Getting Configuration System Failed to Initialize error out of the blue.

All of a sudden (after several years in use) I am getting the following error:

"Configuration System Failed to Initialize"

The error happens on the following line of code:

Dim StrC Asstring ="Integrated Security=True;Data Source="& dbServer &";Initial Catalog="& dbDataBase &";"

My.Settings.SetUserOverride("WA_MMTP_TrackerConnectionString", strC)

Ive seen forum messages referring to a format issue with app.config, but I don't see an issue with the file. Here is the app.config contents:

<?xml version="1.0"?><configuration><configSections><sectionGroup name="userSettings" type="System.Configuration.UserSettingsGroup, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" ><section name="AttendTracker.My.MySettings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" allowExeDefinition="MachineToLocalUser" requirePermission="false" /></sectionGroup><sectionGroup name="applicationSettings" type="System.Configuration.ApplicationSettingsGroup, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" ><section name="AttendTracker.My.MySettings" type="System.Configuration.ClientSettingsSection, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" /></sectionGroup></configSections><connectionStrings><add name="AttendTracker.My.MySettings.WA_MMTP_TrackerConnectionString"
   connectionString="Data Source=MICHAEL-Laptop2\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=WA_MMTP_Tracker;Integrated Security=True"
   providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /><add name="AttendTracker.My.MySettings.CurriculumConnectionString"
   connectionString="Data Source=MICHAEL-LAPTOP2\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=Curriculum;Integrated Security=True"
   providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /><add name="AttendTracker.My.MySettings.Independence_822_APGConnectionString"
   connectionString="Data Source=MICHAEL-LAPTOP2\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=Independence_822_APG;Integrated Security=True"
   providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /></connectionStrings><system.diagnostics><sources><!-- This section defines the logging configuration for My.Application.Log --><source name="DefaultSource" switchName="DefaultSwitch"><listeners><add name="FileLog"/><!-- Uncomment the below section to write to the Application Event Log --><!--<add name="EventLog"/>--></listeners></source></sources><switches><add name="DefaultSwitch" value="Information"/></switches><sharedListeners><add name="FileLog" type="Microsoft.VisualBasic.Logging.FileLogTraceListener, Microsoft.VisualBasic, Version=8.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL" initializeData="FileLogWriter"/><!-- Uncomment the below section and replace APPLICATION_NAME with the name of your application to write to the Application Event Log --><!--<add name="EventLog" type="System.Diagnostics.EventLogTraceListener" initializeData="APPLICATION_NAME"/> --></sharedListeners></system.diagnostics><startup><supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727"/></startup><userSettings><AttendTracker.My.MySettings><setting name="WA_MMTP_TrackerConnectionStringUserOverride" serializeAs="String"><value /></setting></AttendTracker.My.MySettings></userSettings><applicationSettings><AttendTracker.My.MySettings><setting name="FLAG_DEBUG" serializeAs="String"><value>True</value></setting></AttendTracker.My.MySettings></applicationSettings></configuration>

Why am I getting this error. It is getting on my last nerve.

Thanks for any help.