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Replace assembly in ASP.net application

I am trying to (mostly to see if it can be done) replace a dll-file in a ASP.net application. And just to make things more interesting, the file I'm trying to replace, is the same file that will (to a certain degree at least) hold the logic of how to replace it.
I've been able to replace almost every file in the project, except for the dll-files that are running, and currently I'm a bit stuck.
First of all, this is not something that should be performed often, so scalability is not an issue (doesn't matter if it takes up to a minute or so). Secondly, I do not want to use a Windows Service.
The only way (I have yet to try, but will start experimenting with) to achieve this (without using a Windows Service) is to create an application that is launced by the ASP.net app. Then the ASP.net app shuts itself down (using something like HttpRuntime.UnloadAppDomain();), hopefully this will unlock the files. Then the application swaps out the dll-files. However I'm thinking that there must be some other possible way to achieve this.
So what I'm asking is basically for ideas on how to solve this problem, because I'm about to run out of mine.

expanding a C# console app to a WPF app

What's the best way to convert a simple console application to a WPF? and I am a COMPLETE newb so be gentle!!
The console app displays information according to user choices.. real simple stuff, but I'd like to create a GUI for it in WPF.. and am looking for initial steps on how to go about it.

This, and this (video) might be worth checking out. They will get you started with building a WPF app, you'll need to figure out how to port your existing interface to WPF though, which might not be very straight forward because there is a large shift in building a console app (Console.WriteLine/Console.Read) and a GUI app with GUI objects with events and display properties.
I recommend jumping in with the links above and positing additional questions here when you get stuck.

First you need to think how the new interface will behave. A gui is different from console interaction.
Draw on paper the gui you want, buttons, text areas, etc.
Think about the logic and it should behave, i.e. wizard like, button interaction, etc.
Only then approach the implementation in WPF, for that look for some beginner tutorial, like ths

Create a WPF "control" that is run in an external process

I have a WPF app which contains a number of child controls.
One of these controls hosts a third party library which underneath the covers runs some native code which throws access violations and crashes the application. Unfortunately removing the library is not an option.
What I'd like to do is spin up a new windows process, host the third party library inside that, and somehow communicate with it. Much in the same way that Google Chrome and IE8 handle browser plugins.
The issue is that the third party library needs to draw to the screen, so I have to somehow have the equivalent of an HTML iframe inside my WPF app's main window.
I'm not sure how to get started on this, it's proving difficult to google for thus far. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

This is a tough one, but fortunately for you there is a little work being done in this space lately.
Have you heard of the System.Addin namespace in .NET 3.5? It could probably help in this case. It allows for controls to be loaded in a separate AppDomain, but be displayed in the same UI. I'd imagine you'd have to do a little bit of work to get everything communicating properly (never done this before), but it's possible.
Have a look at this early post from the Add-in team: http://blogs.msdn.com/clraddins/archive/2007/08/06/appdomain-isolated-wpf-add-ins-jesse-kaplan.aspx
Seems like they keep their samples and helper code on codeplex: http://clraddins.codeplex.com/
I'm very interested in this, so if you get this working, let us know how this went for you!

Coming in way late. If you still need this, have you seen this project: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/changov/hosting-wpf-ui-cross-thread-and-cross-process
I'm running multiple plugins in multiple external processes in my LOB app. My framework grew out of the project above.

Probably not the easiest of tasks. Have you considered hosting your 3rd party stuff in a separate App-Domain? That way you will also get a good level of isolation while saving you the hassle of another project. Does it have to be refreshed constantly or could you refresh at predefined points in your application? Maybe some scheme where you basically do a screenshot of the 3rd party output and show it as image in your original app would then be possible...

Can an exe compiled from C# be integrated into a website?

I'm a beginner in programming. I've just made a program called "Guessing Game". And it seems to work fine. Can I integrate it into a website? The CMS that I'm using is Mambo.
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additional info's
Thanks for all your suggestions.
I still don't have any background about Silverlight, WPF and Java Script which I think sounds good. I'm using Windows and I programmed my "Guessing Game" from Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and it's using Window application forms.
Yes I guess, for the moment I let it be and start to learn Silverlight or Java Script so that I can integrate it on my website:-)
Thanks for all your input guys:-)
Cheers

A standalone executable cannot be directly integrated into a website. You have a few choices though:
Allow your users to download the executable and run it locally for themselves
Rewrite your program in JavaScript to have it run directly inside of an HTML page, though this could obviously involve a fair amount of reworking
Use Microsoft's Silverlight technology, which allows you to code in C# and produce a web-based frontend similar to Adobe Flash. Your program logic should remain the same and you should only have to change the UI code. In fact if you're already using WPF for the front end, the transition will be even easier.

