"Side-By-Side" configuration is incorrect in Windows 8

I'm trying to install the Application Certification Kit for WinRT. So far, I got everything else for the SDK installed and have Visual Studio 2012 and friends, but I can't get this certification kit to install. It continually says

The application has failed to start because it's side-by-side configuration is incorrect....

It says to check the eventlog, but I see no events relating to this.

The program in question is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/apps/jj572486 (the download on the right)

What could be missing? I've heard this is caused by C++ redistributables not being installed, but how can I tell which one? And wouldn't a C++ development environment have taken care of this?

Earlz

Posted 2012-12-20T21:41:58.853

Reputation: 3 966

Answers

Despite the very misleading wording on that page, it's actually an ARM only executable. I opened it in ILSpy, which indicated that it was a pure .Net executable, but also targeted for ARM only. Despite the optimistic wording on that page, it is a WinRT(tablet)-only executable.

Earlz

Posted 2012-12-20T21:41:58.853

Reputation: 3 966

Well it does state "To self-test your app *on* Windows RT..." and under Supported Operating Systems for the Windows App Certification Kit for Windows RT it clearly states Windows RT (unlike for the Windows SDK). There's also this useful Note: "The Windows SDK for Windows 8 cannot be installed directly on the ARM architecture. You can install the Windows SDK on an x86 or x64 platform to build applications that target the ARM architecture, **and then use the Windows App Certification Kit for Windows RT download to test the app on that platform**. – Karan – 2012-12-21T17:23:04.383

You miss a Visual C++ runtime.

Run the Command prompt with admin rights and run this command:

SxsTrace Trace -logfile:SxsTrace.etl

Now run the programm which causes the SideBySide error.

Go back to the command prompt press ENTER to generate the SxsTrace.etl. Now type this:

sxstrace Parse -logfile:SxSTrace.etl -outfile:SxSTrace.txt

Now open the SxSTrace.txt trace and look which VC++ runtime is missing.

If you are unsure, please upload the complete SxSTrace.txt

magicandre1981

Posted 2012-12-20T21:41:58.853

Reputation: 86 560

See my answer. Turns out it's actually ARM-only – Earlz – 2012-12-21T16:08:13.723