reCaptcha public key is empty - asp.net-mvc

Question

I have an error:
System.InvalidOperationException: Public key cannot be null or empty.
my Controller page Employees/Create looks like:
#using System.Collections
#using System.Collections.Concurrent
#using System.Data.SqlTypes
#using DataAccess
#using Recaptcha.Web.Mvc
#using Recaptcha.Web;
#using Recaptcha.Web.Mvc;
#model DataAccess.Employee
#{
ViewBag.Title = "Create";
}
#{ Layout = "/views/shared/_EmployeeLayout.cshtml";
}
#section Scripts {
#Scripts.Render("~/bundles/jqueryval")
}
#using (Html.BeginForm())
{
#Html.AntiForgeryToken()
<div class="container">
<h2>Please, provide some information.</h2>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-8">
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Name, "Name", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Name, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Name, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Surname, "Surname", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Surname, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Surname, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Location, "Location", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.DropDownList("LocationID", null, "--Please pick one--", new { #class = "form-control" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Location, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Mail, "E-mail", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Mail, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Mail, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Telephone, "Telephone number", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Telephone, new { htmlAttributes = new { #class = "form-control" } })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Telephone, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.EnglishLang.NameLang, "English level", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.DropDownList("EngID", null, "--Choose level--", new { #class = "form-control" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.EngID, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Faculty.FacultyName, "Faculty", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.DropDownList("FacultyID", null, "Choose a faculty", new { #class = "form-control" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.FacultyID, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.StartEduYear, "Entrance study year", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.StartEduYear, ViewBag.StartYearFaculty as IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.StartEduYear, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.AvgScore, "Average score", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.AvgScore, ViewBag.AverScore as IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.AvgScore, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.GradYear, "Graduation year", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.GradYear, ViewBag.GradYear as IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.GradYear, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<br />
<br />
<p></p>
<p></p>
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.WExp, "Work Experience", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.WExp, new { #class = "form-control" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.WExp, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="form-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Interests, "Interests", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.Interests, new { #class = "form-control" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Interests, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<span>Did you have any additional trainings?</span>
<label for="chkYes">
<input type="radio" id="chkYes" name="chkPassPort" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />Yes
</label>
<label for="chkNo">
<input type="radio" id="chkNo" name="chkPassPort" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />No
</label>
<div class="form-group" id="dvPassport" style="display: none">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Trainings, "Trainings", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.Trainings, new { #class = "form-control" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Trainings, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<span>Did you have any projects recently?</span>
<label for="chkYes">
<input type="radio" id="chkYes1" name="chkPassPort1" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />Yes
</label>
<label for="chkNo">
<input type="radio" id="chkNo1" name="chkPassPort1" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />No
</label>
<div class="form-group" id="dvExample" style="display: none">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Projects, "Projects", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.Projects, new { #class = "form-control" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Projects, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<span>Have you been in some students organization?</span>
<label for="chkYes">
<input type="radio" id="chkYes2" name="chkPassPort2" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />Yes
</label>
<label for="chkNo">
<input type="radio" id="chkNo2" name="chkPassPort2" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />No
</label>
<div class="form-group" id="dvExample1" style="display: none">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.StudOrg, "Organizations", htmlAttributes: new { #class = "control-label col-md-2" })
<div class="col-md-10">
#Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.StudOrg, new { #class = "form-control" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.StudOrg, "", new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group">
<div class="g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="6LccVRcTAAAAADLo_LxSj4mQzt9jLrgbo5L9wZ-J"></div>
<div>
#if (TempData["recaptcha"] != null)
{
<p>#TempData["recaptcha"]</p>
}
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="col-md-offset-2 col-md-10">
<b></b>
<div class="form-group">
#Html.Recaptcha()
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<input type="submit" value="Apply" class="btn btn-default" style="text-align: center" />
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
</div>
}
<script type="text/javascript">
function ShowHideDiv() {
var chkYes = document.getElementById("chkYes");
var chkYes1 = document.getElementById("chkYes1");
var chkYes2 = document.getElementById("chkYes2");
var dvPassport = document.getElementById("dvPassport");
var dvExample = document.getElementById("dvExample");
var dvExample1 = document.getElementById("dvExample1");
dvPassport.style.display = chkYes.checked ? "block" : "none";
dvExample.style.display = chkYes1.checked ? "block" : "none";
dvExample1.style.display = chkYes2.checked ? "block" : "none";
}
Error comes in the row where is
#Html.Recaptcha()
I've inserted my public and private key into Web.Config
And in my controller I have:
if (ModelState.IsValid)
{
var recaptchaHelper = this.GetRecaptchaVerificationHelper();
if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(recaptchaHelper.Response))
{
ModelState.AddModelError("", "Captcha answer cannot be empty.");
return View(employee);
}
var recaptchaResult = recaptchaHelper.VerifyRecaptchaResponse();
if (recaptchaResult != RecaptchaVerificationResult.Success)
{
ModelState.AddModelError("", "Incorrect captcha answer.");
}
DateTime myDateTime = DateTime.Now;
string sqlFormattedDate = myDateTime.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss");
int count = (from result1 in db.Employees.AsEnumerable() select result1).Count();
int maxEmployeeId = count > 0 ? db.Employees.Max(x => x.EmployeeID) + 1 : 1;
employee.EmployeeID = maxEmployeeId;
employee.CreatedTimeStamp = Convert.ToDateTime(sqlFormattedDate);
db.Employees.Add(employee);
db.SaveChanges();
return RedirectToAction("Success", "Employees");
return View(employee);
//string EncodedResponse = Request.Form["g-recaptcha-Response"];
//bool IsCaptchaValid = (ReCaptchaClass.Validate(EncodedResponse) == "True" ? true : false);
//if (IsCaptchaValid)
//{
//}
//else
//{
// TempData["recaptcha"] = "Please verify that you are not a robot.";
//}
}
I am going crazy because of this error, this was an implementation by some guy from the Net, but I cannot find it anymore (I've reinstalled my OS)..if you be so kind to help me to figure it out it would be awesome!

Answer 1

In case that you have just updated the nuget package, look for duplicate settings initialization like the following at the end of your appSettings section :
<add key="recaptchaPublicKey" value="" /><add key="recaptchaPrivateKey" value="" /><add key="recaptchaApiVersion" value="1" />
in your web.config.
When you update the recaptcha package it will automatically append this row in your appSettings section even if you have already set your settings - thus overriding them.
Otherwise - set your keys here.