Context
I have 2 different versions of an assembly installed in GAC, version 1.0 and version 2.0. I made an application that is referencing 1.0 as a specific version.
Issue
When I run my application, it will always load version 2.0 whereas the application is specifically referencing version 1.0.
Question
Why is this happening? How can I force my application to load the version it has been compiled for?
It does not seem to me that this has anything to do with a binding redirect as my application was not even aware of version 2.0 when I built it and that the reference "Specific Version" metadata is set to true.
Thanks.
Edit:
The assembly I am referencing is actually Oracle.DataAccess from the ODAC package. I noticed that other assemblies named Policy.x.xxx.Oracle.DataAccess where published in GAC.
Edit 2:
After looking into the Oracle.DataAccess policy I found the configuration defining the binding redirect:
<configuration>
<runtime>
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="Oracle.DataAccess" publicKeyToken="89B483F429C47342"/>
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="4.112.0.0-4.112.3.0" newVersion="4.112.3.0"/>
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
</runtime>
</configuration>
Even though I added the reversed binding redirect into my application configuration, the policy in GAC seems to have the priority. I found an MSDN article treating the subject and suggesting to ignore policy with this configuration:
<publisherPolicy apply="no" />
But it still does not work...
Edit 3:
I tried to remove the policy from the GAC and rebooted my machine. It finally worked. It does not feel like a confortable solution development but this policy does broke one of my application which means disabling the policy is the right thing to do in my case.
Final Edit:
Igor gave me the right answer. All I had to do to workaround those policies was to use the publisherPolicy
setting in the right configruation section:
<runtime>
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="Oracle.DataAccess" publicKeyToken="89B483F429C47342"/>
<publisherPolicy apply="no"/>
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
</runtime>
After you have edited your question it becomes clear that this is the policy file which affects assembly binding.
In case of Oracle there's a file called Policy.X.Y.Oracle.DataAccess.config with the contents similar to this:
<configuration>
<runtime>
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="Oracle.DataAccess" publicKeyToken="89B483F429C47342"/>
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="10.1.0.000-10.2.0.100" newVersion="10.2.0.100"/>
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
</runtime>
</configuration>
The policy is installed by the Oracle Installer and redirects Oracle.DataAccess.dll
to the latest version, as Oracle believes the library is backward compatible.
EDIT: If you don't want publisher policy to be applied for a particular assembly, put the element in the element:
<assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
<dependentAssembly>
<assemblyIdentity name="myAssembly" publicKeyToken="..." culture="en-us" />
<bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0" newVersion="2.0.0.0" />
<publisherPolicy apply="no" />
</dependentAssembly>
</assemblyBinding>
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