My Windows Service crashes with “the key does not exist in the appSettings configuration section”

Question

There is the same question listed under The key 'UserID' does not exist in the appSettings configuration section, but unfortunately none of the answers worked in my case. All was working fine, I checked everything in and when I opened the solution again, it started crashing on the above. I cannot find any hint of what I am doing wrong. Any ideas?

<configuration>
    <configSections>
        <sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" >
            <section name="SMS.My.MySettings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77b444444e089" requirePermission="false" />
        </sectionGroup>
    </configSections>
    <appSettings>
      <add key="URI" value="http://123.123.123.57:8080/smsxml/collector"/>
      <add key="Provider" value="220"/>
      <add key="LongCode" value="+3"/>
      <add key="DBServer" value="APPS"/>
      <add key="DBUsername" value="sms"/>
      <add key="DBPassword" value="sms1"/>
      <add key="Database" value="SMSService"/>
      <add key="Pooling" value="True"/>
      <add key="PoolMax" value="50"/>
      <add key="PoolInit" value="5"/>
      <add key="DBPollInterval" value="5"/>      
    </appSettings>

 System.InvalidOperationException was unhandled
  Message="The key 'LongCode' does not exist in the appSettings configuration section."
  Source="System"
  StackTrace:
       at System.Configuration.AppSettingsReader.GetValue(String key, Type type)
       at SMS.smsOxy..ctor() in C:\Documents and Settings\K\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\SMSComponent-Oxy\SMSComponent\smsOxy.vb:line 327
       at SMS.smsOxy.Main() in C:\Documents and Settings\K\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\SMSComponent-Oxy\SMSComponent\smsOxy.vb:line 57
       at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(Assembly assembly, String[] args)
       at System.AppDomain.nExecuteAssembly(Assembly assembly, String[] args)
       at System.Runtime.Hosting.ManifestRunner.Run(Boolean checkAptModel)
       at System.Runtime.Hosting.ManifestRunner.ExecuteAsAssembly()
       at System.Runtime.Hosting.ApplicationActivator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext, String[] activationCustomData)
       at System.Runtime.Hosting.ApplicationActivator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext)
       at System.Activator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssemblyDebugInZone()
       at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
  InnerException: 

"   at System.Configuration.AppSettingsReader.GetValue(String key, Type type)    at SMS.smsOxy..ctor() in C:\Documents and Settings\K\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\SMSComponent-Oxy\SMSComponent\smsOxy.vb:line 327    at SMS.smsOxy.Main() in C:\Documents and Settings\K\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\SMSComponent-Oxy\SMSComponent\smsOxy.vb:line 57    at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(Assembly assembly, String[] args)    at System.AppDomain.nExecuteAssembly(Assembly assembly, String[] args)    at System.Runtime.Hosting.ManifestRunner.Run(Boolean checkAptModel)    at System.Runtime.Hosting.ManifestRunner.ExecuteAsAssembly()    at System.Runtime.Hosting.ApplicationActivator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext, String[] activationCustomData)    at System.Runtime.Hosting.ApplicationActivator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext)    at System.Activator.CreateInstance(ActivationContext activationContext)    at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssemblyDebugInZone()    at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)    at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)    at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()"

Answer 1

How are you starting your service? Make sure that appname.exe.config file in the folder where you are running service from has same appSettings.

Answer 2

Try to copy the <appSettings></appSettings> from the app.config to the bin/Debug/appname.exe.config file as when one builds/compiles, VS.NET copies and renames app.config (to bin/Debug/appname.exe.config) over to the bin folder.