MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Attrib on x64 machine failing

Question

I'm having an issue with the Attrib task from the MSBuild Community Tasks Project when running on a 64 bit build machine.

I've put together this small test project to show what the problem is:

<Project ToolsVersion="3.5" DefaultTargets="Build" 
         xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">

  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Targets"/>

  <Target Name="PrintProperties">
    <Message Text="MSBuildCommunityTasksPath: $(MSBuildCommunityTasksPath)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildCommunityTasksLib: $(MSBuildCommunityTasksLib)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildNodeCount: $(MSBuildNodeCount)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildExtensionsPath: $(MSBuildExtensionsPath)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildExtensionsPath32: $(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildProjectDirectoryNoRoot: $(MSBuildProjectDirectoryNoRoot)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildToolsPath: $(MSBuildToolsPath)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildToolsVersion: $(MSBuildToolsVersion)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildBinPath: $(MSBuildBinPath)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildExtensionsPath: $(MSBuildExtensionsPath)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildProjectDefaultTargets: $(MSBuildProjectDefaultTargets)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildProjectDirectory: $(MSBuildProjectDirectory)"/> 
    <Message Text="MSBuildProjectExtension: $(MSBuildProjectExtension)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildProjectFile: $(MSBuildProjectFile)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildProjectFullPath: $(MSBuildProjectFullPath)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildProjectName: $(MSBuildProjectName)"/>
    <Message Text="MSBuildStartupDirectory: $(MSBuildStartupDirectory)"/> 
  </Target>

  <Target Name="TestAttrib" DependsOnTargets="PrintProperties">
    <Attrib Files="Test.txt" ReadOnly="false" />
  </Target>

</Project>

when I attempt to build this project with MSBuild using TestAttrib as the Target I get the following results

C:>msbuild "C:_Source Code\Test.vbproj" /t:TestAttrib Microsoft (R) Build Engine Version 3.5.30729.1 [Microsoft .NET Framework, Version 2.0.50727.4016] Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 2007. All rights reserved.

Build started 7/09/2009 2:50:12 PM.
Project "C:_Source Code\Test.vbproj" on node 0 (TestAttrib target(s)).
MSBuildCommunityTasksLib: C:\Program Files\MSBuild\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBu ild.Community.Tasks.dll
MSBuildNodeCount: 1
MSBuildExtensionsPath: C:\Program Files\MSBuild
MSBuildExtensionsPath32: C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild
MSBuildProjectDirectoryNoRoot: _Source Code
MSBuildToolsPath: c:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v3.5
MSBuildToolsVersion: 3.5
MSBuildBinPath: c:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v3.5
MSBuildExtensionsPath: C:\Program Files\MSBuild
MSBuildProjectDefaultTargets: Build
MSBuildProjectDirectory: C:_Source Code
MSBuildProjectExtension: .vbproj
MSBuildProjectFile: Test.vbproj
MSBuildProjectFullPath: C:_Source Code\Test.vbproj
MSBuildProjectName: Test
MSBuildStartupDirectory: C:\
C:_Source Code\Test.vbproj(26,5): error MSB4062: The "MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Attrib" task could not be loaded from the assembly C:\Program Files\MSBuild\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.dll. Could not load file or assembly 'file:///C:\Program Files\MSBuild\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.dll' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. Confirm that the declaration is correct, and that the assembly and all its dependencies are available. Done Building Project "C:_Source Code\Test.vbproj" (TestAttrib target(s)) -- FAILED.

Build FAILED.

"C:_Source Code\Test.vbproj" (TestAttrib target) (1) ->(TestAttrib target) -> C:_Source Code\Test.vbproj(26,5): error MSB4062: The "MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Attrib" task could not be loaded from the assembly C:\Program Files\MSBuild\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.dll. Could not load file or assembly 'file:///C:\Program Files\MSBuild\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.dll' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. Confirm that the declaration is correct, and that the assembly and all its dependencies are available.

0 Warning(s)
1 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:00.05

Why is the MSBuild searching for the Attrib task in C:\Program Files\MSBuild\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.dll when I've explicitly imported the tasks using the (MSBuildExtensionsPath32) variable?

Answer 1

I seem to have fixed the issue by editing line 6 of "C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Targets"
Originally it was:

<MSBuildCommunityTasksPath Condition="'$(MSBuildCommunityTasksPath)' == ''">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\MSBuildCommunityTasks</MSBuildCommunityTasksPath>

and I altered it to:

<MSBuildCommunityTasksPath Condition="'$(MSBuildCommunityTasksPath)' == ''">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\MSBuildCommunityTasks</MSBuildCommunityTasksPath>

note the change of $(MSBuildExtensionsPath) to $(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)

While this seems to have sorted out my issue for now, I'm not sure why I had to edit the MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Targets file in the first place - I assumed the installer would have made sure the file was correct. So perhaps editing the MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Targets file isn't the best idea in the world, so be careful if you decide to follow my lead.