Asp.Net MVC 5 without Owin?

The default mvc5 template uses Identity as the membership system. Identity depends on Owin so that's the reason it's included in the project (with several other 'optional' packages). If you create a new empty project and install manually the package Microsoft.Aspnet.Mvc (with the command Install-Package Microsoft.Aspnet.Mvc) you can see there's no dependency on Owin.

Obs: You could also create an Empty project with 'Add folders and core references for MVC' option checked.


The easy way to disable Owin is in web.config file and in <appSettings> section add this:

<add key="owin:AutomaticAppStartup" value="false" />

To remove Owin completely right click on your project and from menu click on Manage Nuget Packages. on left side of Manage Nuget Packages window click on Installed Package then on right side of window in search box type owin.

enter image description here uninstall packages in order of:

  • microsoft.aspnet.identity.owin
  • microsoft.owin.host.systemweb
  • microsoft.owin.security.cookies
  • microsoft.owin.security.facebook
  • microsoft.owin.security.google
  • microsoft.owin.security.microsoftaccount
  • microsoft.owin.security.twitter

and after removing microsoft.owin.security.twitter other owin packages removed automatically and if it does not happened on your machine remove the others by yourself. then remove this packages:

  • microsoft.aspnet.identity.entityframework
  • microsoft.aspnet.identity.core

Open web.config file and remove these sections from <runtime><assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">:

    <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.Owin" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-3.0.0.0" newVersion="3.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.Owin.Security.OAuth" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-3.0.0.0" newVersion="3.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.Owin.Security.Cookies" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-3.0.0.0" newVersion="3.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>
      <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.Owin.Security" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-3.0.0.0" newVersion="3.0.0.0" />
      </dependentAssembly>

Remove Startup.cs file in root of the project. open App_Start folder and remove IdentityConfig.cs and Startup.Auth.cs files. open Controller folder and remove AccountController.cs and ManageController.cs. in Models folder Delete all Models and in View Folder Remove Account Folder and Manage folder.

Restarts Visual Studio and after that run the project. if you get this error:

The following errors occurred while attempting to load the app. - No assembly found containing an OwinStartupAttribute. - No assembly found containing a Startup or [AssemblyName].Startup class. To disable OWIN startup discovery, add the appSetting owin:AutomaticAppStartup with a value of "false" in your web.config. To specify the OWIN startup Assembly, Class, or Method, add the appSetting owin:AppStartup with the fully qualified startup class or configuration method name in your web.config. you have two ways to solve it:

  1. Open bin folder and if there is any Owin assembly, delete all of them
  2. Or open web.config in <appSettings> section then add this <add key="owin:AutomaticAppStartup" value="false" />