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Enabling Dynamic Content

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

The default installation of IIS 6.0 protects your system from malicious users and attackers by delivering IIS in a locked mode, in which IIS can only serve static HTTP content. After a default installation, the request handlers that process dynamic content are disabled, which means that features like ASP, ASP.NET, SSI, WebDAV publishing, and FrontPage Server Extensions do not work.

You can configure the request handlers (ISAPI extensions or Common Gateway Interface [CGI] programs), known as Web service extensions, by using either the Web Service Extensions node in IIS Manager or the command-line script Iisext.vbs, which is located in systemroot\System32.

Iisext.vbs can be used to perform the same operations that are available in IIS Manager. You can use either tool to administer dynamic content, performing the following tasks:

  • Allow or prohibit Web service extensions on the local computer.

  • Add new Web service extensions.

  • Allow all the Web service extensions that an application requires.

  • Prohibit the running of all Web service extensions on the local computer.

For more information about using IIS Manager to administer dynamic content, including instructions for adding new Web service extensions, allowing an application to call a Web service extension, or disabling all Web service extensions, see Enabling and Disabling Dynamic Content in IIS 6.0.

To enable a Web service extension from the command line, use the Iisext.vbs command-line script. Before enabling a Web service extension or application type, obtain a list of all the defined Web service extensions on the computer. (To view a list in IIS Manager, expand the Web Service Extensions node.)

Important   You must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer to run scripts and executables. As a security best practice, log on to your computer by using an account that is not in the Administrators group, and then use the runas command to run your script or executable as an administrator. At a command prompt, type **runas /Profile /user:MyComputer\**Administrator cmd to open a command window with administrator rights and then type cscript.exe ScriptName (include the script's full path and any known parameters).

To view a list of a Web service extensions on the local computer by using Iisext.vbs

  1. In the Run dialog box, type cmd, and then click OK.

  2. At the command prompt, type:

    cscript %SystemRoot%\system32\iisext.vbs /listapp

    This command displays a list of all Web service extensions that are located on the local computer. For example, using the /listapp parameter might return the following:

    Connecting to server ...Done.
Active Server Pages
Internet Data Connector
Server Side Includes
WebDAV
FrontPage Server Extensions
ASP.NET v1.1.4322

If you want to enable ASP pages, type the command-line syntax that is shown in the following procedure. If you want to enable another type of application, replace Active Server Pages with the name of that application. If the application name contains spaces, be sure to enclose the name with quotation marks.

To enable ASP pages (or other Web service extension)

  1. At the command prompt, type:

    cscript %systemroot%\system32\iisext.vbs /EnApp "Active Server Pages"

For more information about using the Iisext.vbs command-line script to administer dynamic content, such as enabling, disabling, or listing Web service extensions and their files, see Managing Applications and Web Service Extensions Using Scripts.