Running ASP on Your Own PC
You can run ASP on your own PC.
Using Your Windows PC as a Web Server
- If you have installed IIS or PWS, you can configure your PC as a Web server.
- IIS or PWS can turn your computer into a Web server.
- Microsoft's IIS and PWS are free Web server components.
IIS - Internet Information Server
IIS is a collection of Internet-based services developed by Microsoft and used on Microsoft Windows platforms.
- Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7 provide IIS. Windows NT also supports IIS.
- IIS is easy to install and is an ideal tool for developing and testing web applications.
PWS - Personal Web Server
PWS is used for older Windows systems such as Windows 95, 98, and NT.
- PWS is easy to install and can be used for developing and testing Web applications containing ASP.
- We do not recommend using PWS unless for training purposes. It is outdated and has security issues.
Windows Web Server Editions
- Windows 7 (all editions) comes with IIS 7.5
- Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions come with IIS 7
- Windows Vista Home Premium comes with IIS 7
- Windows Vista Home Edition does not support PWS or IIS
- Windows XP Professional comes with IIS 5.1
- Windows XP Home Edition does not support IIS or PWS
- Windows 2000 Professional comes with IIS 5.0
- Windows NT Professional comes with IIS 3 and also supports IIS 4
- Windows NT Workstation supports PWS and IIS 3
- Windows ME does not support PWS or IIS
- Windows 98 comes with PWS
- Windows 95 supports PWS
How to Install IIS on Windows 7 and Windows Vista
Follow these steps to install IIS:
- Open Control Panel from the Start menu
- Double-click "Programs and Features"
- Click "Turn Windows features on or off"
- Select the checkbox for "Internet Information Services (IIS)" and click OK
After installing IIS, ensure you install all patches (run Windows Update).
How to Install IIS on Windows XP and Windows 2000
Follow these steps to install IIS:
- On the Start menu, click Settings and select Control Panel
- Double-click "Add/Remove Programs"
- Click "Add/Remove Windows Components"
- Click "Internet Information Services (IIS)"
- Click "Details"
- Select the "World Wide Web Service" checkbox and click OK
- In the Windows Components, click "Next" to install IIS
After installing IIS, ensure you install all patches (run Windows Update).
Testing Your Installation
After installing IIS or PWS, test if it was successful by following these steps:
- Find the Inetpub folder on your hard drive
- Open the Inetpub folder and locate the wwwroot folder
- Create a new folder in wwwroot, such as "MyWeb"
- Write a few lines of ASP code using a text editor and save the file as "test1.asp" in the "MyWeb" folder
- Ensure your Web server is running by checking its status in Control Panel, then Administrative Tools, and double-click the "IIS Manager" icon
- Open your browser and type "http://localhost/MyWeb/test1.asp" in the address bar to see your first ASP page
Note: Look for the IIS (or PWS) symbol in your Start menu or taskbar. The program allows you to start and stop the Web server, enable and disable ASP, and more.
How to Install PWS on Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT
Windows 98: Open the Add-ons folder on your Windows CD, find the PWS folder, and run setup.exe to install PWS.
Windows 95 or Windows NT: Download the "Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack" from Microsoft's site to install PWS.
Test your installation as described earlier.
How to Install IIS on Windows Server 2003
- When you start Windows Server 2003, you will see the Server Management Wizard
- If the wizard does not appear, open Administrative Tools and select the Configure Your Server Wizard
- In the wizard, click Add or Remove a Role, then click Next
- Select Custom Configuration, then click Next
- Select the Application Server Role, then click Next
- Select Enable ASP.NET, then click Next
- The wizard will now request the Server 2003 CD. Insert the CD and continue running the wizard until completion, then click Finish
- The wizard should now show "Application Server Role Installed"
- Click Manage this Application Server to open the Application Server Management Console (MMC)
- Expand Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, then expand your server, and then the Sites folder
- You will see the Default Web Site, and its status should be Running
- IIS is running!
- In Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, click the Web Service Extensions folder
- Here, you will see Active Server Pages is prohibited (this is the default configuration for IIS 6)
- Select Active Server Pages and click the Allow button
- ASP is now activated!