Configuration System Failed to Initialize

user_516160 0
Viewed 350484

I'm new to Visual Studio. I'm currently creating a Login form.

I 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. I'm just wondering what kind of problem is this and how could I solve this?

Please help.

visual-studio-2010 visual-studio authentication mysql c#
28 Answers

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.

user_23892570

After a long search I realised, this exception has an inner exception that tells you exactly what is wrong with your config file

user_5055580

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.

user_21250100

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>
user_16355640

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.

user_23157220

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.

user_24295590

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: enter image description here

user_27823390

I just had this and it was because I had a <configuration> element nested inside of a <configuration> element.

user_4264220

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!

user_40178470

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:

duplicate reference

project file before and after

Removing the (duplicate) reference in yellow fixed it for me.

I hope this works for someone else, it drove me nuts for a while.

user_3350580

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.

user_58810680

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.

user_20933710
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