Entity Framework ADO.NET Sql.Data.Client provider not found

Question

I have a similar problem as the one presented in the question No Entity Framework provider found for the ADO.NET provider with invariant name 'System.Data.SqlClient', the error has the following message:

"The ADO.NET provider with invariant name 'System.Data.SqlClient' is either not registered in the machine or application config file, or could not be loaded. See the inner exception for details."

As the answers to the related question suggest, I have reinstalled Entity Framework (EF6) via the Package Manager Console, but the error persists. I also checked that EntityFramework.SqlServer.dll is referenced in my project. Here is the connection string as stored in App.config:

<add name="DesignModel"    ConnectionString="metadata=res://*/DesignModel.csdl|res://*/DesignModel.ssdl|res://*/DesignModel.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string=&quot;data source=C071E;initial catalog=CTD2;integrated security=True;multipleactiveresultsets=True;App=EntityFramework&quot;" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />

I have another project where I used EntityFramework to create the exact same entities and context, and it works fine, which makes this all more puzzling.

The error is shown when trying to execute this lines:

DesignModel designContext = new DesignModel();
designContext.MoPerfIDs.Load();

where DesignModel is the name of the class that inherits DbContext.

Here's the full App.config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
       <section name="ppe.Properties.Settings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
    </sectionGroup>
    <!-- For more information on Entity Framework configuration, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=237468 -->
      <section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
  </configSections>

  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="DesignModel" connectionString="metadata=res://*/DesignModel.csdl|res://*/DesignModel.ssdl|res://*/Design    Model.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string=&quot;data source=MONNMC071E;initial catalog=CTD2;integrated security=True;multipleactiveresultsets=True;App=EntityFramework&quot;" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" />
  </connectionStrings>

<entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.SqlConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
        <parameters>
            <parameter value="System.Data.SqlClient" />
        </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
    <providers>
        <provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlClient" type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer" />
    </providers>
</entityFramework>
</configuration>

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I'm having the same exact problem. I can't simply create another solution to fix this. I also don't understand how this is closed as 'off-topic'. — Mike Becatti
It does not seems to me as off topic question. This question has 15 thousand views! I am facing the same problem and I cannot solved it. It seems to me that it is problem of MySQL and EntityFramework which can be somehow bypassed. The provided answer didn't help to me. I hope the question will be reopened we can together find a solution. — Tomas Kubes
@Pawel: I would like to check the inner exception, but I don't know how. The message appaers after pressing build (F6) in error window. — Tomas Kubes

Kirill Bestemyanov Kirill Bestemyanov · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-21T03:08:07

You need to register the Entity Framework provider for the System.Data.SqlClient SQL connection type. you should have in app.config:

<configSections>
    <!-- For more information on Entity Framework configuration, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=237468 -->
    <section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
  </configSections>
  <entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.LocalDbConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
      <parameters>
        <parameter value="v11.0" />
      </parameters>
    </defaultConnectionFactory>
    <providers>
      <provider invariantName="System.Data.SqlClient" type="System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer" />
    </providers>
  </entityFramework>

Entity Framework ADO.NET Sql.Data.Client provider not found

9 Answers