Unable to create a new project - Could not load file or assembly 'System.Text.Json

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  Hey Dan, 
  
  Apologies for the issues you're experiencing with SQL Data Generator. Could you let me know which authentication method you're using to connect to SQL Server?  SQL Data Generator does not natively support Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for SQL Server. This is because MFA typically requires interactive prompts, which are not supported by SQL Data Generator's connection mechanisms. The tool primarily supports SQL Server Authentication and Windows Authentication. 
  
  Best, 
  
  Hassan 
  Product Support Engineer

  hassan_imam November 20, 2024 17:38

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  Hi Hassan, 
  
  I've been using 'Active Directory universal with MFA' for months now, it hasn't been a problem until I tried it yesterday. I see the MFA prompts and can authenticate properly; I can pick the database I want to use but when I click 'ok' to start the project I get the error. I'm passed the MFA prompts at that point. Side note: I am still able to use this authentication method with the Mulit-Script tool, and SQL Compare.

  Dan_O November 20, 2024 18:24

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  Hi Dan,

  Thank you for the additional details. Could you please confirm if there have been any changes to your setup. The error message you received points to a potential issue with the .NET assembly on your system. Our application requires .NET Framework version 4.7.2 or later to function correctly, which I assume is in place since there haven't been any major changes reported.

  Additionally, I noticed that there was an update released for SDG to version 4.6.2 yesterday. Can you confirm if this is the version you currently have installed? If not can you let me know which version you have installed? 

  hassan_imam November 20, 2024 20:10

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  Hassan - I have v4.6.2.5848 installed, I did perform the update yesterday after I was having this issue. I thought the update would fix it, but it did not. I can also confirm the VM has .NET 8.0.3 installed.

  Dan_O November 20, 2024 21:06

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  Do you know which version you were on yesterday before updating to the most recent one? Version 4.6 is a major release. I’m attaching the link to the latest 4.5 version we have. Could you uninstall 4.6, install 4.5 instead, and let me know if the issue persists with that version? 
  
  Download SQLDataGenerator_4.5.21.5722.exe

  hassan_imam November 20, 2024 21:55

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  I uninstalled 4.6 and installed 4.5, unfortunately I'm still seeing an error. 
  
  IDX12729: Unable to decode the header '[PII of type 'System.String' is hidden. For more details, se... Could not load file or assembly 'System.Text.Json, Version=8.0.0.4, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=cc7b13ffcd2ddd51' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.

  Dan_O November 22, 2024 15:41

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  I have the same issue. basically the tool is useless, and I cannot use.

  jwise November 22, 2024 15:50

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  Hi,

  Could you please try performing a clean install using the steps below to downgrade?

  1. Uninstall SQL Data Generator from the Control Panel.
  2. Ensure that the SQL Data Generator folder is deleted from C:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate.
  3. Install the prior version of the application: SQLDataGenerator_4.5.21.5722.exe

  hassan_imam November 28, 2024 13:59

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  I've completed the steps you noted, issue is still present. 
  
  

  Dan_O December 03, 2024 17:12

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  Hi Dan,

  This does seem unusual, especially if nothing has changed on the VM since before. Could you try installing the latest version and see if that resolves the issue?

  Download SQLDataGenerator_4.6.2.5848.exe

  If it doesn’t, I’ll need a copy of the logs from SQL Data Generator to investigate further. You can follow the instructions HERE to retrieve the logs.

  hassan_imam December 16, 2024 14:15

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  Hi Redgate Support,

  I'm encountering the same issue with SQL Data Generator failing to load System.Text.Json, Version=8.0.0.4.

  I have attempted the following troubleshooting steps:

  1. Manual DLL placement (adding System.Text.Json.dll to the install directory).
  2. Binding redirects in SQL Data Generator.exe.config.
  3. Installing System.Text.Json 8.0.0.4 via NuGet.
  4. Forcing Redgate SQL Data Generator to use .NET 8 by creating a .runtimeconfig.json.
  5. Setting verbose logging, but no logs are generated for SQL Data Generator.

  Despite these efforts, the issue persists. This suggests a potential bug in the installer, possibly due to:

  • A missing dependency in the installation package.
  • An incorrect .NET version reference (no .runtimeconfig.json is included).
  • A failure to dynamically resolve System.Text.Json from the installed .NET runtime.

  Has this been resolved for anyone else, or is this a known issue with the installer?

  Vitiate1984 February 03, 2025 11:41

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  Vitiate1984 said:

  Hi Redgate Support,

  I'm encountering the same issue with SQL Data Generator failing to load System.Text.Json, Version=8.0.0.4.

  I have attempted the following troubleshooting steps:

  1. Manual DLL placement (adding System.Text.Json.dll to the install directory).
  2. Binding redirects in SQL Data Generator.exe.config.
  3. Installing System.Text.Json 8.0.0.4 via NuGet.
  4. Forcing Redgate SQL Data Generator to use .NET 8 by creating a .runtimeconfig.json.
  5. Setting verbose logging, but no logs are generated for SQL Data Generator.

  Despite these efforts, the issue persists. This suggests a potential bug in the installer, possibly due to:

  • A missing dependency in the installation package.
  • An incorrect .NET version reference (no .runtimeconfig.json is included).
  • A failure to dynamically resolve System.Text.Json from the installed .NET runtime.

  Has this been resolved for anyone else, or is this a known issue with the installer?

  Still busted for me, I just couldn't spend more time troubleshooting this. I also tried to enable logging, but no logs were getting generated. Plus, I'm on a shared workstation so I can't keep kicking people off of SSMS to reinstall.

  Dan_O February 04, 2025 15:55

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