title: "Configuration system failed to initialize" when accessing settings.settings
body: <p>Ever since deleting the original settings.settings file I have had endless problems getting the settings to function. I receive the "Configuration system failed to initialize" error on the get or set methods. Any ideas? thanks.</p>
  
  <pre><code>    public static Settings Default {
          get {
              return defaultInstance;
          }
      }
  
      [global::System.Configuration.UserScopedSettingAttribute()]
      [global::System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute()]
      [global::System.Configuration.DefaultSettingValueAttribute("Keywords.log")]
      public string KeywordsLog {
          get {
              return ((string)(this["KeywordsLog"]));
          }
          set {
              this["KeywordsLog"] = value;
          }
      }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Problem is located in Settings.Designer.cs</p>
  
  <p>Adrian Banks, I'm afraid I don't know how to further debug? It already breaks on the error. The header of the box given is "ConfigurationErrorsException" if that helps in any way.</p>
  
  <p><strong>I apologize, I did not realize you could see further details in VS.</strong></p>
  
  <pre><code>System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException was unhandled
    Message="Configuration system failed to initialize"
    Source="System.Configuration"
    BareMessage="Configuration system failed to initialize"
    Line=0
    StackTrace:
         at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.EnsureInit(String configKey)
         at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.PrepareClientConfigSystem(String sectionName)
         at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.System.Configuration.Internal.IInternalConfigSystem.RefreshConfig(String sectionName)
         at System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection(String sectionName)
         at System.Configuration.ClientSettingsStore.ReadSettings(String sectionName, Boolean isUserScoped)
         at System.Configuration.LocalFileSettingsProvider.GetPropertyValues(SettingsContext context, SettingsPropertyCollection properties)
         at System.Configuration.SettingsBase.GetPropertiesFromProvider(SettingsProvider provider)
         at System.Configuration.SettingsBase.GetPropertyValueByName(String propertyName)
         at System.Configuration.SettingsBase.get_Item(String propertyName)
         at System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsBase.GetPropertyValue(String propertyName)
         at System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsBase.get_Item(String propertyName)
         at READOO.Properties.Settings.get_KeywordsLog() in C:\Users\USER\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\READOO\READOO\Properties\Settings.Designer.cs:line 31
         at READOO.SettingsWindow..ctor() in C:\Users\USER\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\READOO\READOO\SettingsWindow.cs:line 19
         at READOO.WelcomeWindow.Settings_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\Users\user\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\READOO\READOO\WelcomeWindow.cs:line 23
         at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
         at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
         at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message&amp; m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
         at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message&amp; m)
         at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message&amp; m)
         at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message&amp; m)
         at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message&amp; m)
         at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.DebuggableCallback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
         at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG&amp; msg)
         at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(Int32 dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
         at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
         at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
         at READOO.Program.Main() in C:\Users\USER\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\READOO\READOO\Program.cs:line 18
         at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(Assembly assembly, String[] args)
         at System.Runtime.Hosting.ApplicationActivator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext, String[] activationCustomData)
         at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssemblyDebugInZone()
         at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
         at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
    InnerException: System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException
         Message="Section or group name 'READOO.Properties.Settings' is already defined. This can not be defined multiple times. (C:\\Users\\USER\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2008\\Projects\\READOO\\READOO\\bin\\Debug\\READOO.exe.config line 6)"
         Source="System.Configuration"
         BareMessage="Section or group name 'READOO.Properties.Settings' is already defined. This can not be defined multiple times."
         Filename="C:\\Users\\USER\\Documents\\Visual Studio 2008\\Projects\\READOO\\READOO\\bin\\Debug\\READOO.exe.config"
         Line=6
         StackTrace:
              at System.Configuration.ConfigurationSchemaErrors.ThrowIfErrors(Boolean ignoreLocal)
              at System.Configuration.BaseConfigurationRecord.ThrowIfInitErrors()
              at System.Configuration.ClientConfigurationSystem.EnsureInit(String configKey)
         InnerException: 
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>@ joan -> chill.</p>