I already tried rewriting the whole thing. Which yielded the same results.

Clues anyone?

EDITS

Here is the total error message:

See the end of this message for details on invoking \"
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.\"

************** Exception Text **************\"
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'connectionTo.dll' or one of its dependencies. The specified module could not be found.\"
File name: 'connectionToJobboss32.dll'\"
   at TESTConnection.Form1.button1_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)\"
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)\"
\"



************** Loaded Assemblies **************\"
mscorlib\"
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0\"
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.1 (RTMRel.030319-0100)\"
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll\"
----------------------------------------\"
TESTConnection\"
    Assembly Version: 1.0.3996.18980\"
    Win32 Version: \"
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/conn/TESTConnection.exe\"
----------------------------------------\"
System.Windows.Forms\"
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0\"
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.1 built by: RTMRel\"
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll\"
----------------------------------------\"
System.Drawing\"
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0\"
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.1 built by: RTMRel\"
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll\"
----------------------------------------\"
System\"
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0\"
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.1 built by: RTMRel\"
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll\"
----------------------------------------\"

There is no errors in the event viewer.

Answer 1

or one of its dependencies

That's the usual problem, you cannot see a missing unmanaged DLL with Fuslogvw.exe. Best thing to do is to run SysInternals' ProcMon utility. You'll see it searching for the DLL and not find it. Profile mode in Dependency Walker can show it too.