Web.config error in 2017

[SteveHi]

Hello

I am coming to terms with the Web Forms Identity template and when I try to compile my Web Forms project in VS 2017, I get the following: error ASPCONFIG in my Web.config(18) file:

'It is an error to use a section registered as allowDefinition='MachineToApplication' beyond application level. This error can be caused by a virtual directory not being configured as an application in IIS'.

I see no reference to allowDefinition or MachineToApplÃ*cation in the entire Solution - let alone Web.config - when I search for either of those terms. This is line 18 in my Web.config file:

<authentication mode="None"/>

There seems to be two servers that my project uses which I can see in SQL Server Object Explorer:

(localdb)\MSSQLLocalDB (SQL Server 13.0.4001)
(localdb)\ProjectsV13 (SQL Server 13.0.4001)

If I need to configure a virtual directory as an application in IIS, how would I do that and which directory?!

It's all a bit beyond me, but thank you for any help.

Thanks

[Arjay]

Are you running Visual Studio as an administrator? If not, try running it as an admin. See if the problem resolves itself (if not, post back).

[SteveHi]

Hello Arjay

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, I am still getting that same error as administrator in Cmd Prompt which is how I usually compile:

C:\Users\Steve\source\repos\WebFormsIdentity\webformsidentity\web.config(18): error ASPCONFIG: It is an error to use a section registered as allowDefinition='MachineToApplication' beyond application level. This error can be caused by a virtual directory not being configured as an application in IIS.

C:\>

I can trying compiling (building?) via VS 2017 as admin, though I have never done it that way before.

Thanks again.

[SteveHi]

Hello Arjay

This is the output of my 'Build' test from within VS2017 itself.

========== Build: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========
========== Publish: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 skipped ==========


I assume that these pre-compiled files (I selected the pre-compile checkbox during the build) still need to be compiled before FTP uploading them to my Web hosting service's server, but that still doesn't resolve the server error message - 'It is an error to use a section registered as allowDefinition='MachineToApplication' beyond application level. This error can be caused by a virtual directory not being configured as an application in IIS' - that I get through Cmd Prompt, does it?

Thanks again.

[Arjay]

Is IIS installed on the machine where you are compiling the code? Have you created an IIS virtual application?

[SteveHi]

Thanks, Arjay

Yes, IIS is installed - I can see the icon next to the clock on my screen. I haven't created a virtual application, no. I wouldn't know how to do it! The error implies that I should be, doesn't it?

Thanks again.