Configuration System Failed To Initialize (Not XML issue)

Question

I have looked at many other answers here on how to solve this and all point to malformed XML in the app.config file. However, my app.config seems to have the <configSections> node in the correct place (first child node of <configuration>):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <configSections>
        <sectionGroup name="userSettings"
                      type="System.Configuration.UserSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
            <section name="My_Excel_Addin_Name.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" allowExeDefinition="MachineToLocalUser" requirePermission="false" />
        </sectionGroup>
    </configSections>
    <userSettings>
        <My_Excel_Addin_Name.Properties.Settings>
            <setting name="Host" serializeAs="String">
                <value />
            </setting>
            <setting name="Port" serializeAs="String">
                <value />
            </setting>
        </My_Excel_Addin_Name.Properties.Settings>
    </userSettings>
</configuration>

Is it possible that it is something to do with the name of my project containing spaces ("My Excel Addin Name")?

I also thought it may have been something to do with refactoring namespace names in VS2010 so I rebuilt my project (Excel Add In) in a new project where no refactoring was done but the issue still remains.

I have left out some user settings above but have gone through them to check for duplicates and none exist.

This only happens when I deploy the add in with a windows installer. When I build in release and run on my machine without using the installer, the issue doesn't occur.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Any ideas what could be the issue here?

I've heard of blaming the installer for a number of things but never a malformed XML document. :) — Christopher Painter, Oct 21 '13 at 18:26
The title where you assert it's not an XML issue but then you post malformed XML? Yah.... good luck. — Christopher Painter, Oct 22 '13 at 01:37

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 21 '13 at 18:25

1

Go into Visual Studio and select File | New | Item and select General | XML file. Paste the contents of your XML into this new file.

Visual Studio Intellisense will immediately inform you that your XML is malformed. Your setting[@name='Port'] element is missing it's close tag.

answered Oct 21 '13 at 18:25

Christopher Painter

54,556
6
63
100

That was a copy / paste typo, the `` tag for port is in the original XML. – Pat Mustard Oct 22 '13 at 01:34
The answer is valid based on what you posted. Attention to details is very important in this industry. – Christopher Painter Oct 22 '13 at 01:36

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 22 '13 at 09:18

1

I resolved the issue by deleting the following folder:

C:\Users\user.name\AppData\Local\Microsoft_Corporation\ExcelAddIn.vsto_Path_somehorrible32charhash

answered Oct 22 '13 at 09:18

Pat Mustard

1,852
9
31
58

You said "when you deploy using windows installer". I hope you know to test alpha installers on snapshotted virtual machines so you can just revert the state and not have to track down weird problems like this. I also hope you know not to test installers on your own development box. – Christopher Painter Oct 22 '13 at 11:40

Configuration System Failed To Initialize (Not XML issue)

2 Answers2