Get a "sqlceqp35.dll" error when debugging but not when running deployed code.

Question

In our current windows mobile project a problem while debugging recently arised. When trying to debug the code it throws an exception on the open command on a connection to the local database.

The message is "A SQL Server Compact DLL could not be loaded. Reinstall SQL Server Compact Edition. [ DLL Name = sqlceqp35.dll ]". Sometime it's an unknow error instead, with reference to the same file.

If you execute the binary, thats deployd during the debug, on the device it runs without any problem.

I've tried: Reinstall both .net and sqlce on the device. Changed the "specific version" on the reference properties in the project.

The hardware I'm using is a Motorola MC70 with Windows mobile 5.0. The target platform of the project is windows mobile 5.0.

Any ideas on what might cause this problem?

EDIT: When I tried it on a MC75 I can debug it. The MC70 got OS Version: 05.01.0478 and the MC75 05.01.0478. My best guess now is that it's someway related to the OS version or the actual device.

Answer 1

This was probably a memory issue, when the application had grown a bit more the same problems arised even when not debugging.

A workaround to get it to run was to force a load of the library in our case we added the following code to the start of our application.

IntPtr result = LoadLibrary(Path.Combine(sqlCeInstallPath, dllName));