DotNetOpenAuth causing a can not load Assembly System.Web.WebPages.Razor

Question

My local version of my code runs just fine. But when I do a web deploy I am getting the following exception:

Could not load file or assembly 'System.Web.WebPages.Razor, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35' or one of its dependencies. The located assembly's manifest definition does not match the assembly reference. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131040)

The relevant stack trace line is

[FileLoadException: Could not load file or assembly 'System.Web.WebPages.Razor, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35' or one of its dependencies. The located assembly's manifest definition does not match the assembly reference. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131040)] Microsoft.Web.WebPages.OAuth.PreApplicationStartCode.Start() +0

This seems to be related to the fact that the Nuget Package for Razor is version 3.0 but the DotNetOpenAuth package uses version 2.0

Also the issue only happens when I deploy to my Azure website. (I am currently using the free website and not the webrole/workrole stuff). I use a webdeploy and it was working ok in previous versions but I believe this has something to do with nuget packages.

Update: I am unable to solve this. I have tried to deploy via FTP that deleted the whole folder prior to deployment but this did not work either. Nuget has been a nightmare.

Answer 1

Place this in your web.config file. It will cause the framework to redirect dependencies to the appropriate version.

<configuration>
  <runtime>
    <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.WebPages" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-3.0.0.0" newVersion="3.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
    </assemblyBinding>
  </runtime>
  <configuration>

Edit from the future

As I revisit this post because of a XML error pointed out in the above syntax, there are a few other places that most likely need updated as well. First, in the primary web.config, this line should be changed in the <appSettings> section to the following

<appSettings>
    <add key="webpages:Version" value="3.0.0.0" />

Also, there is a web.config in the views folder that should be updated to the following

 <configSections>
    <sectionGroup name="system.web.webPages.razor" type="System.Web.WebPages.Razor.Configuration.RazorWebSectionGroup, System.Web.WebPages.Razor, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
      <section name="host" type="System.Web.WebPages.Razor.Configuration.HostSection, System.Web.WebPages.Razor, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" />
      <section name="pages" type="System.Web.WebPages.Razor.Configuration.RazorPagesSection, System.Web.WebPages.Razor, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" />
    </sectionGroup>
  </configSections>

Basically, you want to identify all of the places that mention razor 2.0.0.0 and change those to 3.0.0.0 in addition to the assembly redirect. I believe I have all of those locations identified above.

If you update the entire MVC framework, there is additional work that would need to be performed as well, but that is not the basis for the question.

Answer 2

I had the same problem. I was deploying to an Azure website where I had previously deployed an MVC4 app. I fixed it by "removing additional files at destination".

Right click on project->publish->Settings->expand File Publish Options-> check Remove additional files at destination.

Answer 3

I use Git deployment and was having the same issue. I didn't see an option where I could remove additional files at destination.

I used FTP to connect to the Azure Host and then deleted everything in the /site/wwwroot directory. Then I used the Management Portal, Deployments tab, and finally the Sync command (i.e. redeploy) and that fixed the issue.