PDB files with .EXE or .DLL extension

Question

I have a .net 4.0 web project which is running in debug mode. This was running perfectly until recently. Now it errors saying it can't fine various PDB files. The PDB files it is looking for are all present. However looking at the trace .NET is trying to find them with either a .pdb.exe or .pdb.dll extension.

Why is it looking for the extra part of the extension rather than just .pdb?

.dll and .exe are the file extensions the assembly loader is searching for. I suspect you are using an assembly with the name pdb which is not found anymore in the GAC or or local probing paths. Pdbs are used by debuggers which will complain when they are missing. — Alois Kraus

leppie leppie · Accepted Answer · 2010-08-23T10:25:40

No application, web or otherwise will ever complain about finding PDB files.

I suspect you accidentally changed your assembly names instead of the debug output filename.

PDB files with .EXE or .DLL extension

1 Answers