Clarification needed: How does .NET runtime resolve assembly references from parent folder?

Answer 1

Here's how .Net finds the assemblies that are needed: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/yx7xezcf(VS.71).aspx

Step 4 is what might be interesting for you to read: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/15hyw9x3(VS.71).aspx

Answer 2

Have you considered using GACutil to add your shared assemblies to the Global Assembly Cache

Answer 3

AFAIK the only solution is to have at least "stub" exes in MyAppBase and then define subdirectories as sources for DLL's in app.config for each application.

NTFS does support "mounting" other directories (ie. hard links) as subdirectories, but they're very unautomatic and since I've not tried going that way except theoretizing, I can't tell if that would work as a hack.

Answer 4

Maybe the Common folder was specified as a binpath parameter when it was compiled?

(See Probing the Private binpath)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/15hyw9x3%28VS.71%29.aspx

-Matt