Error when building universal app for the store: "Manifest references file 'MyAppName.dll' which is not part of the payload."

Question

I am having this error in Visual Studio 2015 when try to create app package for the store for a windows universal applicaiton:

Manifest references file 'MyAppName.dll' which is not part of the payload.

The error is in the ...\..MyAppSourcePath..\Package.appxmanifest file.

This is somehow related Manifest references file 'Bing.Maps.dll' which is not part of the payload but in my case the error shows up only when build package for the store and is related to the MyAppName.dll (where MyAppName is the name of the name of my application).

Another related question in MSDN: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/f137091e-f550-4eab-b7e2-418149b97d40/error-appx0703-manifest-references-file-myappnamedll-which-is-not-part-of-the-payload?forum=windowsstore

Answer 1

A bug fix for the Visual Studio Tools for Universal Windows Apps (v1.1.1) is released on 5 October 2015. This update requires that you already have the UWP tools v1.1 installed. You can determine whether you have UWP tools 1.1 installed by opening About Microsoft Visual Studio from the Help menu in Visual Studio. If you have “Visual Studio Tools for Universal Windows Apps 14.0.23309.00” installed, then you have the UWP tools 1.1.

To install this update

• You must have an internet connection throughout the setup process.

• For machines without Visual Studio

  • Install Visual Studio from https://dev.windows.com/downloads.

• For machines with UWP Tools 1.1 installed

  • Run this installer (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=627168) to update the UWP tools to v1.1.1.

• For machines without UWP Tools 1.1 installed

  • For Visual Studio 2015 Community, Professional, and Enterprise, you can install by

    • Modifying your setup to install the updated tools.

    • Clicking on the entry for the UWP tools in the Notifications pane.

    • Using the Extensions and Updates dialog to update Visual Studio.

    • Running the installer at https://dev.windows.com/downloads, which will add the updated tools to an existing Visual Studio installation.

  • For Visual Studio 2015 Express for Windows

    • Run this installer (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=624822) to update the UWP tools to v1.1.

To confirm that you have installed the UWP tools 1.1.1 update,

1. Go to Programs and Features in the Windows Control Panel, and click View installed updates.

2. Look for “Update for Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 (KB3073097)”, version 14.0.23315

Source: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/73f2d56d-9e8e-4b57-bcfa-0a972dfd75d7/update-11-generating-store-associated-package-fails-for-a-uwp-application-with-a-winrt-component?forum=Win10SDKToolsIssues