title: Sitecore - Root item is not defined
body: <p>I've run into the following error while trying to deploy with TDS. I don't believe that there are any custom indexes. I've looked at the following link and cleared my \Data\Indexes folder.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/14319983/sitecore-index-error-root-item-not-defined">Sitecore Index error - Root Item Not defined</a></p>
  
  <p>What can cause this error? </p>
  
  <p>Also this is the url I'm getting the error on : <code>http://&lt;hostname&gt;/sitecore</code></p>
  
  <p>Full stack trace: </p>
  
  <pre><code>[InvalidOperationException: Root item is not defined]
     Sitecore.Diagnostics.Assert.IsNotNull(Object value, String message) +59
     Sitecore.Search.Crawlers.DatabaseCrawler.Initialize(Index index) +106
     Sitecore.Search.Index.AddCrawler(ICrawler crawler) +36
  
  [TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.]
     System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, SignatureStruct&amp; sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner) +0
     System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture, Boolean skipVisibilityChecks) +1255
     System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture) +38
     Sitecore.Reflection.ReflectionUtil.InvokeMethod(MethodInfo method, Object[] parameters, Object obj) +91
     Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.AssignProperties(Object obj, Object[] properties) +760
     Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.AssignProperties(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Object obj, Boolean assert, Boolean deferred, IFactoryHelper helper) +943
     Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper) +305
     Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.GetInnerObject(XmlNode paramNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +858
     Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.AssignProperties(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Object obj, Boolean assert, Boolean deferred, IFactoryHelper helper) +795
     Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.CreateObject(XmlNode configNode, String[] parameters, Boolean assert, IFactoryHelper helper) +305
     Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.CreateObject(String configPath, String[] parameters, Boolean assert) +395
     Sitecore.Search.SearchManager.get_SearchConfig() +71
     Sitecore.Search.SearchManager.GetIndex(String id) +43
     Sitecore.Shell.Applications.ShellForm.OnLoad(EventArgs e) +1331
  
  [TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.]
     System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, SignatureStruct&amp; sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner) +0
     System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture, Boolean skipVisibilityChecks) +1255
     System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture) +38
     Sitecore.Reflection.ReflectionUtil.InvokeMethod(MethodInfo method, Object[] parameters, Object obj) +91
     Sitecore.Web.UI.Sheer.ClientPage.OnLoad(EventArgs e) +332
     System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive() +66
     System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +2428
  </code></pre>