I am creating a C++/CLI dll that will be loaded into a legacy c++ application. The legacy application does this with a traditional call to LoadLibrary. Both the application and the C++/CLI dll are compiled in 64 bit mode.
When the LoadLibrary call happens, it fails with error 193. This usually means that some non-64bit component is trying to load. When I look at the dll load output in visual studio 2010, I see the the failure is occurring when mscoree.dll is being loaded (to be exact, I see my dll loaded, then mscoree loaded, then mscoree unloaded, then my dll unloaded, then the error returned). Specifically C:\Windows\System32\mscoree.dll is being loaded, when I examine this mscoree.dll, I find that it is targeting I386.
How can I ensure that my application will link against the correct mscoree.dll? I understand this could be done with a manifest, but I can't find any good information about setting one up. The ideal solution would allow compilation in 32bit or 64bit mode and target the correct mscoree.dll.
As a side note, I found an mscoree.dll in a side-by-side folder that I verified is 64bit mode and copied it into my application directory with the hopes that it would pick up that one first. This didnt work and the C:\Windows\System32 version was still loaded.
Thanks,
Max
Output of CorFlags.exe on the C++/CLI dll
Microsoft (R) .NET Framework CorFlags Conversion Tool. Version 4.0.30319.1
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Version : v4.0.30319
CLR Header: 2.5
PE : PE32+
CorFlags : 16
ILONLY : 0
32BIT : 0
Signed : 0
Output of pedump.exe on C:\System32\mscoree.dll
PS C:\Windows\System32> pedump.exe .\mscoree.dll
Dump of file .\MSCOREE.DLL
File Header
Machine: 014C (I386)
Number of Sections: 0004
TimeDateStamp: 4B90752B -> Thu Mar 04 22:06:19 2010
PointerToSymbolTable: 00000000
NumberOfSymbols: 00000000
SizeOfOptionalHeader: 00E0
Characteristics: 2102
EXECUTABLE_IMAGE
32BIT_MACHINE
DLL
...
(pedump goes on from here to describe imports and exports but thats not important here)
Extended loading information
This is the full output from failed load.
Note: The C++/CLI dll is called DsfClr.dll
the output was obtained by running gflags.exe -i [exename] +sls and examining the results in a debugger
http://pastebin.com/FyumUiMN
UPDATE:
Using a tip posted in a below comment by Reuben, I was able to determine that mscoree.dll is indeed targeting AMD64, but pedump is providing invalid information because it is being run in WOW64. That being said I still cannot load this library, if anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.
One more thing I have tried: I made a new C# application and referenced the C++/CLI dll, then, in the main() function, I instantiated a class in the C++/CLI dll. This caused an access violation exception before the main() function is called. When I remove the instantiation, the main function runs fine. My guess is that the instantiation is causing a delay load of my C++/CLI assembly, which causes the same load error I was seeing from the native assembly.