IIS Express Windows Authentication

Question

I'm trying to use IIS Express with VS2010 to host a silverlight application. I modified my applicationhost.config file to allow for modification of the proper configuration settings. I have the following in my web.config:

<location path="">
  <system.webServer>
    <security>
      <authentication>
        <anonymousAuthentication enabled="false" />
        <windowsAuthentication enabled="true" />
      </authentication>
    </security>
  </system.webServer>
</location>

I am not being authenticated and my domain service call returns a null record as the user. I was able to get this to work after installing VS2010 SP1 BETA but I'm trying to get this to work with only IIS Express.

How do I enable Windows Authentication to work with IIS Express. Is there a configuration setting that I am missing?

Answer 1

Visual Studio 2010 SP1 and 2012 added support for IIS Express eliminating the need to edit angle brackets.

1. If you haven't already, right-click a web-flavored project and select "Use IIS Express...".
2. Once complete, select the web project and press F4 to focus the Properties panel.
3. Set the "Windows Authentication" property to Enabled, and the "Anonymous Authentication" property to Disabled.

I believe this solution is superior to the vikomall's options.

• Option #1 is a global change for all IIS Express sites.
• Option #2 leaves development cruft in the web.config.
  • Further, it will probably lead to an error when deployed to IIS 7.5 unless you follow the "unlock" procedure on your IIS server's applicationHost.config.

The UI-based solution above uses site-specific location elements in IIS Express's applicationHost.config leaving the app untouched.

More information here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/hh288080.aspx