A new install of DNN 5.0 generates a random new machineKey even if a given one is specified in the web.config prior to the install, and even if the option to add key="InstallMemberRole" is set to value="false" so that an existing membership provider cannot be used because it has a different machineKey. Is this a bug? Or is there a feature to turn off the generation of a new machineKey so that it does make sense at the same time to turn off installation of the membership provider?

Thanks for the suggestion. I've double-checked IIS 7.0 to make sure there were no interfering defaults at the higher default web site level above the application level, and retested installation of DNN 5.0.0 with the specified machineKey. Unfortunately, they continue to be overwritten and changed by the installer utility. And besides I thought that the lower-level web.config is supposed to override any of the defaults at the higher-levels. Do you have any more explicit guidance on exact file locations of any other default files and/or machineKey parameters? Meanwhile, I've also reported this problem as an issue in the Gemini system for the installer on 5.0.0.

Found a good reference "Professional IIS 7.0" by Ken Schaefer et al (Wrox Press). See pages 580 - 582 on Configuration File Hierarchy and Order of Operation. This reference makes clear that the last loaded config file at the lowest level, the web.config at the application level, should take precedence over anything that loaded previously at the higher levels whether machine.config or web.config at the site level.

So, according to this reference, the specified machine keys in my web.config should NOT be ignored or changed. I do not believe that IIS 7.0 has the ability to change the config file unless the management user interface is opened by the user... which of course is not the case when the DNN installer is running. This implies, but does not prove, that the bug is indeed in the installer. I have not yet looked at the installer source code to try to find the problem.

Also, if any DNN core team are reading this thread, please update Gemini so that we can file an issue on DNN 5.0.0 Major Release. It was not available on the submission form so I had to use the closest thing which was DNN 5.0.0 Release Candidate 2. But I have been experiencing this problem with the official Christmas release of 5.0.0.