I am experiencing an issue where if the user has clicked the drop down button on a WebDropDown and an AJAX postback is initiated (for example, from a timer on the page), a script error occurs ('this._container.style' is null or not an object, returned in IE8).

These WebDropDowns are instantiated dynamically, and as a necessary part of this strategy, I am relinking the controls with their appropriate IDs on postback to sync with the view state.

It should be noted that no error occurs when the drop down container is closed when the postback occurs, it only occurs when the drop down container is open at the time the postback occurs.

My guess is that when you open the drop down, a control is created in client-side script representing the drop down container, and that this must also be re-synced with the view state if the postback occurs.  However, if this is the case, I am not sure how to do this, or otherwise workaround to prevent the error from occurring.  I have tried using EnableDropDownAsChild to false, EnableViewState to false, EnableAjaxViewState to false (as well as combinations of all three), and I still encounter the error.  Of course, all of this predicates itself on the surmise that this is the source of the problem, which could be totally wrong.

I can workaround this by disabling the timer causing the postback for this page, but I'd really like to know what's going on here and potentially how to correct it.  Any help appreciated, thanks in advance.