In SharePoint 2010 whenever you try to go to list settings you get “An unexpected error has occurred ”

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Issue:

In SharePoint 2010 whenever you try to go to list settings
you get “An unexpected
error has occurred ” and it occurs on all the Web applications. Even if you
try to create a new web app the error persists.

Collect the ULS while reproducing the issue and if we get
the following stack:

NullReferenceException:
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.]

 
Microsoft.SharePoint.ApplicationPages.ListEditPage.SetSectionLinks()
+426

 
Microsoft.SharePoint.ApplicationPages.ListEditPage.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
+896

   ASP._layouts_listedit_aspx.OnLoad(EventArgs
e) in c:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server
Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\listedit.aspx:25

   System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() +65

   System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean
includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +2427

Resolution:

  1. Check if Microsoft.sharepoint.applicationpages DLL is
    present in the GAC. This file shouldn’t be in GAC it should be in _app_bin
    folder of each web application.
  2. Login to
    the Server with administrator account
  3. Run à c:\windows\assembly\GAC_MSIL
    folder look for Microsoft.sharepoint.applicationpages folder.
  4. Stop the
    IIS, this is necessary else you will keep getting access denied while trying to
    delete the file.
  5. Go ahead
    and delete the folder
    Microsoft.sharepoint.applicationpages