Configuration error with stylesheets and RS 2005

If you install RS 2005 and the default web site has a web.config file that uses the new ASP.NET 2.0 themes feature, when you attempt to run the Report Manager, you will get:

Theme <theme name> cannot be found in the application or global theme directories

The reason for this error is that the styleSheetTheme element in the root web.config is automatically inherited by the nested web.config files. This error is not RS-specific. It happens with any nested web site because ASP.NET attempts to located that folder and apply it to the nested web site. To fix the error, break the inheritance chain by changing the styleSheeTheme in the nested Report Manager web.config file, as follows:

<pages validateRequest=”false” styleSheetTheme=””/>