Error message when you try to access a custom application that includes ASP.NET resource files in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or in SharePoint Server 2007: "Resource file not found"

You deploy a custom application that includes ASP.NET 2.0 resource (.resx) files on a server that is running Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 by using Windows SharePoint Services solution deployment. Then, you try to access the custom application. When you do this, you receive the following error message:

This issue occurs when the ASP.NET 2.0 resource files for the custom application reside in the Resources folder under the virtual directory instead of in the App_GlobalResources folder. In this scenario, the application cannot load the resource files correctly.

For compatibility with earlier versions of ASP.NET, ASP.NET 2.0 resource files must reside in the App_GlobalResources folder on the server that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007.

To work around this issue, copy all the files from the Resources folder to the App_GlobalResources folder. The App_GlobalResources folder is located under the following folder on the server that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or SharePoint Server 2007: