App not opening - Windows SDK missing in portable version - Fixed by manually installing the missing DLL

[Countryen]

Hello Paint.NET,

 

this is probably a rare occurence but led to me not using my favourite editor for longer than I want to admit.

 

Some day I wanted to open Paint.NET as usual and it didn't open. It didn't show any error or window it just didn't open. This was probably 1/2 year ago.

I've used the MS Store version (because that's what I bought) and it didn't work. I postponed the problem but today decided to try to fix it. Still not working, I downloaded the portable version and tried that one https://github.com/paintdotnet/release/releases/tag/v5.0.9. (x64)

 

Same result, no window opening and no output, even when run by the command line.

Then I tried to run the DLL via dotnet cli in PowerShell and saw this error:
 

PS: dotnet .\paintdotnet.dll
Error:
  An assembly specified in the application dependencies manifest (paintdotnet.deps.json) was not found:
    package: 'runtimepack.Microsoft.Windows.SDK.NET.Ref', version: '10.0.17763.29'
    path: 'Microsoft.Windows.SDK.NET.dll'

 

I am a .NET developer myself and have Visual Studio, dotnet etc. installed on my machine - maybe it was breaking something.

However, why does the portable not contain all necessary files (it's self-contained, isn't it?) or how can this be?

 

[Edit Start]

First thing I tried is checking my installed SDKs and installing missing ones. I only had SDK 7.0 installed, so I then installed the 6.0 one from Microsoft.

dotnet --info then listed both. Sadly, this did not solve the problem for me (same result).

[Edit End]

 

I did manage to solve it by simply looking up that DLL and downloading it from NuGet https://www.nuget.org/api/v2/package/Microsoft.Windows.SDK.NET.Ref/10.0.22621.29

I then extracted the DLL files inside /lib/net6.0/ and put them right next to the DLL/EXE (of the portable version).

 

Now the app runs and I am almost happy - because, how do I solve this for the Microsoft Store App (which I usually don't access via file browsers).

I tried searching for issues like this and didn't find anything regarding missing DLL files (especially not for portable).

 

I hope I've included all information. I know there is some sort of logging tool for crash reports but I did not use it.

If more information is needed for this I can easily just delete the DLLs again and try starting it - it then breaks again.

 

Hopfefully this can be of some use, maybe someone else had similar issues before or will have.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Countryen
Added what I tried first before the solution

[Rick Brewster]

That DLL is not included because it is not used; but the reference is automatically added because the TFM is for Win10 v1809+.

 

Why would you use dotnet .\paintdotnet.dll ? Just run paintdotnet.exe

 

You (shouldn't) don't need to do any of what you did ... just launch the app in the correct way. Does that not work? I've not heard of any other person having this issue.

[Countryen]

Hey Rick,

 

thanks for the reply.

 

Quote

Why would you use dotnet .\paintdotnet.dll

For trying out things to solve it (wasn't the only thing I have tried but the only one giving me results), was just curious what would happen, and, it did bring me closer to a solution.

 

Quote

Just run paintdotnet.exe

I did - that was what I meant by saying "Some day I wanted to open Paint.NET as usual and it didn't open" and "downloaded the portable version and tried that one". Sorry, if that was not clear.

 

This is what I did (and still can do) to reproduce:

- I go to https://github.com/paintdotnet/release/releases/tag/v5.0.9

- I click on paint.net.5.0.9.portable.x64.zip

- I extract that ZIP file to C:\PaintDotNetTest

- I double click the paintdotnet.exe

- Nothing happens, app doesn't start

 

And to fix it again:

- Download the 2 files from the SDK (NuGet, mentioned above)

- Put in same folder

- Double click the paintdotnet.exe

- App starts

 

Quote

because it is not used

In my case paintdotnet.exe seems to need/use these two files - for whatever reason.

Since I am using the portable version I don't think anything I have installed could interfere but not sure.

 

Quote

I've not heard of any other person having this issue.

I hope so. it's quite annoying and I still have no idea how to solve it for my Microsoft/Windows Store version, which I would like to use instead of the portable version again.

[Rick Brewster]

What if you use these DLLs instead of the ones you downloaded? TrimmedDLLs.zip They've been trimmed to just a few things and have a negligible file size

 

If that works then I can just include the DLLs in the packaging process (starting with v5.0.10). They'll be trimmed down to almost nothing, but if the error is really about whether the files exist at all then I'd expect this to work.

[Countryen]

Hey Rick,

 

this works.

 

I have downloaded the files from your ZIP file and extracted the contents next to the paintdotnet.exe.

Double clicking the exe now works and the app starts  

 

If this fixes my starting problems for the Windows Store app then I'd be more than happy if you include them in some next version.

 

FYI: I am using Windows 11 (10.0.22621 Nicht zutreffend Build 22621)

[Rick Brewster]

4 hours ago, Countryen said:

If this fixes my starting problems for the Windows Store app then I'd be more than happy if you include them in some next version.

Yup that's the plan. Hoping for a 5.0.10 release a little after the next .NET 7 servicing release which is (usually) on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.

 

I still don't understand why this is happening, but ... oh well