I'm trying to enable migrations but it's throwing an exception:
Checking if the context targets an existing database...
System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.Data.Entity.Migrations.DbMigrationsConfiguration`1' threw an exception. ---> System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'System.Data.Entity.Internal.AppConfig' threw an exception. ---> System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: Configuration system failed to initialize ---> System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: The 'name' attribute must be specified on the 'section' tag.
I'm assuming that the App.config file is not correctly set up (it was automatically set up when I added EF package). All I did was add the connection string:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<section Name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
<!-- For more information on Entity Framework configuration, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=237468 --></configSections>
<connectionStrings>
<add Name="MyContext" connectionString="data source=MYSERVER;initial catalog=CodeFirstTest;user id=***;password=***;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;App=EntityFramework" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>
<entityFramework>
<defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.LocalDbConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
<parameters>
<parameter value="v11.0" />
</parameters>
</defaultConnectionFactory>
<providers>
<provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlClient" type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer" />
</providers>
</entityFramework>
</configuration>
I'm using SQL Server 2008 R2.
As I do have a connection string, I don't believe I need the defaultconnectionfactory. Am I correct? (Note: Even without this section I'm still getting the same exception)
What else am I missing?
I had the same issue when my <connectionString /> entry is on top part of the Web.config, Right after <configuration>. Then I tried moving it right before </configuration>, and it worked.
This is mainly to do with the config file. So the actual stack trace that helps is "System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException".
There can be many reasons but they all majorly include the correction in the config file as answered earlier.
Couple of possibilities which are little different than this are given below (But the stack really tells us)
One possible out of the way reason can be that, your project where the migrations are getting enabled can be different from the startup project. So be sure to add -StartUpProject to your nuget commmand.
Version of the entity framework used can be different in case of two different projects.
I met with the same issue. My problem is that there are double connection string on the Web.config file. like as below:
<add name="DB1234" ..../>
<add name="DB1234" ..../>
So we have to check our web.config file first!
Good Luck!
check the spelling of your 'connectionString' and make sure it is 'connectionStrings' I omitted the 's' before in my own case.
After adding the 's', that solved it.
In my case I had several projects in the solution and another project was set as the StartUp project. Setting the project that I was trying to enable migrations for as the StartUp project resolved it.
In my case, using DevExpress MVC generated template, it need to add extra lines after <sectionGroup name="devExpress">...<sectionGroup/> in web.config
<section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
in my experiences, for example is that all the information that is used to establish a connection with the database is the one that comes from the config file that is in the startup-project, and not the one that is in the project where i am generating or using the enable-migrations or update-database instructions, example i have project PRINCIPAL and another project DATA,i use the DATA project as my default-project only when running the packages in Packager console Manager, but the config file that really use is the one in PRINCIPAL.
Include this into <configSections>
<section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
In my case this line is omitted when I have 2 instances of Visual Studio open.
Close all instances of the Visual Studio, open and reinstall EF via interface Nuget or Console to avoid this error
Check the webconfig, For example: I had the app settings like this:
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="dhx_license" value="value"/>
</appSetting>
.....
and threw that error. But then I realized appSetting was duplicated below so I moved the and the error vanished. Thanks.
Like #Lester answer check web config. It must look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
...
</configSections>
<appSettings>
...
</appSettings>
...
<configuration>
I had the same issue. But I found there are two <connectionString /> in my Web.config,
I had to remove one connection string and it work fine for me.
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.
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.