There are several questions that you still need to answer.
What is your server running? If its not Windows, your exe will not run at all unless it is compatible with Mono or a similar framework for your server's operating system.
How does your "Guessing game" interact with the user? If it is through a WinForms GUI, it will you will not be able to use that GUI on the web. If your game is a WPF application your easiest route may be to port it to Silverlight and serve it up on a web page.
It is typically not trivial to make a regular windows application run in a web environment since on on the web you are really running in the browser, not on Windows.

Yes - in general, when you're talking about software, anything is possible. The question is, how difficult will it be?
To understand that, you have to give us more details about "Guessing Game" including how it is designed, what it's interfaces are, how readily extensible it is, and how prepared you are to change or extend it.
For example, if it is a Windows Forms GUI app, then it will be diifficult to integrate into a web app. If it is a console app, then it will be a little easier. If you can modify it to run as a Windows Service, then a little easier. If you can modify it to accept input from the network (as opposed to getting input solely from the keyboard + mouse), still easier.

You may be able to use reflection to load your assembly into the web application, but most likely, the answer is no.
Your best solution is probably to re-write the game in javascript.

The short answer to your question is now. I'm presuming that since you're running Mambo you're web environment is a LAMP stack. However, you're "Guessing Game" is most likely a Windows application from the sound of it. For a beginner in programming, there is no integration path you're going to be able to take that will allow you to have your game running on your website.
However, here are avenues you can take, which will require a significant amount of time to learn. I'm not saying you shouldn't take time to learn, by all means you should! I'm simply trying to illustrate the fact that this is not something that is going to be doable in a couple of hours.
Silverlight - allows you to run C# code with a WPF like interface on your client's browser and can integrate with your web site through javascript.
Let your client download it from your website and run it off of their PC. This would actually be fairly trivial and would be your quickest option, but it sounds like it's not the kind of integration you were looking for.

creating iSeries like programs

my main language is vb/c#.net and I'd like to make a console program but with a menu system.
If any of you have worked with "dos" like programs or iSeries from IBM then thats the style I am going for.
so, was wondering if anyone knows of a "winforms" library that will make my form look like this. I dont mind a "fake winforms look" or a console application but thats how I'd like.

I've used iSeries extensively and I remember exactly what you're talking about. To simulate this look and feel in a C# app, you'll want to create a console project and write text to different areas of the screen with the help of the Console.CursorTop and Console.CursorLeft properties, then calling Console.Write or Console.WriteLine to write out the text in the previously set position. To change colors, before calling WriteLine you'll want to use the Console.ForegroundColor and Console.BackgroundColor properties.
You'll need to listen for input and upon finding a tab character, your program can use its own internal logic to determine where the cursor should appear next (on the next line in the same column, for instance, to simulate those left columns of input fields in your screenshot).
Doing this with a Windows Forms app will be a little trickier and you'd definitely want to write your own control for it (possibly sub-classed from one of the many types of standard multi-line text controls already available).

It's a good question. For many Use Cases the standard Windows (or other windowing) paradigm can be overkill, intimidating, and confusing.
Back in DOS days there were a number of "Windowing" libraries that created various abstractions for doing this.
[After Googling]
Here's a site that lists various libraries including a several that appear to be of interest.
A resource like this would also be handy for Mobile apps, where mouse-driven window apps tend to be not the best fit, especially for workflow-type processes. The Console is a pretty universal lowest-common-denominator abstraction available in most every environment.

You are looking for a curses like library but for windows. And usable from VB & C#.
Curses provides for a even richer text based UI than even iSeries. All sorts of widgetry!
Windows is not really supportive of text interfaces whether on purpose or not so are out of luck.
But ...
Well, how about MonoCurses? I don't know if it will work though. Also look at PDCurses.
And if you don't mind using Python for just the front-end see this.

There are a couple of webifiers or screen scraping programs for iSeries that will create a web or windows user interface on top of your iSeries application. I have never used any of those so there is not a particular one that I can recommend, but you might want to look their for inspiration or reuse.