App.Config errors with "Configuration system failed to initialize" - c#

I have a console application written in C# under .net 4.0 It has a bunch of variables which I want to move into App.Config (so it will be all in one place). Added this part of code to App.Config (between configuration tags):
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="RemoteDirectory" value="Some Text Here"/>
</appSettings>
</configuration>
In my program trying to test it with this code
Console.WriteLine(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["RemoteDirectory"]);
but I keep getting "Configuration system failed to initialize" error.

Try looking the Inner Exception for more detailed information. It helped me out when I had this same trouble.
Also, check if the format is correct for the .net Framework you are using on your project. If you're using the framework 4.5 it should look like the one below:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5" />
</startup>
<appSettings>
<add key="RemoteDirectory" value="Some Text Here" />
</appSettings>
</configuration>

The exception "Configuration system failed to initialize" is raised when one declares say an "appSettings" tag or any other tag after the "configuration" root tag, before declaring the "configSections" tag.
The schema of a configuration file requires the "configSections" tag to be the first child of the root tag.
<configuration>
<configSections>
<section name="xY" type=""/>
</configSections>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NET Framework,Version=v4.5.2" />
</startup>
<xY></xY>
</configuration>

Make sure that the configSections section is placed right after configuration section (First child)

I also meet with this error. In my status I mixed <configSection> and <connectionStrings> prioritise.
I changed the order of the tags. First i write <configSection> then <connectionStrings> finally it fixed. Hope it will help someone.

Since it is a directory, I am assuming you are using incorrect symbols there.. perhaps a /?

appSettings must be spelt right. It should be appSettings - S should be capital. I had it all lower case and got this error.

Found the issue
Read the inner exception hope your code is in the try{}catch(){} block.
My Inner exception reads;
Only one "configSections" element allowed per config file and if present must be the first child of the root "configuration" element.
Its self explanatory
Hope this helps you.

Good day,
I have had that same problem in a certain PC of one of our clients.
I believe it is not the same kind of problem since in my case it was that the file C:\Users\"youruser"\AppData\Local\"ProgramEditorName"\"Program.exekeytoprogram"\"ProgramVersion"\user.config file got corrupted in that particular pc. I copied that file for backup just in case and deleted the file.
It worked for me I hope it can help others.
Have a nice day,
Xabier

Check for an Inner Exception, it seems to say exactly what is wrong with the config.

Related

Data not saving in local database on re run c#

I've created a basic windows form application using the Service-based Database option so that when I deploy it on another pc it will not require to install sql server there.
I've added a LINQ-to-SQL class in the project and here is my full code
And here is the app.config file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
</configSections>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2" />
</startup>
<connectionStrings>
<add name="_16Sep18_databaseAppWithSetup_.Properties.Settings.WrestlersConnectionString"
connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\MSSQLLocalDB;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\Wrestlers.mdf;Integrated Security=True"
providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>
</configuration>
The problem is when every time I run my program the previously stored data is no longer in the database but when I input data and perform the insert,delete,update etc operations it works and the data is shown in the datagridview also but once I close the app all those data are gone.
Why is this happening and how do I fix it?
This problem occurs because the mdf file is saving in DEBUG folder also when you try to run the program...
Just go to app.config file,,
it seems like you have added the directory like
Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\Data\Database1.mdf;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True
change the |DataDirectory| to full data directory address like
"AttachDbFileName=c:\Project\Data\Database1.mdf"
it will work
I resolved this problem by changing "copy always" => "copy if newer":
It worked for me. Hope this helps you.
The MDF file is copied to the debug folder on each run, and that is the file your code manipulates, not the one in your source folder.

