IIS/ASP.net Troubleshooting Cheatsheet

Setting up IIS usually results in some error (403, 500...) at first. Since I run into this a lot and always forget to write down the steps, here's my cheatsheet now, which I'll update if I run into additional issues.

Folder Permissions

  • Give IIS_IUSRS Read permission to the folder containing your code.
  • If StaticFile throws a 403 when accessing static files, also give IUSR permission
  • Make sure files aren't encrypted (Properties => Advanced)

If your code modifies files in that folder (e.g., using the default identity database or logging, etc.), you might need write permissions as well.

Registering ASP.net with IIS

If installing .net Framework after IIS, need to run one of these:

  • Windows 7/8/2012: C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe -i
  • Windows 10: dism /online /enable-feature /all /featurename:IIS-ASPNET45