Binding Redirect Fixer
Automatically detects and repairs stale, missing, or orphaned assembly binding redirects in .NET Framework and .NET (Core) projects.
The Problem
After NuGet updates or partial deployments, binding redirects in web.config / app.config often reference wrong assembly versions, causing runtime errors like:
Could not load file or assembly 'Newtonsoft.Json, Version=12.0.0.0, ...' manifest definition does not match the assembly reference.
Tracking down which redirects are wrong and what versions they should point to is tedious and error-prone. This extension automates the entire process.
Features
- Automatic Detection -- scans all projects in your solution for stale, missing, orphaned, conflicting, or critically mismatched binding redirects
- Multi-Source Version Resolution -- cross-references four independent sources to pinpoint exactly where versions diverge:
- NuGet resolved DLL (authoritative)
- Package reference version (cross-check)
- Physical DLL in
bin/ -- walks bin/runtimes/<rid>/lib/<tfm>/ too, top-level DLL wins on duplicate names
- Config redirect (what the runtime uses)
- Smart Fix Actions -- updates stale redirects, adds missing ones, removes duplicates, or rebuilds projects with conflicting bin/ output. High-risk removals (orphaned .NET Framework) route through a guided flow with safety checks instead of a single click.
- Fix Shown Items / Fix All -- batch-fix the currently visible issues. The guided orphan-.NET-Framework flow is excluded from bulk operations -- each must be reviewed individually.
- Critical Mismatch Detection -- flags redirects pointing forward to a version that exists nowhere on disk; runtime
FileLoadException at startup is guaranteed. Auto-updates to the highest version available on disk.
- Guided Orphan Removal (.NET Framework) -- runs three automated safety checks (solution-wide source-usage grep, GAC folder probe, transitive
bin/ reference scan via MetadataLoadContext) plus surfaces the project's <PostBuildEvent> for manual review. Remove Redirect only enables when every auto check passes AND the manual confirmation is ticked. If a check fails, the panel routes you to Open Config File for Manual Editing instead.
- Build-Required Banner -- when the scan finds no on-disk DLLs for any redirect (project not built, NuGet not restored), a banner explains that detection is degraded and prompts to build + restore first.
- Deprecated Package Detection -- flags packages like
Microsoft.Azure.Services.AppAuthentication with migration guidance and offers removal with a warning
- DLL Project Redirect Cleanup -- detects class library projects where binding redirects have no effect (CLR only reads host app config) and offers bulk removal of the entire section or file
- Framework Detection -- reads target framework from
.csproj to provide framework-specific guidance, including detection of legacy ASP.NET Web Application Projects (WAPs)
- Supports Both Project Types -- works with PackageReference and
packages.config projects
- Parallel Scanning -- analyses up to 5 projects concurrently with real-time progress ("Analysing 3 of 12: ProjectName...")
- Resizable & Sortable Columns -- drag column borders to resize, click headers to sort ascending/descending
- Educational UI -- a built-in Background tab explains what binding redirects are, why they break, how this tool resolves them, and how the orphan-safety checks work
- Theme-Aware -- fully adapts to Light, Dark, Blue, and High Contrast themes
- Non-Destructive -- creates timestamped backups before modifying any config file
Usage
- Open a solution containing .NET Framework or .NET (Core) projects with
web.config or app.config
- Go to Tools > Binding Redirect Fixer
- The tool window opens and automatically scans your solution
- Review the detected issues in the multi-source grid
- Filter by status (e.g. "Orphaned .NET (Core)") to focus on one group
- Click Fix Shown Items to resolve all visible issues, or fix them individually
How It Works
The extension reads assembly versions from multiple sources and compares them:
| Source |
What It Represents |
Trust Level |
| NuGet Resolved DLL |
The actual DLL from the NuGet cache |
Authoritative |
| Package Reference |
What was requested in .csproj / packages.config |
Cross-check |
| bin/ DLL |
What is physically on disk |
Can be stale |
| Config Redirect |
What the runtime currently uses |
Often wrong |
Issue Types
| Status |
Meaning |
Auto-Fix |
| STALE |
Config redirect points to an old assembly version |
Updates newVersion |
| MISSING |
Redirect needed but does not exist |
Adds dependentAssembly element |
| CONFLICT |
Analysis error (corrupted DLL, inaccessible path) |
Manual resolution |
| DUPLICATE |
Multiple redirects for the same assembly |
Removes duplicate |
| MISMATCH |
Redirect targets a version not on disk (bin/ DLL older than NuGet resolved) |
Removes the redirect |
| CRITICAL MISMATCH |
Redirect points forward to a version greater than the highest DLL on disk -- runtime FileLoadException at startup is guaranteed |
Updates newVersion to the highest version on disk |
| TOKEN LOST |
DLL exists but is unsigned while config expects a public key token |
Preserves token, updates version if needed |
| DEPRECATED |
Package replaced by a modern equivalent |
Removes redirect (with warning) |
| ORPHANED .NET (Core) |
No DLL found in a .NET (Core) project |
Removes redirect (safe) |
| ORPHANED .NET Framework |
No DLL found in a .NET Framework project, but assembly may still load from GAC / post-build copy / transitive bin ref |
Opens an inline guided-removal panel with 3 auto safety checks (source usage, GAC probe, transitive bin refs) + manual post-build confirmation; Remove only enables when all pass |
| UNUSED IN LIBRARY |
Binding redirect in a class library (DLL) project |
Removes all redirects (section or file deletion) |
Requirements
- Visual Studio 2022 (17.14+) or Visual Studio 2026
- .NET Framework or .NET (Core) projects with
web.config or app.config
- NuGet packages restored
Links
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