Situation
After the latest Windows 10 updates (Nov 2017) were installed, the Application Pool required by a local web application keeps stopping/crashing displaying the message below in Event Viewer:
The worker process for application pool 'SrvAppPoolv4.0' encountered an error 'Cannot read configuration file ' trying to read configuration data from file '\\?\<EMPTY>', line number '0'. The data field contains the error code.
Setup
Windows 10
Internet Information Services (Version 10.0.16299.15)
What I've tried
I've tried a few things that I've found via Google, both here on Stackoverflow and other sites, nothing has helped so far. Some of what I've tried:
- Changed the AppPool Identity to a different user (Right-click, Advanced Settings).
- Checked the permissions on the
machine.config(all four of them in the various\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\..and..\Framework64\..folders). - Unchecked the IIS and .NET features (Control Panel / Windows Features) and then added them back in again.
- Uninstalled the application in question, cleared everything, then re-installed it.
Nothing has helped.
Besides reinstalling the entire machine, what else can I try?
Also, besides the Event Viewer, are there any other logs I can review to get more details? I read something about an application log, but nothing as to where to find it?
Update:
I just tried what user3739842 suggested Add/Remove Programs, selecting IIS Express and then Repair - issue remains.
Solution
For me the solution was the following (thanks rusware):
- Go to the drive your IIS is installed on, eg.
C:\inetpub\temp\appPools\ - Delete the directory (or virtual directory) with the same name as your app pool.
- Recycle/Start your app pool again.
In my case, it was a virtual directory which was corrupted.
