The tool used to configure HTTP settings depends on the operating system the computer is running.

When running Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP, use the HttpCfg.exe tool. With Windows Server 2003 this tool is installed. With Windows XP, you can download the tool at Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools. For more information, see Httpcfg Overview.

With Windows Vista, you configure these settings with the Netsh.exe tool.

However, before you try running a Console Application or Windows Service application that hosts a WCF service with basicHttpBinding or wsHttpBinding, see this MSDN article about "Configuring HTTP and HTTPS". If you are WAS-hosted or Web App-hosted, the urlacl entries are made on your behalf.

You can view the current entries with "netsh http show urlacl". To make the changes, you’ll need to "Run as Administrator" when going into your Command Prompt.

I decided to use the following command:

netsh http add urlacl url=http://+:8080/ user=\Everyone

You should adjust the ports and/or path as necessary for your situation:

netsh http add urlacl url=http://+:8080/MyConsoleAppHostedService user=DOMAIN\user netsh http add urlacl url=http://+:8091/MyWindowsServiceHostedService user=\SYSTEM

to delete an urlacl do:

delete urlacl url=https://*:8172/

Links

Configuring HTTP and HTTPS on Microsoft MSDN

Netsh Commands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol on Microsoft Technet

An explanation or better, a direction I’ve found at Atalasoft Knowledgebase Q10165.

I just changed the Platform target from x86 to Any CPU, recompiled both projects in the solution and since then, i can add a service reference. Who knows why.. you? drop me a mail/comment!

Error Message i got:

System.BadImageFormatException: Could not load file or assembly ‘file:///D:\Development\WCFTestService.SQL.2010\Media.Manager.SQL.Services.WCF\bin\Debug\Media.Manager.SQL.Services.WCF.exe’ or one of its dependencies. An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.
File name: ‘file:///D:\Development\WCFTestService.SQL.2010\Media.Manager.SQL.Services.WCF\bin\Debug\Media.Manager.SQL.Services.WCF.exe’
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly._nLoad(AssemblyName fileName, String codeBase, Evidence assemblySecurity, RuntimeAssembly locationHint, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, Boolean throwOnFileNotFound, Boolean forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.InternalLoadAssemblyName(AssemblyName assemblyRef, Evidence assemblySecurity, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, Boolean forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks)
   at System.Reflection.Assembly.Load(AssemblyName assemblyRef)
   at Microsoft.Tools.SvcHost.ServiceHostHelper.LoadServiceAssembly(String svcAssemblyPath)

WRN: Assembly binding logging is turned OFF.
To enable assembly bind failure logging, set the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog] (DWORD) to 1.
Note: There is some performance penalty associated with assembly bind failure logging.
To turn this feature off, remove the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog].

In order to use the "Discover services in solution" functionality, the service projects must be based on one of the WCF project templates.
If you want to alter your existing project(s) so that they will be identified as projects containing WCF service(s), do the following:

• Right-click on the project in the Solution Explorer, and select Unload project
• Right-click the project again (this time the node will end in (unavailable) ) and choose Edit xxxxx.csproj
• In the first <PropertyGroup> section, add the following line:
  <ProjectTypeGuids>{3D9AD99F-2412-4246-B90B-4EAA41C64699};{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}</ProjectTypeGuids>
• Save and close the file
• Reload the project by right-clicking it again and choose Reload.

  You should then be able to use the "Discover services in solution" functionality.