ASP.NET identity is asking for local DB at App_Data

Question

I have encountered the error asking for the App_Data local db , however I am not using the local db in my project and working with an online Db at the server.

Here are the steps on how I have created my site:

1- New ASP.Net Web Application -> MVC – Individual User Authentication

2- Run the app, and register a new user (this is where I think the problem starts) – since at this point, it created a local db at App_Data

3- Create SQL Server 2017 database using SQL Server Management Studio and add my tables

4- Import the DB to the project as ADO.Net Entity Data Model -> EF Designer from database (with new connectionString)

5- Update the DefaultConnection to link to the new db

6- Run the project and register new user (Identity tables created at the new DB) I did not import the identity tables to the ADO.Net Entity Data Model

7- Upload the DB online at smarterasp.net

8- Update the connectionStrings to the new online DB

9- Continue working on the website…

10- Publish the website -> and it was asking for the App_Data local db's as attached !

There is no reference to any local db in the project. How can I fix this local DB thing without creating a new application.

    <connectionStrings>
<add name="DefaultConnection" connectionString="Data Source=SQL5041.site4now.net;
                                                Initial Catalog=DB_Name;
                                                User Id=admin;
                                                Password=***;" 
     providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
<add name="RP" connectionString="metadata=res://*/RPDatabaseModel.csdl|res://*/RPDatabaseModel.ssdl|res://*/RPDatabaseModel.msl;
                                    provider=System.Data.SqlClient;
                                    provider connection string=&quot;Data Source=SQL5041.site4now.net;Initial Catalog=DB_Name;User Id=admin;Password=***; MultipleActiveResultSets=true;&quot;" 
     providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

Answer 1

Try disabling your roleManager. In your web.config remove the entire roleManager section and replace it with:

<roleManager enabled="false" />

For some further info, in your machine.config you likely have a line like this:

<add name="AspNetSqlRoleProvider"
    connectionStringName="LocalSqlServer" applicationName="/" type="..."/>

And a connection string like this:

<add name="LocalSqlServer" 
    connectionString="...localdb..." 
    providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>

So leaving the role manager entries in there make Asp.Net start looking in this local db before your IdentityDbContext . Removing the entries means it tries to fine an entry and fails. So the only solution is to disable it completely.