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Q261223: File Download Dialog Box Appears When You Browse an ASP File

Article: Q261223
Product(s): Internet Information Server
Version(s): winnt:5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbOSWin2000
Last Modified: 05-AUG-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Internet Information Services version 5.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you attempt to browse a .asp file, the File Download dialog box is
displayed (instead of displaying the .asp file in the browser).

CAUSE
=====

The .asp file has an error in it, which invokes the custom error handler for
500;100 HTTP error messages.

The custom error handler for 500;100 HTTP error messages has been set to open
500-100.asp as a file rather than a URL. Therefore, when Internet Information
Services (IIS) encounters the error in the .asp file, it tries to open the file
associated with 500;100 error messages instead of browsing it.

It is not apparent to the user that IIS is attempting to open the 500-100.asp
file rather than the .asp file that was specified in the browser.

RESOLUTION
==========

Add the folder that contains 500-100.asp file as a virtual directory, and then
change the Custom Error page for 500;100 HTTP errors to invoke the 500-100.asp
file using a URL instead of a file path. To do this, perform the following:

1. Start the Internet Service Manager (ISM), which loads the Internet
  Information Services snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

2. Right-click the appropriate Web site, click New, and then click Virtual
  Directory.

3. In the Virtual Directory Creation Wizard, click Next. In the Alias text box,
  type "IISHelp" (without the quotation marks), and then click Next.

4. When you are prompted for the path to the content directory, click Browse,
  select the WINNT\Help\IisHelp folder, and then click Next.

5. On the Access Permissions page, accept all the defaults, click Next, and then
  click Finish.

6. Right-click the Web site again, and then click Properties.

7. On the Custom Errors tab, select the "500;100" error line, and then click the
  Edit Properties.

8. In the Error Mapping Properties dialog box, change File to URL in the Message
  Type list box, and then type "/iisHelp/common/500-100.asp" (without the
  quotation marks) in the URL text box.

9. Click OK twice to return to the ISM.

(c) Microsoft Corporation 2000, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Kevin
Zollman, Microsoft Corporation.


Additional query words: iis 5 akz

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbOSWin2000 
Technology        : kbiisSearch kbiis500
Version           : winnt:5.0
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbpending

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