Error message after you click "ASP.NET Configuration" in Visual Web Developer 2005 on a computer that is running a 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003 or a 64-bit version of Windows XP: "Unable to connect to Visual Studio's Localhost Web Server"

Consider the following scenario:

• In Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005, you create a new Web site project. In the New Web Site dialog box, you click File System in the Location box.
• You try to start the Microsoft ASP.NET Web Site Administration Tool for the Web site project.
• You do this on a computer that is running a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows XP.

In this scenario, you may receive the following error message immediately after you click ASP.NET Configuration:

This problem occurs because the ASP.NET registry keys are missing. The ASP.NET registry keys are missing when you install ASP.NET after the Enable32bitAppOnWin64 Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase setting is set to a value of 1. Because IIS is configured to run in the 32-bit mode, the ASP.NET installation does not create the ASP.NET registry keys in the 64-bit registry. The ASP.NET installation creates the ASP.NET registry keys only in the 32-bit registry.

To resolve this problem, follow these steps.

64-bit mode

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. To enable the 64-bit mode, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   cscript %SYSTEMDRIVE%\inetpub\adminscripts\adsutil.vbs SET W3SVC/AppPools/Enable32bitAppOnWin64 0
3. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   cd C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727
4. To install the 64-bit version of ASP.NET, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   aspnet_regiis �i
5. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   iisreset

32-bit mode

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. To enable the 32-bit mode, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   cscript %SYSTEMDRIVE%\inetpub\adminscripts\adsutil.vbs SET W3SVC/AppPools/Enable32bitAppOnWin64 1
3. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   cd C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727
4. To install the 32-bit version of ASP.NET, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   aspnet_regiis �i
5. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   iisreset

After you follow these steps, Visual Web Developer 2005 can correctly locate the path of the WebDev.WebServer.exe file. Therefore, the Visual Web Developer 2005 test Web server can be turned on.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

Steps to reproduce the problem

1. Click Start, click Programs, and then click Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition.
2. Click File, and then click New Web Site.
3. Click ASP.NET Web Site, and then click OK.
4. In Solution Explorer, click ASP.NET Configuration.
   
   You receive the error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.

Note This problem occurs when you configure IIS to run in the 32-bit mode before you install ASP.NET.