ASP.Net error: "The identity of application pool is invalid"

Question

My ASP.Net web service cannot run because the application pool is unable to start due to the identity crisis it's experiencing.

The user I'm using in the app pool is a domain user, it's a local admin, it's in IIS_WPG, I've given it "act as part of the OS permissions" - nothing. Nada. Fails to start the application pool each time.

Adding the user to IIS_WPG is usually what's missing, but I guess there's something else.

Things I've tried:

• Adding user to IIS_WPG
• Adding user to local admin group and adding the "Act as part of the os" right.
• aspnet_regiis -ga
• rebooting...
• Checked password
• Recreated the app pool and assigning only my application to it

p.s. If I use the Network Service user it all works - it's just my "custom" user that's failing. Logging in (interactively) with this user works.

Edit:

The solution is as described in the accepted answer (adding the "Log on as Service" right to the application pool's identity user).

I'll just add, for future reference, for those encountering the following message when trying to add the "Log on as a service" right to a domain user:

"This setting is not compatible with computers running Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 or earlier...."

Know that this has nothing to do with Windows 2000 and it's just the domain's group policy that's preventing you from assigning this right to the user.

Answer 1

What's happening is you are likely running your application inside a pool that is running applications using a different version of the .NET framework. Make sure that all your applications inside that pool are running the same version. If those apps must run under a different version than this one, create a new pool and add your app to it.

Answer 2

I know this is simple, but have you checked the password is correct?

Answer 3

Try running the following command in the C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727 folder:

aspnet_regiis -ga <your_app_pool_user>

For more info on configuring a user account to use as an application pool identity see the following article:

How To: Create a Service Account for an ASP.NET 2.0 Application (MSDN)

Answer 4

Having had this issue before and not being able to track the reason I sympathise! Some pointers that might help:

• Check the password is correct (sorry has to be said)
• Use a new app pool in which no other website is running
• Ensure that you have run aspnet_regiis -ga to set up the required permissions

If all else fails: - Stop the app and delete the app pool - Delete the user - Re-create the user - Run aspnet_regiis -ga - Set up a new app pool running under this user - Run the site under this pool That along with copying and pasting the complex password I was using worked for me!

Answer 5

Have you enabled "Log on as a service" for the account?

Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Local Security Policy -> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment -> Log on as a service

(make sure your account is in this list directly or indirectly; it has also been suggested that you should set: Access this computer from the network; Deny logon locally; Log on as a batch job)

Also - ensure that the account has "Read & Execute", "List Folder Contents" and "Read" access to the file system that underpins the web site/application.

Answer 6

Make sure there's a folder called c:\inetpub\temp\apppools. If not, create it.

Answer 7

Do you have a group policy somewehere that is pulling the account out of the iis_wpg group? We have this (or a similar) problem frequently when, for whatever reason, a worker process or a service needs to run under a custom account.

Answer 8

I still getting issue.. i created and added window user in to Log on as a service. Also set read and execute permission on directory. Set this user to identity of appPool. But no luck... Can any one have ne solution?