What is this – _.vshost.exe and _.vshost.exe.config files in my BIN compile folder

If you’ve built Windows apps you’ve probably come across the VSHOST.EXE and VSHOST.EXE.CONFIG files in your BIN\DEBUG folder while building the SETUP or deployment project.  I’ve been asked many times what these files are an if they should be deployed with the application.  The answer is…

NO

These files are part of the Visual Studio Hosting Process used during debugging and should NOT be deployed with your app.  For more see this MSDN article.

Cheers
C