OLE Error 80131522 when trying to access a .NET assembly side by side from a native application

I have an application (Delphi Native code) that needs to access a .NET assembly (exposes a few COM classes. I want to do this using side by side assemblies and manifests. I have done this with a test .NET assembly, but am having a problem with the assembly I need to access.

When the assembly is registered, I can instantiate the COM class. As soon as I unregister the assembly, and try to access side by side I get the above error. My native application has an application manifest, which has a simple dependency to the assembly.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
  <assemblyIdentity type="win32"
                    name="TestApplication.exe"
                    version="1.0.0.0"/>
  <dependency>
    <dependentAssembly>
      <assemblyIdentity
        name="TestAssembly"
        version="1.0.0.0"
        processorArchitecture="x86"
        publicKeyToken="xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
        type="win32"/>
    </dependentAssembly>
  </dependency>
</assembly>

My Assembly manifest, which I have embedded as a resource into my .net assembly is the following :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
  <assemblyIdentity
    name="TestAssembly"
    version="1.0.0.0"
    processorArchitecture="x86"
    publicKeyToken="xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
    type="win32"/>
  <clrClass
    clsid="{F3F1623D-DB4A-4152-9A5D-5A465AD3A318}"
    progid="TestAssembly.MyObject"
    threadingModel="Both"    
    name="TestAssembly.MyObject"
    runtimeVersion="v2.0.50727">
  </clrClass>
  <file name="TestAssembly.dll">
  </file>
</assembly>     

The 开发者_如何学JAVAmanifests seems to be setup correctly. If I change the application manifest's dependency name, version or public key token (the one in the example is not the one i have in my code btw), I get the usual SxS error about the application configuration is incorrect.

I have this working on another (admittedly simpler) .NET assembly, but cannot figure out what is wrong. Problem is I'm not sure what the error means.

To generate .Net assembly manifest use mt.exe like this

c:>mt.exe -nologo -managedassemblyname:"your_binary.dll" -nodependency -out:"temp_file.manifest"
c:>mt.exe -nologo -manifest "temp_file.manifest" -outputresource:"your_binary.dll";2

Then open temp_file.manifest and copy assemblyIdentity tag verbatim under dependency\dependentAssembly tag of your delphi executable manifest.

FYI: You have to keep both the executable and all dependent .net dlls in the same folder.