Error - "side-by-side configuration" on Win XP : side, error, configuration

May 16, 2008 08:25pm pdt

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01.26.2006 at 08:36AM PST, ID: 21711425

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5.4

Error - "side-by-side configuration" on Win XP

Zone: Microsoft Visual C++.Net

Tags: side, error, configuration

I have an MFC app (Visual Studio 2005).
It runs perfectly on a Win 2000 test PC.
On a Win XP test PC I get an error referring to "side-by-side configuration information"

Basically the app won't start on XP. Using depends I get a bit more info referring to the above problem

I'm stumped. I can't find what this side-by-side configuration is in help.
Ideas as to what is going wrong and more importantly how to fix it?

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Question Stats

Zone: Programming

Question Asked By: AndyAinscow

Solution Provided By: AndyAinscow

Participating Experts: 1

Solution Grade: A

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01.26.2006 at 10:05AM PST, ID: 15797625

AndyAinscow:

from event log.

Generate Activation Context failed.

01.26.2006 at 10:06AM PST, ID: 15797631

AndyAinscow:

specifically error
ERROR_SXS_CANT_GEN_ACTCTX

01.26.2006 at 10:28AM PST, ID: 15797861

Rank: Guru

lakshman_ce:

Set "NO" to "Embed Manifest" setting in "Input and Output" section of "Manifest Tool".
Take a look at this
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=23261

01.26.2006 at 10:37AM PST, ID: 15797945

AndyAinscow:

To try to simplify matters (actual app has a number of dll's / threads ...) I have created a simple dialog based app to test.
That fails with the same error.

I have done as you suggested and now have a different error (with the simple dlg based app).
Application failed to initialise properly (0x80000003). Click OK to terminate the application.

01.26.2006 at 11:24AM PST, ID: 15798424

AndyAinscow:

I think I have found it.
I need to distribute some more (VC runtime / MFC runtime manifest?) files (things like the VC80.CRT directory contents - depends.exe didn't flag them as missing).
Just copying that directory and the app will run correctly with the Embed Manifest set to yes. (Set embed manifest to no and it fails - maybe in that instance I would need to distribute the manifest file for the app as well).

Accepted Solution

01.26.2006 at 12:04PM PST, ID: 15798839

Rank: Guru

lakshman_ce:

Interesting. I thought your issue more matched with the discussion in that link.

I am surprised depends.exe missed them.

01.26.2006 at 11:39PM PST, ID: 15802806

AndyAinscow:

I've got to do some more testing today.
The link looks relevant, I'm surprised that it didn't work in my case as it apparently did in that link for the *same* error.

01.27.2006 at 05:40AM PST, ID: 15804555

AndyAinscow:

I've tried it now with XP + SP2 and the installation works. I was just missing the .manifest files for the MFC/MSVCRT components in the installation.

01.27.2006 at 06:23AM PST, ID: 15804870

Rank: Guru

lakshman_ce:

I am just wondering if this has to do something with the application packaging. I understand that the following steps are required when building the setup for side by side assemblies.

Creating an Installation for a Side-by-Side (Win32) Assembly

A Side-by-Side (Win32) Assembly usually consists of a single Side-by-Side Portable Executable (.EXE, .DLL, .OCX, etc ) and its accompanying .MANIFEST file. Side-by-Side components only operate Side-by-Side on Windows XP, so you must take special care to author your installation to work on down-level platforms if you intend to support them. Side-by-Side components can be configured to be installed isolated to the application or to the Global Assembly Cache.

These are the steps required to create a component for a Side-by-Side Assembly:

Step 1:
Create a new project or open your currently existing project in InstallShield Developer 7.0
Note: Be sure to create an Install Condition in your Product Properties if your Side-by-Side components dont support down-level platforms.

Step 2:
In the Setup Design view, create a component to hold your side-by-side assembly.

Step 3:
Add all the files belonging to the assembly to the components file list.
Note: If you dont set a key file, InstallShield will automatically set the .MANIFEST file as the key file in the next step.

