: The project bindings (e.g. step definitions) could not be discovered.

[nuzolx]

Used Visual Studio

Visual Studio 2026

Are the latest Visual Studio updates installed?

Yes

Content of reqnroll.json (if present)

No response

Issue Description

• Visual Studio 2026
• Reqnroll for Visual Studio extension: 2025.2.359.

When targeting .NET 10, the following error is shown in the Reqnroll extension's output:

Info: OnActivityStarted: Starting Visual Studio Extension...
Info: CreateProjectScope: Initializing project: JMB.Ocean.AcceptanceCriterias
Info: OnSettingsInitialized: Project settings initialized: .NETCoreApp,Version=v10.0,Reqnroll:2.1.0
Warning: AndDiscoveryProviderSucceed: Error during binding discovery. 
Command executed:
  D:\source\tests\bin\Debug> C:\Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe exec c:\users\nuzolx\appdata\local\microsoft\visualstudio\18.0_319582ef\extensions\2irjaf01.mnx\Connectors\Reqnroll-Generic-net10.0\reqnroll-vs.dll discovery  D:\source\tests.dll
Exit code: 0
Message: 
System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
 ---> System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=adb9793829ddae60'. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=adb9793829ddae60'
   at Reqnroll.Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.DependencyInjectionPlugin.CustomizeGlobalDependencies(Object sender, CustomizeGlobalDependenciesEventArgs args)
   at Reqnroll.Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.DependencyInjectionPlugin.CustomizeGlobalDependencies(Object sender, CustomizeGlobalDependenciesEventArgs args)
   at Reqnroll.Plugins.RuntimePluginEvents.RaiseCustomizeGlobalDependencies(ObjectContainer container, ReqnrollConfiguration reqnrollConfiguration)
   at Reqnroll.Infrastructure.ContainerBuilder.CreateGlobalContainer(Assembly testAssembly, IRuntimeConfigurationProvider configurationProvider)
   at Reqnroll.Bindings.Provider.BindingProviderService.CreateGlobalContainer(Assembly testAssembly, String jsonConfiguration)
   at Reqnroll.Bindings.Provider.BindingProviderService.DiscoverBindings(Assembly testAssembly, String jsonConfiguration)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InterpretedInvoke_Method(Object obj, IntPtr* args)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeDirectByRefWithFewArgs(Object obj, Span`1 copyOfArgs, BindingFlags invokeAttr)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeDirectByRefWithFewArgs(Object obj, Span`1 copyOfArgs, BindingFlags invokeAttr)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeWithFewArgs(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBase.Invoke(Object obj, Object[] parameters)
   at ReqnrollConnector.ReflectionExtensions.ReflectionCallStaticMethod[T](Type type, String methodName, Type[] parameterTypes, Object[] args)
   at ReqnrollConnector.ReqnrollProxies.BindingRegistryFactory.GetBindingRegistry(AssemblyLoadContext assemblyLoadContext, Assembly testAssembly, Option`1 configFile)
   at ReqnrollConnector.Discovery.ReqnrollDiscoverer.Discover(IBindingRegistryFactory bindingRegistryFactory, AssemblyLoadContext assemblyLoadContext, Assembly testAssembly, Option`1 configFile)
   at ReqnrollConnector.Discovery.DiscoveryCommand.<>c__DisplayClass6_0.<Execute>b__0(IBindingRegistryFactory bindingRegistryFactory)
   at FunctionalExtensions.Map[TSource,TResult](TSource this, Func`2 fn)
   at ReqnrollConnector.Discovery.DiscoveryCommand.Execute(AssemblyLoadContext assemblyLoadContext)
   at ReqnrollConnector.ReflectionExecutor.<>c__DisplayClass3_0.<Execute>b__6(DiscoveryCommand cmd)
   at FunctionalExtensions.Map[TSource,TResult](TSource this, Func`2 fn)
   at ReqnrollConnector.ReflectionExecutor.<>c__DisplayClass3_1.<Execute>b__2()
   at EitherAdapters.Try[T](Func`1 act)

Before update extension, I have this error message: #127

Steps to Reproduce

Using:

• Reqnroll.NUnit 2.1.0
• Reqnroll.Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection 2.1.0

Open the output in the Reqnroll output dialog

Link to a project repository that reproduces the issue

No response

[nuzolx]

Hello,

I tried to spend some time on this issue to provide more information. It took me a while to reach this conclusion, but I think it's due to the combination of https://www.nuget.org/packages/Reqnroll.Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection and the VS extension in my project.
I know that I can run the tests without any problems in VS or outside (CI/CD). It's “just” the extension in VS that isn't working.
Reqnroll.Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection references Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection (>=6). I wanted to debug all this. For a long time, I thought the DLL had to be in my project, but in the end, to fix this messily, I don't think that's the case.
When I compile “Reqnroll.Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ReqnrollPlugin,” the MS.DependencyInjection DLL is not in the bin, which seems normal for a NuGet package, but then how should it work within the extension? I don't know.

[mattHollywood87]

I've been taking a look at this as well. For a work around for the moment I've been copying the missing dll to the output folder. For me it's the UserSecrets dependency that it can't find but seems to be a very similar issue. I've also been able to reproduce this issue with Visual Studio 2022.

[nuzolx]

@mattHollywood87 thx u. It's working like that.

I would love to contribute to a real solution, but I am not familiar enough with VS extensions to be of any use.

[llbonet14]

I have a similar error after I upgrade my project to .net10

OneTimeSetUp: SetUp : System.TypeInitializationException : The type initializer for 'Automation.****.Hooks.Services' threw an exception.
  ----> System.IO.FileLoadException : Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=adb9793829ddae60'. The requested assembly version conflicts with what is already bound in the app domain or specified in the manifest. (0x80131053)
  ----> System.IO.FileLoadException : Could not load file or assembly 'C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App\10.0.1\Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Abstractions.dll'. The requested assembly version conflicts with what is already bound in the app domain or specified in the manifest. (0x80131053)

[304NotModified]

Hi!

The "Could not load file or assembly" issue is quite challenging to resolve, as it heavily depends on the local machine and the specific project being used. There are numerous reports of this problem.

If you believe addressing this issue is a high priority compared to other features, please consider upvoting the discussion at https://github.com/orgs/reqnroll/discussions/977.