[asp.net] Could not load file or assembly 'CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.CommLayer, Version=13.0.2000.0

I have developed a simple project. where i have to print some crystal report. the project runs very well in local machine, but when i up this on a web hosting server, it shows me an error when crystal report viewing.

Could not load file or assembly 'CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.CommLayer, Version=13.0.2000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.CommLayer, Version=13.0.2000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.

Source Error:

An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.

Assembly Load Trace: The following information can be helpful to determine why the assembly 'CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.CommLayer, Version=13.0.2000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304' could not be loaded.

WRN: Assembly binding logging is turned OFF. To enable assembly bind failure logging, set the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog] (DWORD) to 1. Note: There is some performance penalty associated with assembly bind failure logging. To turn this feature off, remove the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog].

Please any one can help me .....

I faced the same issue and used the following steps to solve it

1) go Right side in solution explorer
2) Click on your Project Name
3) click on Reference
4) you can see yellow symbol on some DLL
5) Right click on that DLL and go to Property
6) Find Specific Version = True replace it with Specific Version = False

and also change Copy Local = False to Copy Local = True

I had the same error after moving to a new laptop (Windows 10). In addition to setting Copy Local to true as mentioned above, I had to install the Crystal Reports 32-bit runtime engine for .Net Framework, even though everything else is set to run in a 64-bit environment. Hope that helps.

If you have the to your project and the Copy Local flag is in true, the solution should be just the project. That copy the DLL to the bin folder.

Edit Web Config for each crystaldecisions file version make it equal the same version off the dll file (from rght click on it and select from properties from solution explorer ) Eg. crystaldecisions.reportappserver.commlayer.dll --> 13.0.2000.0 after upgrade crystal report to CRforVS_13_0_21 edit it to ---> 13.0.35.00.0

For me it was "Prefer 32bit": clearing the checkbox allowed CLR to load Crystal Reports 64bit runtime (the only one installed).

Somehow I had the wrong versions of the DLLs registered in my project.

• I removed the three references to the Crystal Report dlls from my project.
• I right click References, and click Add Reference
• In the popup window, I click the Browse menu on the left and the Browse button
• In the Directory window where your DLLs reside (perhaps your application's bin directory), select the three Crystal Reports DLLs and then click Add.
• Back at the Reference Manager window, click in the first column to the left of the three Crystal dlls, and then click OK
• At this point your Crystal Reports should work again.

CR has changed the Version No of Assemblies. The Old Version is 13.0.2000.0 (this is a incompatible version problem). The New Version is 13.0.3500.0 or 13.0.4000.0 - this is for my test case of Visual Studio 2019 and .net 4.7.2 and Window Server 2019. You need to open all your projects, Remove the old dll reference and add the new references. Then build the application again.

I learnt from source:

• Best Answer: https://answers.sap.com/questions/303438/could-not-load-file-or-assembly-%27crystaldecisionsr.html

• Installation Notes Crystal Reports for Visual Studio 2017: https://www.tektutorialshub.com/crystal-reports/crystal-reports-download-for-visual-studio/#Service-Pack-16

TO remove: Right click on an assembly under references to remove it.

This is where the error comes from - it is exactly what the error message outputs:

error message:

Could not load file or assembly ... The located assembly's manifest definition does not match the assembly reference ...

location error message referring to:

"C:\Visual-Studio-2019-Proj\Proj Windows Inventory\Proj Windows Inventory\obj\x86\Debug\Press HDL Windows Inventory.exe.manifest"

And it looks like this:

-The older version of .net 3.5 and CReports version="13.0.2000.0" and VS2012:

<dependentAssembly dependencyType="install" allowDelayedBinding="true" codebase="CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.dll" size="372736">
      <assemblyIdentity name="CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine" version="13.0.2000.0" publicKeyToken="692FBEA5521E1304" language="neutral" processorArchitecture="msil" />

-The newer version of .net 4.7.2 and CReport version="13.0.4000.0" and VS2019:

<dependentAssembly dependencyType="install" allowDelayedBinding="true" codebase="CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.dll" size="373248">
      <assemblyIdentity name="CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine" version="13.0.4000.0" publicKeyToken="692FBEA5521E1304" language="neutral" processorArchitecture="msil" />

If you already have the DLL copied to your project and the Copy Local flag is in true, the solution should be just rebuild the project. That will copy the DLL to the bin folder.

As I said in comment your crystaldecisions.reportappserver.commlayer.dll is not copied / present on your server. So for this you have to manually copy the dll and paste into you Bin folder

To copy a DLL from visual studio project follow the steps

1.Expand your Project's References hierarchy (Project should not be in debug mod)

2.Right Click on Particular Dll (in your case crystaldecisions.reportappserver.commlayer.dll) and select Properties and set 'Copy Local' attribute to TRUE

3 Build your project. The Dll should be there in your BIN Folder.

For visual studio 2019 
change the code in aspx.cs page

    <%@ Register Assembly="CrystalDecisions.Web, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"
        Namespace="CrystalDecisions.Web" TagPrefix="CR" %>

in web config:

    <configSections>
        <sectionGroup name="businessObjects">
          <sectionGroup name="crystalReports">
            <section name="rptBuildProvider" type="CrystalDecisions.Shared.RptBuildProviderHandler, CrystalDecisions.Shared, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304, Custom=null"/>
          </sectionGroup>
        </sectionGroup>
      </configSections>


 <assemblies>
        <add assembly="System.Design, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B03F5F7F11D50A3A"/>
        <add assembly="System.Web.Extensions.Design, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
        <add assembly="System.Windows.Forms, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.ReportSource, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.Shared, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.Web, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.ClientDoc, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="Microsoft.Build.Framework, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B03F5F7F11D50A3A"/>
        <add assembly="System.Management, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B03F5F7F11D50A3A"/>
        <add assembly="Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91"/>
        <add assembly="Microsoft.ReportViewer.Common, Version=12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91"/>
        <add assembly="System.Web.DataVisualization, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.ReportSource, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.Shared, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.Web, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add assembly="CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.ClientDoc, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
      </assemblies>

 <buildProviders>
        <add extension=".rpt" type="CrystalDecisions.Web.Compilation.RptBuildProvider, CrystalDecisions.Web, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304"/>
        <add extension=".rdlc" type="Microsoft.Reporting.RdlBuildProvider, Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=12.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91"/>
      </buildProviders>

In the first plate you have to check that:

• 1) You install a appropriate version of Crystal Reports SDK => http://downloads.i-theses.com/index.php?option=com_downloads&task=downloads&groupid=9&id=101 (for example)
• 2) Add reference to dll => crystaldecisions.reportappserver.commlayer.dll