This was on my first ever run after installing nopCommerce
<div class="searchbox">
<nopCommerce:SearchBox runat="server" ID="ctrlSearchBox">
</nopCommerce:SearchBox>
</div>
This code (above) is generating the error message in the topic title.
I removed this block of code (from \Modules\HeaderMenu.ascx) and the demo site appeared without further issues.
Even the Search page functions OK.
Any clues ...
Thx
Roger