I have an install of DNN that has gone through many upgrades.  However when I tried to upgrade to 4.7 I got an error:

[ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: type]
   System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic) +2768503
   DotNetNuke.Framework.Reflection.CreateObject(String ObjectProviderType, String ObjectProviderName, String ObjectNamespace, String ObjectAssemblyName, Boolean UseCache) +582
   DotNetNuke.Data.DataProvider.CreateProvider() +47
   DotNetNuke.Data.DataProvider..cctor() +13

[TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'DotNetNuke.Data.DataProvider' threw an exception.]
   DotNetNuke.Entities.Portals.PortalAliasController.GetPortalAliasByPortalID(Int32 PortalID) +38
   DotNetNuke.Entities.Portals.PortalSettings.GetPortalAliasLookup() +74
   DotNetNuke.Entities.Portals.PortalSettings.GetPortalAliasInfo(String PortalAlias) +14
   DotNetNuke.HttpModules.UrlRewriteModule.RewriteUrl(HttpApplication app) +3527
   DotNetNuke.HttpModules.UrlRewriteModule.OnBeginRequest(Object s, EventArgs e) +826
   System.Web.SyncEventExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +92
   System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +64

So, I spent the next 4 hours troubleshooting this.

After reading posts of people with similar problems I figured the problem was from the upgrade of past versions and leftover dll's in the \bin directory.  I renamed the bin directory and then copied over the \bin directory from the 4.7 install.  I then added ONE dll at a time until I found the one that crashed the site with the above error.

I removed DotNetNuke.Provider.Membership.SqlDataProvider.dll and the site now works.

I hope this helps someone.

Can anyone login?  Or is it just host?

Found out the hard way this is what happens when the machineKey is not copied and pasted from the old web.config to the new. I worked with a gal and guy that do subcontracting for me in China. He wrote a script and went into my database getting me back up and running. Whew! You may need to pay him a few bucks for his time via PayPal - I sent him $50 - and it was a bargain for me at that plus learning the error of my ways.

John Clark

WowWebWorks.com