loading my masterpage dynamically

You need to have legal2 defined. Maybe it is not in scope, maybe it doesn't exist. What do you expect it to be?

legal2.master is my other masterpage.  i need it to load depending on the session id.  
it does exist in the server.  

do i have to add something in the webconfig?

right now the page has this on top
<%@ Page Language="VB" MasterPageFile="legalother.master"  %>

so if session =1 then i want legal2.master to load instead

Ah, I think I see what you are getting at.

Use the directive MasterType to make a reference to the masterfile, like so and in your codebehind you can use Master to point to your masterpage.

But since you are setting the masterpage progammatically, I think you will have to use another way. It is not all too trivial, but not too hard either. I think the explanation given here does a much better job then I could by just repeating him: http://odetocode.com/Articles/450.aspx (see under PreInit, there's also a VB version of the code)

<%@ MasterType VirtualPath="~/Masterpages/Default.master" %>

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dont understand much.  do u have a sample code?

this is my code right now.  all i need is to load  legal2.master instead ofthe current master page if session =1  else  stay the same.  how would you do it?

<%@ Page Language="VB" MasterPageFile="legalother.master"  %>


<%@ Register TagPrefix="custom" Namespace="myControls" %>
<script runat="server">

   

    Protected Sub Page_PreInit(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
        'If Session("zona") = 1 Then
        '    MasterPageFile = legal2.Master
        'Else

        'End If
    End Sub
    Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
        Session("compania") = Request.QueryString("ID")
       
    End Sub
</script>

any hope?

My apologies. I was looking too far off. Your request is way simpler then to create a complete handler for dealing with masterpages.

If the name of the masterpage is "legal2.master" all you need in the PreInit even is the following line of code:

MasterPageFile = "~/legal2.master"

I.e.: you need the string, not the literal name.

HTH,
Cheers,
-- Abel --

So you got it working? Great! & tx for the points ;)

si amigo!!!