.NET assemblyBinding configuration ignored in machine.config

Question

I have a situation where I need to be able to load assemblies in the GAC based on their partial names. In order to do this I have added the following to my app.config file:

<runtime>
  <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
    <qualifyAssembly partialName="MyAssembly"
                     fullName= "MyAssembly, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0123456789abcdef"/>
  </assemblyBinding>
</runtime>

This works exactly the way I want it to. However, if I place the same element in my machine.config file, it seems to be ignored, and I get FileNotFoundExceptions when trying to load MyAssembly.

The following is the assembly binding log when the element is in my app.config, and the bind succeeds:

LOG: This bind starts in default load context.
LOG: Using application configuration file: C:\Documents and Settings\jon_scheiding\My Documents\Source\Testing\Test Projects 1\Cmd\bin\Debug\Testers.Cmd.vshost.exe.config
LOG: Using machine configuration file from C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\config\machine.config.
LOG: Partial reference qualified from config file. New reference: MyAssembly, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0123456789abcdef.
LOG: Post-policy reference: MyAssembly, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0123456789abcdef
LOG: Found assembly by looking in the GAC.
LOG: Binding succeeds. Returns assembly from C:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC_MSIL\MyAssembly\1.0.0.0__b20f4683c1030dbd\MyAssembly.dll.
LOG: Assembly is loaded in default load context.

Contrast that with the log when my configuration is in machine.config, and the bind fails:

LOG: This bind starts in default load context.
LOG: Using application configuration file: C:\Documents and Settings\jon_scheiding\My Documents\Source\Testing\Test Projects 1\Cmd\bin\Debug\Testers.Cmd.vshost.exe.config
LOG: Using machine configuration file from C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\config\machine.config.
LOG: Policy not being applied to reference at this time (private, custom, partial, or location-based assembly bind).
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Documents and Settings/jon_scheiding/My Documents/Source/Testing/Test Projects 1/Cmd/bin/Debug/MyAssembly.DLL.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Documents and Settings/jon_scheiding/My Documents/Source/Testing/Test Projects 1/Cmd/bin/Debug/MyAssembly/MyAssembly.DLL.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Documents and Settings/jon_scheiding/My Documents/Source/Testing/Test Projects 1/Cmd/bin/Debug/MyAssembly.EXE.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Documents and Settings/jon_scheiding/My Documents/Source/Testing/Test Projects 1/Cmd/bin/Debug/MyAssembly/MyAssembly.EXE.
LOG: All probing URLs attempted and failed.

The problem seems to be the fourth line, "Policy not being applied to reference at this time." However, I can find very little documentation on what this message means, or how to address it.

How can I get the framework to recognize my <runtime> element?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

The framework won't read qualifyAssebmly configuration from machine.config, it only reads it from your application configuration file.

The framework does recognize your runtim element, however it does not recognize the qualifyAssembly element.