Error deploying ClickOnce application - Reference in the manifest does not match the identity of the downloaded assembly

Question

I'm trying to deploy a ClickOnce application, but installation fails on the client. Here's the error log:

PLATFORM VERSION INFO
Windows             : 6.1.7601.65536 (Win32NT)
Common Language Runtime     : 4.0.30319.1
System.Deployment.dll       : 4.0.30319.1 (RTMRel.030319-0100)
clr.dll             : 4.0.30319.1 (RTMRel.030319-0100)
dfdll.dll           : 4.0.30319.1 (RTMRel.030319-0100)
dfshim.dll          : 4.0.31106.0 (Main.031106-0000)

SOURCES
Deployment url          : http://MyProduct.com/download/workstation/MyProduct%20Front%20Desk.application
                    Server      : Microsoft-IIS/7.5
                    X-Powered-By    : ASP.NET
Deployment Provider url     : http://MyProduct.com/Download/Workstation/MyProduct%20Front%20Desk.application
                    Server      : Microsoft-IIS/7.5
                    X-Powered-By    : ASP.NET
Application url         : http://MyProduct.com/Download/Workstation/Application%20Files/MyProduct%20Front%20Desk_1_0_0_7/MyProduct%20Front%20Desk.exe.manifest
                    Server      : Microsoft-IIS/7.5
                    X-Powered-By    : ASP.NET

IDENTITIES
Deployment Identity     : MyProduct Front Desk.application, Version=1.0.0.7, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=df343a0868ab2d74, processorArchitecture=msil
Application Identity        : MyProduct Front Desk.exe, Version=1.0.0.7, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=df343a0868ab2d74, processorArchitecture=msil, type=win32

APPLICATION SUMMARY
* Installable application.

ERROR SUMMARY
Below is a summary of the errors, details of these errors are listed later in the log.
* Activation of http://MyProduct.com/download/workstation/MyProduct%20Front%20Desk.application resulted in exception. Following failure messages were detected:
    + Reference in the manifest does not match the identity of the downloaded assembly MyProductSiteServer.exe.

COMPONENT STORE TRANSACTION FAILURE SUMMARY
No transaction error was detected.

WARNINGS
There were no warnings during this operation.

OPERATION PROGRESS STATUS
* [03/17/11 11:51:04] : Activation of http://MyProduct.com/download/workstation/MyProduct%20Front%20Desk.application has started.
* [03/17/11 11:51:04] : Processing of deployment manifest has successfully completed.
* [03/17/11 11:51:04] : Installation of the application has started.
* [03/17/11 11:51:05] : Processing of application manifest has successfully completed.
* [03/17/11 11:51:06] : Found compatible runtime version 4.0.30319.
* [03/17/11 11:51:06] : Request of trust and detection of platform is complete.

ERROR DETAILS
Following errors were detected during this operation.
* [03/17/11 11:51:30] System.Deployment.Application.InvalidDeploymentException (RefDefValidation)
    - Reference in the manifest does not match the identity of the downloaded assembly MyProductSiteServer.exe.
    - Source: System.Deployment
    - Stack trace:
        at System.Deployment.Application.DownloadManager.ProcessDownloadedFile(Object sender, DownloadEventArgs e)
        at System.Deployment.Application.FileDownloader.DownloadModifiedEventHandler.Invoke(Object sender, DownloadEventArgs e)
        at System.Deployment.Application.SystemNetDownloader.DownloadSingleFile(DownloadQueueItem next)
        at System.Deployment.Application.SystemNetDownloader.DownloadAllFiles()
        at System.Deployment.Application.FileDownloader.Download(SubscriptionState subState)
        at System.Deployment.Application.DownloadManager.DownloadDependencies(SubscriptionState subState, AssemblyManifest deployManifest, AssemblyManifest appManifest, Uri sourceUriBase, String targetDirectory, String group, IDownloadNotification notification, DownloadOptions options)
        at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.DownloadApplication(SubscriptionState subState, ActivationDescription actDesc, Int64 transactionId, TempDirectory& downloadTemp)
        at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.InstallApplication(SubscriptionState& subState, ActivationDescription actDesc)
        at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.PerformDeploymentActivation(Uri activationUri, Boolean isShortcut, String textualSubId, String deploymentProviderUrlFromExtension, BrowserSettings browserSettings, String& errorPageUrl)
        at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.ActivateDeploymentWorker(Object state)

COMPONENT STORE TRANSACTION DETAILS
No transaction information is available.

The main exe I need to deploy is MyProductFrontDesk.exe, which has a dependency on MyProductSiteServer.exe - and that appears to be where the error is being thrown: "Reference in the manifest does not match the identity of the downloaded assembly MyProductSiteServer.exe."

Which manifest needs to be corrected? And how?

Answer 1

There was an issue with Visual Studio 2008 which is solved by not embedding the default manifest - one of the comments on that article suggests the problem still exists in Visual Studio 2010.

In project properties -> Application tab -> Resources -> checkbox Icon and manifest, the setting "Embed manifest with default settings" caused the problem. Setting it to "Create application without a manifest" fixes the problem.