Error message when you run an ASP.NET-connected application that uses .NET Framework remoting on a computer that is running Internet Information Services 6.0: "XMLException: The root element is missing" (922717)

SYMPTOMS

Consider the following scenario. You run a Microsoft ASP.NET-connected application on a computer that is running Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0. The computer is in a perimeter network. The application uses Microsoft .NET Framework remoting to connect to another computer in the trusted network. In this scenario, you may receive an error message that resembles the following:

Exception: System.Xml.XmlException - the root element is missing.

Note A perimeter network is also known as a DMZ, a demilitarized zone, or a screened subnet.

CAUSE

This issue occurs when some .dll files on the computer that is running IIS 6.0 point to the Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.0. In the scenario that is described in the "Symptoms" section, the .dll files must point to the .NET Framework version 1.1.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, repair the application extension mappings to point to the .NET Framework 1.1. You can use the Aspnet_regiis.exe administration utility to repair the application extension mappings. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
At the command prompt, run the cd command to change to the following directory:
Drive:\Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\Version
Note Version is a placeholder for the version of the .NET Framework that is installed on the computer.
At the command prompt, run the following command to correctly configure the required application extension mappings:
aspnet_regiis -i

REFERENCES

859519 "Exception: System.Xml.XmlException - The root element is missing." error message when you install Business Portal

888226 You receive an unhandled exception error message when you use the MemoryStream class in the .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1