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Is it a &quot;resource only&quot; DLL?
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If your refering about an unmanaged COM DLL then register the library and then try adding it as a reference.
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If your refering about an unmanaged COM DLL then register the library and then try adding it as a reference.

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I have inherited a project from the powers that be, and, when first loading it up in VS 2008, I get an error right off the bat.<br />
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&quot;A reference to XXX.dll could not be added. &nbsp;Please make sure that the file is accessible, and that the assembly is a valid assembly or COM component.&quot;<br />
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The DLL is valid. &nbsp;I've used it numerous times in many different applications and services, but I did my due dilligence and removed the reference, put a copy of the DLL i've used personally in its place and STILL get the error.<br />
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What can this mean?
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I have inherited a project from the powers that be, and, when first loading it up in VS 2008, I get an error right off the bat.

"A reference to XXX.dll could not be added.  Please make sure that the file is accessible, and that the assembly is a valid assembly or COM component."

The DLL is valid.  I've used it numerous times in many different applications and services, but I did my due dilligence and removed the reference, put a copy of the DLL i've used personally in its place and STILL get the error.

What can this mean?

In VS2008, how do I reference a dll that I know is valid but throws an error when added?

Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) is an object-oriented programming language implemented on the .NET framework, but also supported on other platforms such as Mono and Silverlight. Microsoft launched VB.NET as the successor to the Visual Basic language. Though it is similar in syntax to  Visual Basic pre-2002, it is not the same technology,

Visual Basic.NET

Microsoft Visual C++ (often abbreviated as MSVC or VC++) is an integrated development environment (IDE) product from Microsoft for the C, C++, and C++/CLI programming languages. It features tools for developing and debugging C++ code, especially code written for the Microsoft Windows API, the DirectX API, and the Microsoft .NET Framework. Many applications require redistributable Visual C++ packages to function correctly and are often installed independently of applications, allowing multiple applications to make use of the package while only having to install it once