$("#Grid").jqGrid({
            datatype: 'local',
            height: 255,
            width: 400,
            colNames: ['Id', 'Name'],
            colModel: [{ name: 'Id', index: 'Id', align: 'center', width: 20, hidden: true, key: true },
                            { name: 'Name', index: 'Name', align: 'center', width: 40}],
            rowNum: 10,
            rowList: [10, 20, 50],
            loadonce: true,
            sortname: 'Name',
            viewrecords: true,
            sortorder: "asc",
            caption: 'Hardcoded Example',
            pager: '#Pager'
        });

        var grid = $("#Grid")[0];
        var r = '{"rows":[{"Id":75,"Name":"JoeK"},{"Id":74,"Name":"JohnK"},{"Id":87,"Name":"test"}],"Page":1,"total":1,"records":3}';
        var rr = (eval("(" + r + ")"));
        grid.addJSONData(rr);

I don't get it, am i missing files or am i adding them out of order? They get added in this order:

files.Add("/Content/Scripts/Shared/JqGrid/i18n/grid.locale-en.js");
files.Add("/Content/Scripts/Shared/JqGrid/jquery.jqGrid.settings.js");
files.Add("/Content/Scripts/Shared/JqGrid/jquery.jqGrid_3-8-1.min.js");

And am using jquery 1.4.2

But the reason i didnt call back to the server from the grid definition itself is because, and i should have mentioned it before i am actually returning 4 grid result sets from the server in one call and i populate 4 different datatype local grids locally from one server call so my AJAX post really looks like this:

        $.ajax({
            url: dataUrl,
            data: "{}",
            dataType: "json",
            type: "POST",
            contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8″,
            success: function(jsondata, stat) { //jsondata is already in json object form not json string form, from the server
                if (stat == "success") {
                    var grid1 = $("#Grid1")[0];

                    var grid2 = $("#Grid2")[0];

                    var grid3 = $("#Grid3")[0];

                    var grid4 = $("#Grid4")[0];

                    grid1.addJSONData(jsondata[0]);

                    grid2.addJSONData(jsondata[1]);

                    grid3.addJSONData(jsondata[2]);

                    grid4.addJSONData(jsondata[3]);
                }
            }
        });

What you suggested works i set loadonce:true datatype:json after the post becomes datatype:local, paging/sorting works. BUT like i said i have 4 local grids that i want to populate with one call to the server/webservice. And i do populate them initially but when i page/sort the grid data disappears

Instead of usage of separate $.ajax call it is better to use

If the returned data contain array of objects having properties Id and Name, then you should additionally include parameter

See this, this and this answer for more informations and examples.

Best regards
Oleg 

So upgrading from 3.6 to 3.8 has caused several breaks. And I've been pounding my head for 2 days trying to fix them.

1. addJSONData stopped displaying data in the grid, this was do to the stricter rules on json formatting - Finally FIXED

2. Now data is displaying in grid but when i go to change the page or sort on column the data disappears from the grid.

I first define the grid this way:

        $("#Grid").jqGrid({
            datatype: 'local',
            height: 255,
            width: 400,
            colNames: ['Id', 'Name'],
            colModel: [{ name: 'Id', index: 'Id', align: 'center', width: 20, hidden: true, key: true },
                            { name: 'Name', index: 'Name', align: 'center', width: 40}],
            rowNum: 0,
            rowTotal: -1,
            //scroll: 1,
            rowList: [10, 20, 50],
            loadonce: true,
            gridview: true,
            sortname: 'Name',
            viewrecords: true,
            sortorder: "asc",
            caption: 'Managers NOT in Group',
            pager: '#Pager'
        });

        jQuery("#Grid").jqGrid('navGrid', '#Pager', { del: false, add: false, edit: false, search: false, refresh: false });
        jQuery("#Grid").jqGrid('filterToolbar', { stringResult: true, searchOnEnter: false });

then a seperate function is called via AJAX to populate the grid this way:

        $.ajax({
            url: dataUrl,
            data: "{}",
            dataType: "json",
            type: "POST",
            contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
            success: function(jsondata, stat) { //jsondata is already in json object form not json string form, from the server
                if (stat == "success") {
                    var grid = $("#Grid")[0];
                    grid.addJSONData(jsondata);
                }
            }
        });

Like I said initally the grid is populated with data corretly but when I try to do a page change or sort all data disappears from the grid and the pager changes its correct values (page 1 of 4 viewing 1-10 of 32) to (page 1 of NaN No Records) .

thx in advance