Where Does Visual Studio Store the Connection String

The problem is that the table adapter keeps referencing a connection string that I have not set up for it. When I go to each data table in the DataSet Designer, the connect says "MyConnectionString(settings)". When I search for the incorrect connection string, VS can't find it.
The project that is reused over multiple solutions. I have three configurations: Debug, Staging and Release. Each configuration has it's own connection string. My app.config looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<connectionStrings configSource="connect.config"/>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2" />
</startup>
<startup useLegacyV2RuntimeActivationPolicy="true">
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" />
</startup>
</configuration>
Each configuration file looks something like this:
<connectionStrings>
<clear/>
<add name="Properties.Settings.MyConnectionString" connectionString="Data Source=CorrectDataSourceforthisConfig\SQL;Initial Catalog=MyDB;Trusted_Connection=True"
providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>
In my dataset, I have this XML:
<Connections>
<Connection AppSettingsObjectName="Settings" AppSettingsPropertyName="MyConnectionString" ConnectionStringObject="" IsAppSettingsProperty="true" Modifier="Assembly" Name="MyConnectionString (Settings)" ParameterPrefix="#" PropertyReference="ApplicationSettings.MyMenu.Properties.Settings.GlobalReference.Default.MyConnectionString" Provider="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</Connections>
In my settings.designer.cs, I have this:
[global::System.Configuration.DefaultSettingValueAttribute("Data Source=CorrectDataSourceForDebug\SQL;Initial Catalog=MyDB;Integrated Security=True")]
public string RMSConnectionString {
get {
return ((string)(this["MyConnectionString"]));
}
}
Where is this rogue connection string coming from? Any help, ideas, advice and opinions would be greatly appreciated.
The connection string is stored in your app.config file as well as in your sometimes in your dataset and sometimes in your code. In my case, I was able to fix this problem by going into Explorer and deleting all the files that I had accidentally created (i.e. Form1) and by searching my solution and making sure tha there were no reference to the incorrect connection string. Then I deleted all instances of the .DLL that I had used when I included this project in different solutions and re-referenced and rebuilt all the projects.
There is also machine.config which is the master configuration file on your system. This may be where your hidden connection string is stored.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/data/adonet/connection-strings-and-configuration-files
The machine.config file also contains a connectionStrings section, which contains connection strings used by Visual Studio. When retrieving connection strings by provider name from the app.config file in a Windows application, the connection strings in machine.config get loaded first, and then the entries from app.config. Adding clear immediately after the connectionStrings element removes all inherited references from the data structure in memory, so that only the connection strings defined in the local app.config file are considered.

The server committed a protocol violation. Section=ResponseHeader Detail=CR must be followed by LF

My App.config file
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<startup><supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0"/></startup>
<system.net>
<settings>
<httpWebRequest useUnsafeHeaderParsing="true" />
</settings>
</system.net>
</configuration>
I was facing the below error when I was trying to download some .pdf file from a url.
The server committed a protocol violation. Section=ResponseHeader
Detail=CR must be followed by LF
After extensive research, most of the suggestions are to add useUnsafeHeaderParsing="true" in config file, but unfortunately it was already present in my config file.
But I realized that, all the examples in suggested solutions are not having this particular line
<startup><supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0"/>
So I went ahead and removed and tried to download the .pdf file
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<system.net>
<settings>
<httpWebRequest useUnsafeHeaderParsing="true" />
</settings>
</system.net>
</configuration>
and it worked. My application is built using .Net Framework 4
What I am trying to understand is there any impact of removing this line, or it can fixed in some other way ?
In my experience, removing the line, wouldn't not "break" anything. That line just target the .NET framework 4.0 directly in your application.
https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/886256/NET-versioning-and-multi-targeting-on-Csharp-appli
Here is a good and lengthy code project file I came across last year December when converting some of my projects and cleaning out some "useless" code from files

