I recently got a Windows VPS and started playing around with it. Here’s how you can enable the built-in IIS web-server to host a ASP website on your Windows VPS/server

Enabling The NET Framework, ASP and IIS Web Server Features

1. Step Open your Windows server using the remote desktop connection as explained here

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2. Step Now click on Start and then hover over Administrative Tools and then click on Server Manager:

Server Manager
ENLARGE

3. Step Alright, now in the left pane there are a couple options – click on Features and you should see a link on the right “Add Features”

Add Features To Server

4. Step You can now add Net Framework 3.5 and THIS WILL also enable the IIS Web Server used to host websites like ASP sites on your server

Add Net Framework And Iis Webserver

5. Step When you click the option ASP.NET you will be asked to add the roles for this feature – confirm! Important: Also check the option ASP (without the NET) so you can host ASP sites

Add Roles For Asp Net

Confirm the following options are TICKED:

  • ASP
  • Request Filtering
  • ISAPI Extensions

  • Common HTTP Features: All

To confirm your configuration works we are going to enter localhost into the address bar of our browser – however, you need to make sure the following features are selected, especially Static Content so you will see the default document page:

Common Http Features

6. Step For your private network you may want to enable basic authentication – for improved security enable Digest authentication
Basic Authentication

7. Step Ok, now finally we are about to install the Wev Server IIS, review your selection:

Web Server Iis Installation

8. Step Confirm that everything works: Open Internet Explorer and type http://localhost and hit Enter – if you see a page IIS then congratulations, you just installed your first IIS web server! If you don’t go back to the Features page and right-click on the Role “Web Server” => click Add Roles Services and everything you need as explained above

Video:

Controlling Web Server Web Services

Back on the Server Manager page, you will see a new role in the sidebar

You can now start or stop related services on this page:

Start Asp Net State Service

What Is The Default Web Page For My IIS Web Server?

The default directory is:

  • c:\inetpub

Change or store any files in there and you should be able to access it by simply appending the filename e.g. http://localhost/myfile.txt