Could not load type Pagebase

This error showed up when I uploaded my ASP.NET AJAX enabled website to my IIS Webhosting service provider. I was breaking my head and thinking what went wrong.

I published my application in a sub-folder inside the main root folder.

My main domain is www.advancedtechnologyworks.com

The new application I was trying to publish was inside a subfolder like www.advancedtechnologyworks.com\PrayerHelp\

I was checking the Web.Config file inside the sub-folder “PrayerHelp” and all was fine.

Then finally I discovered there was another “Web.Config” on the main domain which was causing this issue.

The Web.Config file was like this

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<!--

    Note: As an alternative to hand editing this file you can use the

    web admin tool to configure settings for your application. Use

    the Website->Asp.Net Configuration option in Visual Studio.

    A full list of settings and comments can be found in

    machine.config.comments usually located in

    \Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v2.x\Config

-->

<configuration>

       <appSettings/>

       <connectionStrings>

       </connectionStrings>

       <system.web>

              <compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0">

              </compilation>

              <authentication mode="Windows"/>

              <pages pageBaseType="PageBase" controlRenderingCompatibilityVersion="3.5" clientIDMode="AutoID">

              </pages>

              <anonymousIdentification enabled="true"/>

              <customErrors mode="Off"/>

              <profile enabled="false">

                     <properties>

                           <!-- Available values for the StyleSheetTheme attribute: "Green", "Brown", "Red".-->

                           <add name="StylesheetTheme" defaultValue="Red" allowAnonymous="true"/>

                     </properties>

              </profile>

       </system.web>

</configuration>

I also identified this “PageBase.cs” file was inside the “App_Code” folder in the main domain folder.

I created the same “App_Code” folder inside the sub-folder “PrayerHelp” and copied this “PageBase.cs” file.  Eureka!  Everything started to work.

So when this error shows up, examine all the Web.Config files and see whether there is a reference to a new class file and make sure that class file is placed inside the App_Code folder.

Hope this tip helps someone.