Incorrect Error Installing Server Extensions to a UNC Path

ID: Q215421

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions

SYMPTOMS

When you install the FrontPage Server Extensions to an IIS virtual server or a virtual directory that is mapped to a UNC path on an NTFS partition, the following message appears:

Your web server's configuration will allow anyone to author pages on your web server once the extensions are installed. To fix this, stop installing the extensions now, reconfigure IIS to use an NTFS partition and then use the FrontPage server administrator tool to install the extensions.
Are you sure you want to install the extensions? Yes or No.

This message is only partially correct. In a UNC path configuration, it is not possible to configure permissions that provide adequate security. When you point a virtual root or virtual server's home directory at a UNC path, you have to give IIS the account to use when accessing the share. Impersonation as an authenticated user or the anonymous account is not done when touching files on the UNC; all access to the files is done as the single specified user. For this reason, the drive works similarly to a FAT partition. You can turn anonymous access on or off, but even if it's off, any user with a valid Windows NT account has as much access to the content as any other. Therefore, configuring FrontPage Webs on a virtual server or virtual directory that is on an NTFS partition is not supported.

The part of the error message that states you are not using an NTFS partition is incorrect, and does not apply to this situation.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, do not install the Server Extensions on a virtual server or virtual directory that is mapped to a UNC path. The alternative is to create a virtual directory or virtual server on the computer that has the Server Extensions and IIS installed. FrontPage does support non- contiguous Webs. You can create virtual directories anywhere on your Web server that FrontPage can convert to Webs, as long as the virtual directories and virtual servers reside on the same computer as the Web server.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions.

Additional query words: front page

Keywords : fpse2000
Version : winnt:
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug