Could not load file or assembly 'TechTalk.SpecFlow'

[icnocop]

I'm getting the following compilation error message:

C:\Builds\1\1\src\MySolution\packages\SpecFlow.2.0.0\tools\TechTalk.SpecFlow.targets(47,5): error : Could not load file or assembly 'TechTalk.SpecFlow, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0778194805d6db41' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. [C:\Builds\1\1\src\MySolution\MySpecFlowProject\MySpecFlowProject.csproj]

This issue only happens randomly, using MSBuild 14.0 (on a Visual Studio 2015 solution\project), and SpecFlow 2.0, even after removing the project reference to TechTalk.SpecFlow.Generator as indicated here.

MySpecFlowProject referenced NuGet packages (packages.config):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<packages>
  <package id="SpecBind" version="1.7.1.272" targetFramework="net45" />
  <package id="SpecBind.CodedUI" version="1.7.1.272" targetFramework="net45" />
  <package id="SpecBindGeneratorPlugin.SpecFlow" version="1.7.1.272" targetFramework="net45" />
  <package id="SpecFlow" version="2.0.0" targetFramework="net45" />
  <package id="SpecFlow.CustomPlugin" version="2.0.0" targetFramework="net45" />
  <package id="SpecFlow.MsTest" version="2.0.0" targetFramework="net45" />
</packages>

MySpecFlowProject project references:

    <Reference Include="SpecBind, Version=1.7.1.272, Culture=neutral, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
      <HintPath>..\packages\SpecBind.1.7.1.272\lib\net45\SpecBind.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>True</Private>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="SpecBind.CodedUI, Version=1.7.1.272, Culture=neutral, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
      <HintPath>..\packages\SpecBind.CodedUI.1.7.1.272\lib\net45\SpecBind.CodedUI.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>True</Private>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="TechTalk.SpecFlow, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0778194805d6db41, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
      <HintPath>..\packages\SpecFlow.2.0.0\lib\net45\TechTalk.SpecFlow.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>True</Private>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="TechTalk.SpecFlow.Parser, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0778194805d6db41, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
      <HintPath>..\packages\SpecFlow.CustomPlugin.2.0.0\lib\net45\TechTalk.SpecFlow.Parser.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>True</Private>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="TechTalk.SpecFlow.Utils, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0778194805d6db41, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
      <HintPath>..\packages\SpecFlow.CustomPlugin.2.0.0\lib\net45\TechTalk.SpecFlow.Utils.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>True</Private>
    </Reference>

MySpecFlowProject.csproj includes TechTalk.SpecFlow.targets as follows:

<Import Project="..\packages\SpecFlow.2.0.0\tools\TechTalk.SpecFlow.targets" />

MySpecFlowProject's App.config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section name="specFlow" type="TechTalk.SpecFlow.Configuration.ConfigurationSectionHandler, TechTalk.SpecFlow" />
  </configSections>
  <specFlow>
    <generator allowDebugGeneratedFiles="true" />
    <stepAssemblies>
      <stepAssembly assembly="MyOtherStepAssembly" />
    </stepAssemblies>
    <plugins>
      <add name="SpecBindGeneratorPlugin" path="..\packages\SpecBindGeneratorPlugin.SpecFlow.1.7.1.272\tools" type="Generator" />
    </plugins>
    <unitTestProvider name="MsTest" />
  </specFlow>
  <runtime>
    <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="TechTalk.SpecFlow" publicKeyToken="0778194805d6db41" culture="neutral" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-2.0.0.0" newVersion="2.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
    </assemblyBinding>
  </runtime>
</configuration>

The build directory is always cleaned before a build.
This only started happening when I added a NuGet reference to SpecBind.CodedUI.
SpecBind.CodedUI, Version=1.7.1.272 references TechTalk.SpecFlow, Version=2.0.0.0.
There are two feature files in the project and their Custom Tool property is set to SpecFlowSingleFileGenerator.
Builds and rebuilds work fine in Visual Studio 2015, just not during automated / continuous integration (CI) builds.

I'm wondering if there's a way to explicitly indicate the path of where to look for TechTalk.SpecFlow.dll or something similar?

Thank you.

[icnocop]

What fixed it for me was to remove https://ci.appveyor.com/nuget/specflow-ci from NuGet.config and also update the version of NuGet.exe I was using.

[dpiessens]

That makes sense, just wondering, why were you using the appveyor fend instead of NuGet.org?

[icnocop]

I was testing with a newer version of SpecFlow to see if it had fixed some of the issues I was having.
For example, https://github.com/techtalk/SpecFlow/issues/482