Building Projects: Game does not build because assetcompiler .dll is not found

[gm-bug-reporter[bot]]

Description

Gamemaker is unable to launch on startup, problem seems to be:

Unhandled exception. System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'C:\ProgramData\GameMakerStudio2\Cache\runtimes\runtime-2024.2.0.163\bin\assetcompiler\windows\x64\GMAssetCompiler.dll'. The system cannot find the file specified.

Here is my full log:

"C:\ProgramData/GameMakerStudio2/Cache/runtimes\runtime-2024.2.0.163/bin/igor/windows/x64/Igor.exe" -j=8 -options="D:\GM_TEMP_Cache\Temp_LTS\GMS2TEMP\build.bff" -v -- windows Clean

Loaded Macros from D:\GM_TEMP_Cache\Asset_Cache_LTS\GMS2CACHE\CardGeon_304DCE87\macros.json Options: C:\ProgramData/GameMakerStudio2/Cache/runtimes\runtime-2024.2.0.163\bin\platform_setting_defaults.json Options: C:\Users\Oscar\AppData\Roaming/GameMakerStudio2\oscar_929816\local_settings.json Options: D:\GM_TEMP_Cache\Asset_Cache_LTS\GMS2CACHE\CardGeon_304DCE87\targetoptions.json Setting up the Asset compiler Unhandled exception. System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'C:\ProgramData\GameMakerStudio2\Cache\runtimes\runtime-2024.2.0.163\bin\assetcompiler\windows\x64\GMAssetCompiler.dll'. The system cannot find the file specified. File name: 'C:\ProgramData\GameMakerStudio2\Cache\runtimes\runtime-2024.2.0.163\bin\assetcompiler\windows\x64\GMAssetCompiler.dll' at System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext.LoadFromPath(IntPtr ptrNativeAssemblyLoadContext, String ilPath, String niPath, ObjectHandleOnStack retAssembly) at System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext.LoadFromAssemblyPath(String assemblyPath) at System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadFrom(String assemblyFile) at Igor.Program.InitialiseAssetCompiler() at Igor.Program.ExecuteAssetCompiler(String _args) at Igor.Program.SetupBuildEnv(String _options, String _project, String _runtimeLocation, String _cache, String _temp, String _user, String _outputFilename, String _targetFilename, String _debuggerPort, Boolean _launchPackage) at Igor.Program.Main(String[] args) [createdump] Writing minidump to file C:\ProgramData\GameMakerStudio2\Dumps\gmdump.9760.dmp [createdump] Dump successfully written Igor complete. elapsed time 00:00:01.3226825s for command "C:\ProgramData/GameMakerStudio2/Cache/runtimes\runtime-2024.2.0.163/bin/igor/windows/x64/Igor.exe" -j=8 -options="D:\GM_TEMP_Cache\Temp_LTS\GMS2TEMP\build.bff" -v -- windows Clean started at 03/15/2024 03:41:34 FAILED : Clean Program Complete

Which version of GameMaker are you reporting this issue for?

IDE v2024.2.0.132 Runtime v2024.2.0.163

Which operating system(s) are you seeing the problem on?

Windows 10.0.19045.0

70c1658b-b04e-45dd-8f7f-4ac1cb6a075b

[Boonani]

SOLVED:

I needed to manually delete the cache.

C:\ProgramData/GameMakerStudio2/Cache/

For some reason I could not delete the cache using Gamemaker's clean tool

[EncomLab]

Same issue - started yesterday. Deleting the cache shifted the problem to my visual studio .bat not being mapped even though it is and nothing has changed with my VS installation. Will update shortly.

[lunakon]

@Boonani delete the cache. Excellent.

[YYDan]

I think cleaning your cache was a fluke/red herring, and that actually this is the usual antivirus (typically McAfee) issue with it scanning/locking/quarantining the asset compiler .dll - which is not a bug or something we can fix for you.

I say this not least of all because the file referred-to is not in that cache folder ;)

File name: 'C:\ProgramData\GameMakerStudio2\Cache\runtimes\runtime-2024.2.0.163\bin\assetcompiler\windows\x64\GMAssetCompiler.dll'

Great that you have solved it for now anyway, but if the problem comes back again, then I would suggest it was a permissions issue (for all of you who have replied here) caused by your AV client updating itself and nothing to do with the compiler cache or Visual Studio install locations, or anything else.

User-Permissions-and-Internet-Access-Required-by-GameMaker