The configuration section 'appSettings' cannot be read because it is missing a section declaration

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I Was clearing ASP.NET Temporary Internet files and I accidentally deleted some .NET Framework files (I have 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5) then neither Visual Studio 10 or Visual Studio 2012 was opening. I repaired the installation of all the .Net framework and I was able to open VS again. though every web application is buildable, when trying to run any, an error in web.config appSettings, though appSettings was working normally before the deleting incident, appears.

I don't know what went wrong and how to fix this.

IIS Error:

HTTP Error 500.19 - Internal Server Error

The requested page cannot be accessed because the related configuration data for the page is invalid.

Error Code

0x80070032

Config Error

The configuration section 'appSettings' cannot be read because it is missing a section declaration

the config file:

 <?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section name="CID.DAL" type="CID.DAL.Bases.NetTiersServiceSection, CID.DAL" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication" restartOnExternalChanges="true"/>
    <section name="enterpriseLibrary.ConfigurationSource" type="Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Common.Configuration.ConfigurationSourceSection, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Common, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35"/>
    <sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
      <section name="CIDPortal.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false"/>
      <section name="CIDWebsite.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false"/>
    </sectionGroup>
    <sectionGroup name="system.web.extensions" type="System.Web.Configuration.SystemWebExtensionsSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
      <sectionGroup name="scripting" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
        <section name="scriptResourceHandler" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingScriptResourceHandlerSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
        <sectionGroup name="webServices" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingWebServicesSectionGroup, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35">
          <section name="jsonSerialization" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingJsonSerializationSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="Everywhere"/>
          <section name="profileService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingProfileServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
          <section name="authenticationService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingAuthenticationServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
          <section name="roleService" type="System.Web.Configuration.ScriptingRoleServiceSection, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35" requirePermission="false" allowDefinition="MachineToApplication"/>
        </sectionGroup>
      </sectionGroup>
    </sectionGroup>
  </configSections>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="BLL.CRUWebReference" value=""/>
    <add key="BLL.CRULogoPath" value=""/>
    <add key="BLL.KBIXMLPath" value="D:\App\KBI\XML\{0}\"/>
    <add key="BLL.CRUWebReference_Staging" value=""/>
    <add key="BLL.KBIXMLPath_IMC" value="D:\App\KBI\XML\{0}\"/>
    <add key="BLL.KBIXMLPath_STP" value="D:\App\KBI\XML\{0}\"/>
    <add key="BLL.KBIWSLink" value=""/>
    <add key="BLL.KBIWSHMCLink" value=""/>
  </appSettings>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="CID.DAL.ConnectionString" connectionString="Password=;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=;Initial Catalog=;Data Source="/>
    <add name="CID_OldConnectionString" connectionString="Data Source=;Initial Catalog=;Integrated Security=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
  </connectionStrings>
  <CID.DAL defaultProvider="SqlNetTiersProvider">
    <providers>
      <add name="SqlNetTiersProvider" type="CID.DAL.SqlClient.SqlNetTiersProvider, CID.DAL.SqlClient" connectionStringName="CID.DAL.ConnectionString" providerInvariantName="System.Data.SqlClient" entityFactoryType="CID.DTO.EntityFactory" useEntityFactory="true" enableEntityTracking="true" enableMethodAuthorization="false" useStoredProcedure="true" defaultCommandTimeout="30"/>
    </providers>
  </CID.DAL>
  <system.web>
    <compilation debug="true">
      <assemblies>
        <add assembly="System.Core, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
        <add assembly="System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
        <add assembly="System.Xml.Linq, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
        <add assembly="System.Data.DataSetExtensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
      </assemblies>
    </compilation>
    <authentication mode="Windows"/>
    <pages>
      <controls>
        <add tagPrefix="asp" namespace="System.Web.UI" assembly="System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
        <add tagPrefix="asp" namespace="System.Web.UI.WebControls" assembly="System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
      </controls>
    </pages>
    <httpHandlers>
      <remove verb="*" path="*.asmx"/>
      <add verb="*" path="*.asmx" validate="false" type="System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptHandlerFactory, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
      <add verb="*" path="*_AppService.axd" validate="false" type="System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptHandlerFactory, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
      <add verb="GET,HEAD" path="ScriptResource.axd" validate="false" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptResourceHandler, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
    </httpHandlers>
    <httpModules>
      <add name="ScriptModule" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptModule, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
    </httpModules>
  </system.web>
  <startup>
    <supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727"/>
  </startup>
  <system.codedom>
      <compilers>
        <compiler language="c#;cs;csharp" extension=".cs" type="Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" warningLevel="4">
          <providerOption name="CompilerVersion" value="v3.5"/>
          <providerOption name="WarnAsError" value="false"/>
      </compiler>
    </compilers>
  </system.codedom>
  <system.webServer>
      <validation validateIntegratedModeConfiguration="false"/>
    <modules>
      <remove name="ScriptModule"/>
      <add name="ScriptModule" preCondition="managedHandler" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptModule, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
    </modules>
    <handlers>
      <remove name="WebServiceHandlerFactory-Integrated"/>
      <remove name="ScriptHandlerFactory"/>
      <remove name="ScriptHandlerFactoryAppServices"/>
      <remove name="ScriptResource"/>
      <add name="ScriptHandlerFactory" verb="*" path="*.asmx" preCondition="integratedMode" type="System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptHandlerFactory, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
      <add name="ScriptHandlerFactoryAppServices" verb="*" path="*_AppService.axd" preCondition="integratedMode" type="System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptHandlerFactory, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
      <add name="ScriptResource" verb="GET,HEAD" path="ScriptResource.axd" preCondition="integratedMode" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptResourceHandler, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
    </handlers>
  </system.webServer>
  <runtime>
    <assemblyBinding appliesTo="v2.0.50727" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Extensions" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"/>
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-1.1.0.0" newVersion="3.5.0.0"/>
      </dependentAssembly>
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Extensions.Design" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"/>
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-1.1.0.0" newVersion="3.5.0.0"/>
      </dependentAssembly>
    </assemblyBinding>
  </runtime>
</configuration>
asp.net
visual-studio
web-config
asked on Stack Overflow Jun 28, 2012 by Khodor • edited Mar 20, 2017 by abatishchev

2 Answers

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I've had this issue a few times, the first time was when .NET had became "de-registered" from IIS

C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe -i

Fixed that (or substitute your .NET path if not using a 64 bit machine)

The other thing that caused it was when the IIS Application pool was set to .NET 2.0 instead of .NET 4 even though .NET was installed. Just opened the app pool in IIS Manager and switched it back and it worked.

answered on Stack Overflow Jun 28, 2012 by John Mitchell
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This might mean that you have the <appSettings> in wrong location inside the web.config and IIS thinks that this is a customized section (hence missing a section declaration), make sure that you have it as below:

<configuration>
    <appSettings>
    </appSettings>
answered on Stack Overflow Mar 17, 2019 by Sufyan Jabr

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