Change server name in IIS after renaming server

Question

What's the best way to rename the server name within IIS, ISS is preinstalled on the new 2022 OS, nothing has been created yet, but would like to rename the server before we do.

Is the best way to do the rename in IIS, by right-clicking and then selecting rename to save its config?

Answer 1

Hi @Olaf Helper,

When you rename a Windows server name, IIS is already installed and most IIS functionality will continue to work without any intervention, but IIS will not automatically update to the new name.

As you said, you can rename the server name in IIS by right clicking on the server name in the left connection pane of IIS. Choose Rename, provide a new name, and save the connection.

Not sure if this is the only way, but for IIS on windows server, under the Connections pane in IIS, right click on the server name under Start Page, select Remove Connection. Then right click on Start Page and select "Connect to Server...". Now enter a new name for the server click next and then finish.

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Best regards,

Yurong Dai

Answer 2

There is nothing on IIS to rename/change, it's a "simple" web server runing on the server and you address it by the host name.

Answer 3

This is what worked for me.
After cloning an IIS Server, IIS will take the server name from a little file here.

C:\Users\User_Folder\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\WebManagement\7.0.0.0\InetMgr.preferences

This file InetMgr.preferences contains the name of the server you used to clone this new IIS server.
You simply need to delete this old user profile file and when you open up IIS again, it will take the name of the new server and create a new InetMgr.preferences profile file.

The administrator should do this for all Users who use the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.