Preparing Windows to Host a Website
NOTE: dbFront now guides you through the complete install of all windows components. Please start by installing dbFront and following the instructions within the installer.
The video Installing dbFront walks through the complete process from download to login.
Windows Versions
The minimum Windows Versions needed to run IIS and host a Dotnet 4.5 application are:
- Windows Vista Business, SP2 or later
- Windows 7 Pro
- Windows 8 (All versions)
- Windows 10 (All versions)
- Windows Server 2008+
- etc...
All later versions of Windows including Windows 8 Home will work.
Install IIS with DISM (Simplest and Best)
By FAR the most simple method to install the missing features is to use the following DISM script. This is a built-in Microsoft Windows command-line method to install windows features.
This has been tested on Windows Versions up to Windows Data Center 2016.
- Open a windows Administrative Command prompt
- Paste in the following DISM command line.
- Click Enter.
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:IIS-ApplicationDevelopment /FeatureName:IIS-BasicAuthentication /FeatureName:IIS-CommonHttpFeatures /FeatureName:IIS-DefaultDocument /FeatureName:IIS-NetFxExtensibility /FeatureName:IIS-Performance /FeatureName:IIS-StaticContent /FeatureName:IIS-WebServer /FeatureName:IIS-WebServerManagementTools /FeatureName:IIS-WebServerRole /FeatureName:IIS-WindowsAuthentication /FeatureName:IIS-ISAPIExtensions /FeatureName:IIS-ISAPIFilter /FeatureName:IIS-NetFxExtensibility45 /All
On Windows 2016 Datacenter, you will need to add the following to the DISM command line "/FeatureName:IIS-ASPNET45", before "/All" or you can run it as a separate line.
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:IIS-ASPNET45 /All
Installing IIS on Vista, and Windows 7, 8 and 10
Open "Programs and Features"
- Click "Turn Windows features on or off"
- In the list of Windows features,
click the plus sign (+) next to Internet Information Services,
click the plus sign (+) next to World Wide Web Services,
click the plus sign (+) next to Application Development Features,
select "ASP.NET", - In the list of Windows features,
click the plus sign (+) next to Internet Information Services,
click the plus sign (+) next to World Wide Web Services,
click the plus sign (+) next to Common HTTP Features,
select "Static Content", - In the list of Windows features,
click the plus sign (+) next to Internet Information Services,
click the plus sign (+) next to Web Management Tools,
select "IIS Management Console" - Then click OK to start the install.
IIS 8.5 on Windows Server 2012
The following instructions explain how to prepare Windows Server 2012
Dot Net Frame Work
If missing Install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
Register Dot Net with IIS
It is very important to set up IIS the before Dotnet Framework is upgraded. If the DotNet Framework is upgraded first then it won't know to set up IIS properly.
If you find that you encounter a blank web page after you have installed dbFront then you will likely need to Register the Dotnet Framework DLLs with IIS:
To do this you should:
- Open an Administrative Command Prompt,
- Browse to the Dotnet 4.0.30319 framework folder. You need to pick the 64-bit folder if you have a 64 bit Operating System install
for 32 Bit:CD %systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\
for 64 Bit:CD %systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\ - Run:
aspnet_regiis.exe /iru
Windows Firewall
Open "Windows Firewall and Advanced Security"
- Open "Inbound Rules"
- Look for "World Wide Web Services (HTTP Traffic-In)"
- Click "Enable Rule"