Help needed on information about Windows SxS

I am having an application to test the plugin and the release version is just working fine. I got the following message "The application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect" while I was trying to use the debug version. Also I found two problems when I ran Dependency Walker on the application. The following were the errors :

1. This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Error: The Side-by-Side configuration information for "c:\TestApplication.exe" contains errors. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem (14001).
2. Also some of the files was missing.

What is the application configuration? Can someone provide me with the Information about Windows SxS.?? Please help me soon.

Manifests describes a Windows side-by-side assembly. A collection of resources—a group of DLLs, type libraries, COM servers, or interfaces are contained by a side-by-side assembly. Which is provided to applications together. A side-by-side assembly like Microsoft COMCTL32 assembly is a single DLL with a manifest. Side-by-side assemblies are used by the operating system as fundamental units of naming, binding, versioning, deployment, and configuration. Microsoft Visual C++ development system run-time libraries assembly contains multiple files. One of the attributes of the assembly identity is its version.

Since you are doing the Testing, usually the Developers are encouraged to update existing applications into isolated applications and to to use side-by-side assemblies to create isolated applications for the following reasons :

• Side-by-side assembly sharing the Windows assemblies or the multiple versions of COM to run at the same time.
• Also the possibility of DLL version conflicts are reduced by the Side-by-side assemblies.
• Applications and administrators can update assembly configuration on either a global or per-application configuration basis after deployment.

Are you using the Microsoft's Visual Studio 2003 or Visual Studio 2005.?? If you are using the mentioned software than take a look inside your project configuration you will find an option called "Manifest Tool", with a sub option that reads "Embed manifest", which defaults to "Yes". You will have to turn it off. After turning it off I think that you should get rid of the embedded SXS. Also from the Linker options, you can deactivate the manifest file generation. Hope that this will help to isolate your problem.

I was facing the similar error. Even I was having the "Error: The Side-by-Side configuration information " on operating system of 32bit. If this is the error that is popping during the project, then go to the Project properties option. There you will have to set the setting "Embed Manifest" which will be in the "Input and Output" section of "Manifest Tool". Change that setting to No. I did these settings and later the problem was solved. Hope that it will help you also.