Failed to load assembly. File is not a managed .NET assembly
Published 30 March 2020
SmartAssembly only supports protecting and merging assemblies containing managed .NET code.
Native assemblies and mixed-mode assemblies containing both native and managed code are not supported (but can be embedded).
.NET Core produces unmanaged .exe files which indirectly can be protected in certain scenarios. For more information refer to: Protecting .NET Core's .exe files