app.config file C# winforms preserve the connection string

I have an app.config file in Winforms application that holds a connection string. This is to go out to multiple tenant (clients) as a separate file. These clients have different database sources. This config file also holds other version information such as EF, Telerik reporting etc...
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.1" />
and
<section name="Telerik.Reporting"
type="Telerik.Reporting.Configuration.ReportingConfigurationSection, Telerik.Reporting, Version=8.1.14.804, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=a9d7983dfcc261be"
allowLocation="true" allowDefinition="Everywhere" />
The problem I have is when we have an updated version of EF or Telerik reporting with our application and we deploy (auto-deploy) this we need to overwrite the app.config file in the client directory to update the versions in the client config file. They then lose their connection setting and I do not want the client to have to go and re-enter it.
My question:
Is there a best practice to overcome this issue? Should I hold the connection string somewhere else?
Yep, the best thing to do is to move your connection strings section to an another config file and reference that file within your app.config.
For example create a new file called connectionStrings.config:
<connectionStrings>
<add name="Default" connectionString="[client_connection_string] "/>
</connectionStrings>
And in your app.config file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<connectionStrings configSource="connectionStrings.config" />
</configuration>
A full example can be found here.
Use an external configuration file that is referenced from the application config file. E.g. include this section in your config file.
<configuration>
<connectionStrings configSource="connections.config"/>
</configuration>
The external config file is described http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms254494(v=vs.110).aspx
Note that storing connection settings in plaintext on a workstation is still a bad idea.
Using Windows registry for stuff like this is a definite no-no these days.
you can try to hold all connection data that you need in separate xml file so it dont get overwrite when you preform a deploy of updated version.

XamlParse Exception in wpf [duplicate]