Step 4:
In the Advance Settings of the component right-click on the Assembly node and select New .Win32 Assembly

Step 5:
After selecting the Win32 Assembly node examine the properties. Youll see that your .MANIFEST file has automatically been selected as the Manifest file.
Note: If you plan to target down-level platforms, be sure to include all the COM data that is part of your assembly in the COM Registration section of the components Advanced Settings view. You can also use InstallShields extract COM information at build or component wizard functionality to automatically extract the required COM data for down-level platforms. Note that on Windows XP this information will be ignored and the manifest data will be used instead.

Step 6:
Select whether you want the Assembly to be installed to the Global Assembly Cache or not by setting the Global Cache property.
Note: Your Assembly must be properly signed in order to be correctly installed into the Global Assembly Cache. See the Windows Platform SDK for more information.

Step 7:
Set the Name, Type, and Version properties. These values must be copied exactly as they appear in the assembly manifest. If your assembly contains other properties, you may add them by clicking on the last row of the property list for your assembly.

01.27.2006 at 07:12AM PST, ID: 15805254

AndyAinscow:

I'll have to study this.

(I didn't even realise I was creating a side-by-side app. I have gone from VS 6 -> VS 2005 and just did what I would normally do for an MFC based app.)

01.27.2006 at 08:32PM PST, ID: 15810935

kodiakbear:

A request to delete this question has been asked in the Community Support TA.
If there are no objections from the participating experts this question will be deleted/refund points in 4 days by myself or another moderator.

kb
Experts Exchange Moderator

01.27.2006 at 11:41PM PST, ID: 15811350

AndyAinscow:

Please wait - I posted that request prior to the last comment from lakshman_ce

02.01.2006 at 01:17AM PST, ID: 15841622

AndyAinscow:

Sorry for the delay - I've been out of the office for a couple of days.
I'll try to find time to study/comment soon.

02.01.2006 at 05:16AM PST, ID: 15842792

Rank: Guru

lakshman_ce:

Take your own time. :)

02.03.2006 at 07:40AM PST, ID: 15864292

AndyAinscow:

I've read your comment. I think it is a little off topic but could be interesting.
(Actually I will be using Wise installer.)

I am still puzzled by this side by side configuration. Specifically what it is. I hadn't met this until this error appeared. (I have just upgraded from VS6 to VS 2005).

With Visual Studio 6 one would install an app (C:\program files\MyApp\Foo.exe) and supporting MFC dlls go into the system directory. That could result in problems during installation (no write access to system dir) and/or other apps breaking (overwriting of dll by another version - the socalled dll hell).

As I understand it the MFC support dll's are not now considered system files so one *should* install them into the same directory as the app.

So a question.
Is the installation of the support dlls into the application directory a 'side by side configuration' wheras the dlls into the system directory is not ?

02.06.2006 at 05:22AM PST, ID: 15882357

Rank: Guru

lakshman_ce:

>>Is the installation of the support dlls into the application directory a 'side by side configuration' wheras the dlls into the >>system directory is not ?

If specific version of support dlls are needed for the application,these can be installed along with the application in app directory and it can use application isolation method for these dlls so that it wouldn't matter to the version installed in the system directory.

Side by side configuration issues might raise even if the dlls go into application directory but not isolated.

Guidelines for creating side by side assemblies is at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/sbscs/setup/guidelines_for_creating_side_by_side_assemblies.asp
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/sbscs/setup/should_you_provide_a_shared_component_as_a_side_by_side_assembly.asp

02.27.2006 at 02:09AM PST, ID: 16053992

AndyAinscow:

I've requested this to be PAQ'd.
I think the solution to the probelm I found is worth keeping.

The links re Guidelines for creating side by side assemblies is at
I don't require a side by side assembly - it is a 'simple' app not to be used by other components/apps.

03.23.2006 at 10:51AM PST, ID: 16272716

Netminder:

A request has been made to delete or close this question; if there are no objections within four days, the request will be granted.

EXPERTS: Please leave your thoughts on the disposition of this question here.

Recommendation: PAQ/refund

Netminder
Site Admin

03.27.2006 at 04:35AM PST, ID: 16299593

AnnieMod:

PAQ'd and 500 points refunded

AnnieMod
Cleanup Admin

20080236-EE-VQP-29