I asked about this a couple of times when I was using Visual Web Developer (Express). Now that I've upgraded to the full Visual Studio 2008 Pro Edition, I thought maybe it wouldn't happen any more, but it still does. This seems a pretty big deal to me: at browse-time my web app, when using IE (7) displays a blank page instead of default.aspx; the URL bar says "about:blank"

When I run my app using Firefox as the Browser, it works just fine.

Why would it be doing this, and how can I fix it, or is this a bug in Visual Studio or IE that will be fixed?

I am not seeing the on my build of VS.  Have you tried right clicking on the default.aspx page and selecting "Set as Start Page"?  Try that.  It seems its more of an IE problem then a VS problem. Like I said I dont have that issue here. Good luck. 

rojay12:

Have you tried right clicking on the default.aspx page and selecting "Set as Start Page"?  Try that.

Yes, I've set default.aspx as the Start Page (however, it doesn't show a check mark next to it when I do that; is that just the way it works (no checkmark for feedback)?

dang i was hoping that was it. FYI, there is no checkmark displayed after selecting it.

have you Service Packed it?

http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/archive/2007/03/07/visual-studio-sp1-refresh-releases.aspx

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1585863&SiteID=1

http://www.msdner.net/dev-archive/136/6-56-1366104.shtm

That linkk is for VS 2005; I'm using VS 2008 (and was previously Visual Web Developer 2008 Express). Maybe they need to create a Service Pack for VS 2008?

I would put the hotfix on it, it fixed alot of slow downs and annoyances and who knows maybe it will fix this...

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2008/02/08/vs-2008-web-development-hot-fix-roll-up-available.aspx

rojay12:

I would put the hotfix on it, it fixed alot of slow downs and annoyances and who knows maybe it will fix this...

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2008/02/08/vs-2008-web-development-hot-fix-roll-up-available.aspx

Excellent--that did the trick. That was the answer of the month!

ClayShannon:

Excellent--that did the trick.

I wrote too soon--it's back to its old tricks of showing about:blank in the URL bar, and a blank page. It seems that if it's "primed" by firefox (which shows default.aspx as it should), IE will then show it. But if I stick with IE as the default browser, it then falls down on the job again. Maybe it's someting to do with AJAX? Although it would be odd/weird if firefox did AJAX better than IE7, no/eh wot?

Are you executing the page through Visual Studio or IIS? VS is the only place where things like the above posts will work.

For IIS, you've got to set your starting page as the Default Page through the Administrative Tools/Internet Information Services tool in the Control Panel

NC...

NC01:

Are you executing the page through Visual Studio or IIS?

VS 2008 Pro