I'm currently creating a Login form and have this code:
string connectionString = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["ConnectionString"].ConnectionString;
try
{
using (OdbcConnection connect = new OdbcConnection(connectionString))
{
connect.Open();
OdbcCommand cmd = new OdbcCommand("SELECT username, password FROM receptionist", connect);
OdbcDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
if (username_login.Text == username && password_login.Text == password)
{
this.Hide();
MessageBox.Show("Invalid User", "Login Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
this.Close();
}
else
MessageBox.Show("Invalid User", "Login Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
connect.Close();
}
}
catch (OdbcException ex)
{
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message, "error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
}
But whenever I try to type in the username and password there is an error called "Configuration system failed to initialize". What kind of problem is this, and how could I solve this?
Make sure that your config file (web.config if web, or app.config if windows) in your project starts as:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="applicationSettings"
type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
<section name="YourProjectName.Properties.Settings"
type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"
requirePermission="false" />
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
</configuration>
Note that inside the configuration element, the first child must be the configSections element.
In the name property on section element, make sure you replace YourProjectName with your actual project's name.
It happened to me that I created a webservice in a class library project, then I copied (overwriting) the config file (in order to bring the endpoints configuration) to my windows app and I started to have the same problem. I had inadvertently removed configSections.
Delete old configuration files from c:\Users\username\AppData\Local\appname and c:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\appname and then try to restart your application.
Sometimes the Error occurs because a windows create a duplicate in the
C:\Users\App Data\Local\"You App Name"...
Just delete this folder and done. try it.
If you've added your own custom configuration sections to your App.Config, make sure you have defined the section in the <configSections> element. I added the my config XML but forgot to declare the configuration section up top - which caused the exception "Configuration system failed to initialize" for me.
After a long search I realised, this exception has an inner exception that tells you exactly what is wrong with your config file
I had this same problem with an MSTest class: Marlon Grech in his article says "the element has to be defined as the first element in the App.config."
So make sure that is the first element in under the element. I had put AppSettings first.
If you have User scoped settings you may also have a user.config file somewhere in the [Userfolder]\AppData\Local\[ProjectName] folder.
If you later remove the User scoped settings the user.config will not automatically be removed, and it's presence may cause the same error message. Deleting the folder did the trick for me.
I know this has already been answered but I had exactly the same problem in my unit tests. I was tearing my hair out - adding an appSettings section, and then declaring the configuration section as per the answer. Finally found out that I had already declared an appSettings section further up my config file. Both sections pointed to my external settings file "appSettings.config" but the first appSettings element using the attribute file whilst the other used the attribute configSource. I know the question was about the connectionStrings. Sure enough, this happens if the appSettings element is the connectionStrings element being duplicated with different attributes.
Hopefully, this can provide someone else with the solution before they go down the path I did which leads to wasting an hour or two. sigh oh the life of us developers. We waste more hours some days debugging than we spend developing!
I started to get this problem after uninstalling Oracle Client Drivers and it removed my C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\machine.config!
Copying it from another computer resolved the problem.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="xyz" value="123" />
</appSettings>
</configuration>
Easy solution for .Net Core WinForms / WPF / .Net Standard Class Library projects
step 1: Install System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager by Nuget Manager
step 2: Add a new App.Config file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="Bodrum" value="Yalikavak" />
</appSettings>
</configuration>
step3: Get the value
string value = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.Get("Bodrum");
// value is Yalikavak
If you are calling it from a Class Library then add the App.Config file on your Main Project.
Wow it took me forever to figure out this one. For some reason changing the attribute [assembly: AssemblyCompany("CompanyName")] at AssemblyInfo.cs made this error disappear. I was referencing a project that had a different value for the attribute [assembly: AssemblyCompany("CompanyName")]. I maked sure both projects had the same attribute value and it worked great!
Same problem with me I solved my problem by removing verion="v3.5" from App.config.
Before
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2"/>
</startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v3.5" />//Remove this
</configuration>
Solution
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2"/>
</startup>
</configuration>
Here is how to use version on
MSDN Support Runtime Element
I solved the problem by using the below code
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<sectionGroup name="applicationSettings"
type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
<section name="YourProjectName.Properties.Settings"
type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"
requirePermission="false" />
</sectionGroup>
</configSections>
<appSettings>
<add key="SPUserName" value="TestUser" />
<add key="SPPassword" value="UserPWD" />
</appSettings>
</configuration>
It is worth noting that if you add things like connection strings into the app.config, that if you add items outside of the defined config sections, that it will not immediately complain, but when you try and access it, that you may then get the above errors.
Collapse all major sections and make sure there are no items outside the defined ones. Obvious, when you have actually spotted it.
In my case the only solution was to add the reference to the System.Configuration in my Test project as well.
This is kinda dumb, but for me I fixed it by doing a get latest from source control on my code. I think there was some new configuration element that was added by someone else, and I needed to overwrite my configuration files. OP shows the error I had gotten, which wasn't really pointing me in the right direction.
I too faced the same problem, But accidentally i written the
without writting the ,the previous one should go inside this tags. thus the 'Configuration System Failed to Initialize' error was arising.
Hope it will help
In My case, I have two configsections in the app.config file. After deleting the one hiding in the code lines, the app works fine.
So for someone has the same issue, check if you have duplicate configsections first.
If you are dealing with an Azure WebJob - I had to remove the following after upgrading to the latest 4.6.1.
<compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.6.1">
<assemblies>
<add assembly="System.Runtime, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"/>
</assemblies>
</compilation>
Hope this helps.
In my case, within my .edmx file I had run the 'Update Model From Database' command. This command added an unnecessary connection string to my app.config file. I deleted that connection string and all was good again.
Try to save the .config file as utf-8 if you have some "special" characters in there. That was the issue in my case of a console application.
As #Flash Gordon mentioned in his comment, you will need to define any custom tag (as a section) in your App.config file, under <configSections>. For example, you're working on a test automation project with SpecFlow & adding <specFlow> tag, then a simplest version of App.config will look like this:
I just had this and it was because I had a <configuration> element nested inside of a <configuration> element.
I restarted Visual studio and even the whole PC.
I cleaned the project, rebuild, and deleted bin file.
Nothing helped until i changed the configuration from x64 to x86.
It worked on x86 but when i changed it back it also worked!
I tried all of the solutions above trying to figure out why one of my unit tests were failing to pick up the configuration from an app.config file that is perfect.
I had 2 references to the same assembly like so:
Removing the (duplicate) reference in yellow fixed it for me.
I hope this works for someone else, it drove me nuts for a while.
If you have a custom section, you need to mention that under configSections right below configurations tag.
Please check your transform files, make sure you remove the unnecessary tags.only the section that are going to vary needs to be there in transform files. dont mention config section in the transform files if not needed. this would also cause the problem.
if you have any syntax error in machine.config, then also this error is expected.
I was also getting
'System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException' in System.Configuration.dll
If you have windows check the slashes / I was working with a project from a guy working in linux, so he had inverted them.

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