System.Drawing: GDI+ is not properly initialized (internal GDI+ error)
asp.net, gdi+, iis, system.drawing
Solution
By coincidence we've had this on one of our servers today. It's a known issue in ASP.NET, there's a hotfix for it at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975410.
Problem
An ASP.NET Web Site raises randomly this System.Drawing-error: System.Runtime.InteropServices.ExternalException: System.Drawing.Bitmap..ctor(Stream stream) System.Drawing.ToolboxBitmapAttribute..cctor() ``` Exception information: Exception type: TypeInitializationException Exception message: The type initializer for 'System.Drawing.ToolboxBitmapAttribute' threw an exception. Stack trace: at System.Reflection.CustomAttribute._CreateCaObject(Void* pModule, Void* pCtor, Byte** ppBlob, Byte* pEndBlob, Int32* pcNamedArgs) at System.Reflection.CustomAttribute.CreateCaObject(Module module, RuntimeMethodHandle ctor, IntPtr& blob, IntPtr blobEnd, Int32& namedArgs) at System.Reflection.CustomAttribute.GetCustomAttributes(Module decoratedModule, Int32 decoratedMetadataToken, Int32 pcaCount, RuntimeType attributeFilterType, Boolean mustBeInheritable, IList derivedAttributes) at System.Reflection.CustomAttribute.GetCustomAttributes(RuntimeType type, RuntimeType caType, Boolean inherit) at System.RuntimeType.GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, Boolean inherit) at System.ComponentModel.ReflectTypeDescriptionProvider.ReflectGetAttributes(Type type) at System.ComponentModel.ReflectTypeDescriptionProvider.ReflectedTypeData.GetAttributes() at System.ComponentModel.TypeDescriptor.TypeDescriptionNode.DefaultTypeDescriptor.System.ComponentModel.ICustomTypeDescriptor.GetAttributes() at System.ComponentModel.TypeDescriptor.GetAttributes(Type componentType) at System.Web.UI.ThemeableAttribute.IsTypeThemeable(Type type) at System.Web.UI.Control.ApplySkin(Page page) at System.Web.UI.Control.InitRecursive(Control namingContainer) at System.Web.UI.Control.InitRecursive(Control namingContainer) at System.Web.UI.Control.InitRecursive(Control namingContainer) at System.Web.UI.Control.InitRecursive(Control namingContainer) at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) ``` Why? I think that this is a .NET Framework error (I'm actually not trying to create any images). I found a temporary solution: restart IIS and delete Temporary ASP.NET Files ("%WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files"). But when this error happens in the production web-server, temporary is not enough...