InvalidDeploymentException installing Sitecore SIM Tool

Question

When I try to install the Sitecore SIM Tool on a Windows 10 VM, I get the following error when the ClickOnce application is download/installing:

• Activation of C:\Users[username]\Downloads\SIM.Tool.application resulted in exception. Following failure messages were detected:
  • Exception occurred loading manifest from file Ionic.Zip.Reduced.dll: the manifest may not be valid or the file could not be opened.
  • File Ionic.Zip.Reduced.dll is not a valid Portable Executable (PE) file.

Any thoughts or ideas on how to get the install to finish successfully?

Here is the stack trace:

System.Deployment.Application.InvalidDeploymentException (ManifestLoad)
        - Exception occurred loading manifest from file Ionic.Zip.Reduced.dll: the manifest may not be valid or the file could not be opened. 
        - Source: System.Deployment
        - Stack trace:
            at System.Deployment.Application.Manifest.AssemblyManifest.ManifestLoadExceptionHelper(Exception exception, String filePath)
            at System.Deployment.Application.Manifest.AssemblyManifest.LoadFromInternalManifestFile(String filePath)
            at System.Deployment.Application.DownloadManager.ProcessDownloadedFile(Object sender, DownloadEventArgs e)
            at System.Deployment.Application.FileDownloader.DownloadModifiedEventHandler.Invoke(Object sender, DownloadEventArgs e)
            at System.Deployment.Application.FileDownloader.OnModified()
            at System.Deployment.Application.SystemNetDownloader.DownloadSingleFile(DownloadQueueItem next)
            at System.Deployment.Application.SystemNetDownloader.DownloadAllFiles()
            at System.Deployment.Application.FileDownloader.Download(SubscriptionState subState, X509Certificate2 clientCertificate)
            at System.Deployment.Application.DownloadManager.DownloadDependencies(SubscriptionState subState, AssemblyManifest deployManifest, AssemblyManifest appManifest, Uri sourceUriBase, String targetDirectory, String group, IDownloadNotification notification, DownloadOptions options)
            at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.DownloadApplication(SubscriptionState subState, ActivationDescription actDesc, Int64 transactionId, TempDirectory& downloadTemp)
            at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.InstallApplication(SubscriptionState& subState, ActivationDescription actDesc)
            at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.PerformDeploymentActivation(Uri activationUri, Boolean isShortcut, String textualSubId, String deploymentProviderUrlFromExtension, BrowserSettings browserSettings, String& errorPageUrl)
            at System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationActivator.ActivateDeploymentWorker(Object state)
        --- Inner Exception ---
        System.IO.IOException
        - File Ionic.Zip.Reduced.dll is not a valid Portable Executable (PE) file.
        - Source: System.Deployment
        - Stack trace:
            at System.Deployment.Application.PEStream.ConstructFromFile(String filePath, Boolean partialConstruct)
            at System.Deployment.Application.Manifest.AssemblyManifest.LoadFromInternalManifestFile(String filePath)
        --- Inner Exception ---
        System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception
        - File {0} is not a valid Portable Executable (PE) file.
        - Source: System.Deployment
        - Stack trace:
            at System.Deployment.Application.PEStream.DosHeader..ctor(FileStream file)
            at System.Deployment.Application.PEStream.ConstructPEImage(FileStream file, Boolean partialConstruct)
            at System.Deployment.Application.PEStream.ConstructFromFile(String filePath, Boolean partialConstruct)

Answer 1

After the failure with the normal SIM download, I downloaded the QA version to see if it was any different. That install also failed, but it gave me more information in the error message--the URL to the DLL that was having issues.

After putting that DLL URL directly in my browser, the issue became apparent. The root of the problem appears to be that our university firewall was blocking that DLL because it was detecting it as a virus. Here is the error returned by the firewall:

This request is blocked by the Firewall Gateway Anti-Virus Service. Name: (Cloud Id: 49566033) Agent.FL (Trojan) blocked.

After working with our IT team, they were able to submit a request to allow this file. Once that was done, I was able to complete the download and install of the Sitecore SIM tool.