An error occurred creating the configuration section handler for userSettings/Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.LandingPage.Properties
You may receive the below error message while installing Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express Setup as a part of the Visual Studio Setup.
System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException: An error occurred creating the configuration section handler for userSettings/Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.LandingPage.Properties.Settings: Could not load file or assembly 'System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
As per the fusion log:
The operation failed.
Bind result: hr = 0x80070002. The system cannot find the file specified.
I launched the Setup in debugger and captured a crash dump. I found the following information from the crash dump:
0:000> kpnL50
# ChildEBP RetAddr
00 0017e788 771066c9 ntdll!KiFastSystemCallRet(void)
01 0017e78c 04bc8e08 user32!NtUserWaitMessage(void)+0xc
02 0017e820 04bc88f7 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Application+ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0x3c8
03 0017e878 04bc8741 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Application+ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0x177
04 0017e8a8 050de597 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Application+ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0x61
05 0017e8c0 05112d98 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Application.RunDialog(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0x33
06 0017e94c 05112faf System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Form.ShowDialog(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0x370
07 0017e98c 050df6f2 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Form.ShowDialog(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0x7
08 0017e98c 050e80c6 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Application+ThreadContext.OnThreadException(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0xd2
09 0017e998 050eab4c System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProcException(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0x16
0a 0017ea54 04bb8512 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Control+ControlNativeWindow.OnThreadException(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0xc
0b 0017ea54 002b0a34 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(<HRESULT 0x80004001>)+0x72
0:000> !pe
Exception object: 01d017bc
Exception type: System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException
Message: An error occurred creating the configuration section handler for userSettings/Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.LandingPage.Properties.Settings: Could not load file or assembly 'System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
InnerException: System.IO.FileNotFoundException, use !PrintException 01cf2048 to see more
StackTrace (generated):
SP IP Function
0017E5A0 6423FA81 System_Configuration_ni!System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.FindAndEnsureFactoryRecord(System.String, Boolean ByRef)+0x111
0017E658 6423F8C8 System_Configuration_ni!System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.GetSectionRecursive(System.String, Boolean, Boolean, Boolean, Boolean, System.Object ByRef, System.Object ByRef)+0x598
0017E6F0 6423F309 System_Configuration_ni!System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.GetSection(System.String, Boolean, Boolean)+0x39
0017E70C 6423F2B9 System_Configuration_ni!System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.GetSection(System.String)+0x9
0017E710 64233821 System_Configuration_ni!System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.System.Configuration.Internal.IInternalConfigSystem.GetSection(System.String)+0x41
0017E724 64242B4F System_Configuration_ni!System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.GetSection(System.String)+0x4f
0017E730 79900220 System_ni!System.Configuration.ClientSettingsStore.ReadSettings(System.String, Boolean)+0xa0
0017E770 798DAB09 System_ni!System.Configuration.LocalFileSettingsProvider.GetPropertyValues(System.Configuration.SettingsContext, System.Configuration.SettingsPropertyCollection)+0x79
0017E7C4 798DA9B3 System_ni!System.Configuration.SettingsBase.GetPropertiesFromProvider(System.Configuration.SettingsProvider)+0x103
0017E800 798FF815 System_ni!System.Configuration.SettingsBase.GetPropertyValueByName(System.String)+0x85
0017E814 798FF73B System_ni!System.Configuration.SettingsBase.get_Item(System.String)+0x3b
0017E844 798FF5C7 System_ni!System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsBase.GetPropertyValue(System.String)+0x37
0017E858 798FF53B System_ni!System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsBase.get_Item(System.String)+0x3b
0017E888 005D547A LandingPage!Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.LandingPage.Properties.Settings.get_WindowPlacement()+0x12
0017E898 005D1704 LandingPage!Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.LandingPage.LandingPageForm.OnLoad(System.EventArgs)+0x54
0017E8D4 04BC4145 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnCreateControl()+0x55
0017E8E0 04BB6D71 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean)+0x181
0017E91C 04BB6B74 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl()+0x24
0017E934 04BC3008 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(System.Windows.Forms.Message ByRef)+0x98
0017E970 04BB8966 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(System.Windows.Forms.Message ByRef)+0x2b6
