Posted: October 20th, 2009    By: Devin Walker   

Are you receiving the error “The URL ../../_catalogs/masterpage is invalid” when you try to check out a page using SharePoint Designer?  I received the error pop-up everytime and after awhile it got very annoying.  The following article will show you how to resolve this error:

SharePoint Masterpage Invalid Error Popup 

Above: A view of the error popup

Problem: 

The default master page has not been set in the gallery.

or

The site masterpage url may point to a masterpage other than the correct one.

Solution:

1. Using SharePoint Designer open your Top-level site

Using SharePoint Designer open your Top-level site

2. Locate the Master Page Gallery located: _catalogs > masterpage  and find the default.master page

find the default.master page

3. Right-click on the appropriate default.master file and click “Set as Default Masterpage”

click 'Set as Default Masterpage'

4.  Now try to open a page to edit and you will no longer receive the annoying error! Let me know if this works for you! Thanks.

Please let me know if this works for you using the comments below!

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  • http://android-pro.blogspot.com Mina Samy

    Hi Devin
    thanks this approach worked for me

  • Paul

    Thanks Devin. Worked for me too. It throws up an ominous looking box saying you may affect other pages on the site but mine seemed to weather the storm fine.

  • Joshua Yeidel

    When I right-click on “default.master” in the top-level Master Page Gallery, the “Set as Default Master Page” choice is dimmed. For other MP’s in the gallery, the choice is available. I take this to mean that my top-level default MP already IS “default.master”. I’m not sure what’s going on.

  • Rob Moses

    Mine is also dimmed indicating it is already the default. Yet the error still comes up when I open the default layouts file. What else can be going on?

  • Leon Bryatn

    Finally! Thanks for posting this.

  • Glenda

    thanks! worked for me!

  • TeckniX

    It seems that this error only happens to those that are using the ~masterurl/default.master

    The issue is actually more of an issue of parent child not being able to talk to each other – For example, you still get the above error if you specify the default.master in the parent and want to use it in a child(sub) sharepoint site.

    All the above does is setup a master template for the current site, but doesn’t help when such master is used on a sub-site.

    Thanks for the tip though!

  • http:/www.dlocc.com Devin Walker

    Nice comment, hope it helps someone out.

  • Dean

    worked for me, thanks

  • Azam Honary

    Hi,
    helpful comment, thank you for your help it worked for me.