Error message when you try to retrieve data from an XML Web service in SharePoint Designer 2007: "Server returned a non-specific error when trying to get data from the data source"

You open a Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Web site in Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007. Then, you connect to an XML Web service. However, when you click Show Data to retrieve data from the XML Web service, you receive the following error message:

This issue occurs if the following conditions are true:

• You connect to an XML Web service that is outside your firewall.
• You do not specify the proxy server.

To resolve this issue, add the proxy server information to the global Web.config file on the computer that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. Expand ServerName, and then expand Web Sites.
3. Right-click the SharePoint Web site that is the content Web site, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Home Directory tab, right-click the path that is displayed in the Local Path box, and then click Copy.
5. Click Start, click Run, right-click the Open box, and then click Paste. Then, click OK.
6. Right-click the Web.config file, point to Open With, and then click Choose Program.
7. In the Open With dialog box, click Notepad in the Programs list, and then click OK.
8. Copy the following lines to the <configuration> section of the Web.config file.

   <system.net>
       <defaultProxy>
         <proxy proxyaddress="http://ProxyServer:PortNumber" bypassonlocal="true" />
       </defaultProxy>
   </system.net>
   

   Note Replace ProxyServer with the name of the proxy server and PortNumber with the port number.
9. Save the file, and then close the file.

For more information about how to connect to and work with an XML Web service in SharePoint Designer 2007, click Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer Help on the Help menu, type XML Web service, and then click Search to view a list of relevant topics.