0017E9C8 04BC1DAA System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(System.Windows.Forms.Message ByRef)+0x2a
0017E9D4 04BC1D60 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(System.Windows.Forms.Message ByRef)+0x10
0017E9DC 04BC2F51 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(System.Windows.Forms.Message ByRef)+0x41
0017E9EC 04BC1B34 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(System.Windows.Forms.Message ByRef)+0x154
0017EA00 04BB86A0 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Control+ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(System.Windows.Forms.Message ByRef)+0x10
0017EA08 04BB8621 System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.Control+ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(System.Windows.Forms.Message ByRef)+0x31
0017EA1C 04BB84FA System_Windows_Forms_ni!System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr, Int32, IntPtr, IntPtr)+0x5a
StackTraceString: <none>
HResult: 80131902
0:000> !do 01d017bc
Name: System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException
MethodTable: 64246b18
EEClass: 642127dc
Size: 92(0x5c) bytes
(C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_MSIL\System.Configuration\2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\System.Configuration.dll)
Fields:
MT Field Offset Type VT Attr Value Name
788d0d28 40000b5 4 System.String 0 instance 01d0d690 _className
788d019c 40000b6 8 ...ection.MethodBase 0 instance 00000000 _exceptionMethod
788d0d28 40000b7 c System.String 0 instance 00000000 _exceptionMethodString
788d0d28 40000b8 10 System.String 0 instance 01d01c30 _message
788ca684 40000b9 14 ...tions.IDictionary 0 instance 00000000 _data
788d0ebc 40000ba 18 System.Exception 0 instance 01cf2048 _innerException
788d0d28 40000bb 1c System.String 0 instance 00000000 _helpURL
788d0944 40000bc 20 System.Object 0 instance 01d023e0 _stackTrace
788d0d28 40000bd 24 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _stackTraceString
788d0d28 40000be 28 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _remoteStackTraceString
788d2f74 40000bf 34 System.Int32 1 instance 0 _remoteStackIndex
788d0944 40000c0 2c System.Object 0 instance 00000000 _dynamicMethods
788d2f74 40000c1 38 System.Int32 1 instance -2146232062 _HResult
788d0d28 40000c2 30 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _source
788d35f0 40000c3 3c System.IntPtr 1 instance 0 _xptrs
788d2f74 40000c4 40 System.Int32 1 instance -532459699 _xcode
788d0d28 400315d 44 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _filename
788d2f74 400315e 48 System.Int32 1 instance 0 _line
788d0d28 4000253 4c System.String 0 instance 01cd4434 _firstFilename
788d2f74 4000254 54 System.Int32 1 instance 5 _firstLine
00000000 4000255 50 SZARRAY 0 instance 00000000 _errors
0:000> !do 01cf2048
Name: System.IO.FileNotFoundException
MethodTable: 788b7638
EEClass: 78684310
Size: 84(0x54) bytes
(C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_32\mscorlib\2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089\mscorlib.dll)
Fields:
MT Field Offset Type VT Attr Value Name
788d0d28 40000b5 4 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _className
788d019c 40000b6 8 ...ection.MethodBase 0 instance 00000000 _exceptionMethod
788d0d28 40000b7 c System.String 0 instance 00000000 _exceptionMethodString
788d0d28 40000b8 10 System.String 0 instance 01cf24b8 _message
788ca684 40000b9 14 ...tions.IDictionary 0 instance 00000000 _data
788d0ebc 40000ba 18 System.Exception 0 instance 00000000 _innerException
788d0d28 40000bb 1c System.String 0 instance 00000000 _helpURL
788d0944 40000bc 20 System.Object 0 instance 01cf29ec _stackTrace
788d0d28 40000bd 24 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _stackTraceString
788d0d28 40000be 28 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _remoteStackTraceString
788d2f74 40000bf 34 System.Int32 1 instance 0 _remoteStackIndex
788d0944 40000c0 2c System.Object 0 instance 00000000 _dynamicMethods
788d2f74 40000c1 38 System.Int32 1 instance -2147024894 _HResult
788d0d28 40000c2 30 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _source
788d35f0 40000c3 3c System.IntPtr 1 instance 0 _xptrs
788d2f74 40000c4 40 System.Int32 1 instance -532459699 _xcode
788d0d28 4001bb3 44 System.String 0 instance 00000000 _maybeFullPath
788d0d28 4001bcf 48 System.String 0 instance 01cf15f8 _fileName
788d0d28 4001bd0 4c System.String 0 instance 01cf169c _fusionLog
0:000> !do 01cf24b8
Name: System.String
MethodTable: 788d0d28
EEClass: 7868d66c
Size: 698(0x2ba) bytes
(C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_32\mscorlib\2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089\mscorlib.dll)
String: Could not load file or assembly 'System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
Fields:
MT Field Offset Type VT Attr Value Name
788d2f74 4000096 4 System.Int32 1 instance 341 m_arrayLength
788d2f74 4000097 8 System.Int32 1 instance 178 m_stringLength
788d1a08 4000098 c System.Char 1 instance 43 m_firstChar
788d0d28 4000099 10 System.String 0 shared static Empty
>> Domain:Value 00375b90:01b51198 <<
788d1958 400009a 14 System.Char[] 0 shared static WhitespaceChars
>> Domain:Value 00375b90:01b51720 <<
I found that there was an invalid entry in the userSettings section of the Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.LandingPage.Properties.Settings file. So the resolution was to delete this configuartion file or delete the folder "Microsoft_Corporation". Since it is a cached copy location, there is no harm in doing it. In order to resolve the issue, try running the command: rd /s /q %localappdata%\Microsoft_Corporation