Network Management

Menu bars are missing and map widget shows Parser error message due to ASP.NET configuration error in the SolarWinds Platform

The SolarWinds web console is not showing the menu bars, and the map widget shows a Parser Error message. The underlying cause is an ASP.NET configuration error in the machine-level web.config for .NET Framework 4.x, where a DataServiceBuildProvider entry references the System.Data.Services.Design assembly that is not present on the server. This prevents the SolarWinds web application from compiling, causing widgets and UI elements to fail to load.

First published date

3/27/2026 10:41 PM

Last published date

5/20/2026 4:49 PM

Overview

SolarWinds Self-Hosted web console pages can lose their menu bars and show a Parser Error in widgets when ASP.NET fails to compile the site.

In this case, the server’s global .NET 4.x web.config contains a DataServiceBuildProvider reference to the System.Data.Services.Design assembly, which is missing. Because that assembly can’t be loaded, ASP.NET can’t compile the web app, and key UI components (menus and widgets) fail to render.

 

Product section

Network Performance Monitor

Cause

The machine-level web.config for .NET Framework 4.x (under C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Config\ and/or Framework64) was modified or left in a state where it contains a folderLevelBuildProviders entry for DataServiceBuildProvider referencing the System.Data.Services.Design assembly, which is either:

  • Not installed, or

  • A mismatched version / missing dependency.

When IIS tries to compile the SolarWinds web application under .NET 4.x, it attempts to load this provider and fails, resulting in:

  • ASP.NET Parser Error in the browser widget

  • Event ID 1310 in Application log for ASP.NET 4.0.30319.0 tied to the SolarWinds Orion Application Pool

Resolution

Resolution:

  1. Back up the machine-level web.config files

On the SolarWinds web server:

Navigate to:

    • C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Config\
    • C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\Config\ (if 64-bit installed)
  1. Make a backup copy of each web.config, and save it to a different path
  2. Comment out or remove the DataServiceBuildProvider entry

    1. Open web.config in an elevated text editor (Notepad/Notepad++ Run as administrator).

    2. Locate the folderLevelBuildProviders section that contains the DataServiceBuildProvider line.

Example before:

<folderLevelBuildProviders>
  <add name="DataServiceBuildProvider"
       type="System.Data.Services.BuildProvider.DataServiceBuildProvider, System.Data.Services.Design, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
</folderLevelBuildProviders>

comment out the <add> line:

<folderLevelBuildProviders>
  <!-- <add name="DataServiceBuildProvider"
       type="System.Data.Services.BuildProvider.DataServiceBuildProvider, System.Data.Services.Design, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" /> -->
</folderLevelBuildProviders>
  1. Repeat the same change in the Framework64 web.config
  2.  Save the changes.
  3. Restart IIS

From an elevated command prompt on the web server:

iisreset
  1. Validate the SolarWinds web console

            a. Open a new browser session (or Incognito/Private window) and access the SolarWinds web console.

                Confirm that:

      • Top menu bars and navigation now appear correctly.
      • MAP/map widget (and other affected widgets) load normally without the Parser Error.