title: asp.net compile time error - object reference not set to an instance of an object
body: <p>I am getting the following error in the error list of an ASP.NET web site opened in visual studio 2012.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/5TRvL.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>And in the Error window there is no line number/file name and clicking on the error does not take me to a line of code.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/TrJhq.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>This is a compile time, not runtime error. The code runs fine on the web server and used to work in VS2005 (on another computer until the drive failed). I just can't get it working in 2012.</p>
  
  <p>Your help is greatly appreciated.</p>