Unable to copy file reference.dll to bin/reference.dll. The process cannot access the file reference.dll because it is being used by another process

Question

For one of my ASP.NET 3.5 applications, every single time I try to build the web app, it throws the following build errors in Visual Studio 2008:

Error 16

Answer 1

I have battled this issue FOR YEARS!

Have you tried adding this to your PREBUILD Event?

if exist "$(TargetPath).locked" del "$(TargetPath).locked"
if exist "$(TargetPath)" if not exist "$(TargetPath).locked" move "$(TargetPath)" "$(TargetPath).locked"

See this for more info: http://nayyeri.net/file-lock-issue-in-visual-studio-when-building-a-project

Here's another thread, with more things to try...

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/Vsexpressinstall/thread/5b71eb06-5047-483d-8fd3-b75c102d41e9/?prof=required