How do I set a custom error URL in IIS7.5 using WiX

Question

My first question so please be kind. I am having problems with my installer here is the error from the installer log.

MSI (s) (4C:64) [14:56:14:086]: Invoking remote custom action. DLL: C:\Windows\Installer\MSI6E35.tmp, Entrypoint: WriteIIS7ConfigChanges
CustomAction WriteIIS7ConfigChanges returned actual error code 1603 (note this may not be 100% accurate if translation happened inside sandbox)
Action ended 14:56:15: InstallFinalize. Return value 3.

The installer quits with an error and rolls back. Through trial and error I have found the problem with the IIS configuration and have narrowed it down to the setup of the custom error page (example below)

<iis:WebSite Id="myWebService1" Description="myWebService" AutoStart="yes" StartOnInstall="yes" ConfigureIfExists="yes" Directory="WEBAPPDIR" ConnectionTimeout="360" >
    <iis:WebAddress Id="myWebService_Bindings" IP="*" Port="9992" />
    <iis:WebApplication Id="myWebService" Name="myWebService" WebAppPool="myWebService_Pool" ScriptTimeout="360" />
    <iis:WebDirProperties Id="myWebService_Properties" AnonymousAccess="yes" WindowsAuthentication="no" DefaultDocuments="Default.ashx" Read="yes" Execute="yes" Script="yes" />
    <iis:WebVirtualDir Id="myWebService_Download" Alias="download" Directory="FILEDOWNLOADDIR">
        <iis:WebError ErrorCode="404" URL="/dostuff.ashx" SubCode="0"/>
    </iis:WebVirtualDir>
</iis:WebSite>

I think there might be an issue overwriting the default custom error pages as they are inherited although there seems to be no such problem in IIS6. I would expect the default behaviour of WiX would be to just overwrite what was already there but does not seem to be the case. I have also tried to get around this by copying a web.config with the necessary xml for the custom error to the download folder but I also get a conflict in IIS when I try to view the "Error pages" list.

I would greatly appreciate some help with this.

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 11 '12 at 17:51

1

I was running into the exact same thing. I found an answer for it here.

It's handled in the web.config file like this:

<system.webServer>
    <httpErrors>
        <remove statusCode="404" subStatusCode="-1" />
        <error statusCode="404" prefixLanguageFilePath="" path="filePath.aspx" responseMode="ExecuteURL"/>
    </httpErrors>

answered Jan 11 '12 at 17:51

Jason

11
2

Unfortunately I can't use this as the web.config screws with my BITS server extension setup. A good suggestion though and definitely the way to go if not encumbered by BITS. – Richie Mackay Mar 15 '12 at 20:26

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 09 '11 at 16:22

So to get around this issue I needed to create custom action and programmatically add the HttpError. I have included a method below that does it. I initially struggled to get this working because I didn't remove the existing inherited error code before adding my own one

private static void ConfigureHTTPError(long _ErrorCode, string _URL, string _SubCode, System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry VDir)
{
    string searcherr = _ErrorCode.ToString() + "," + _SubCode;
    string customerr = searcherr + ",URL," + _URL;

    for (var i = 0; i < VDir.Properties["HttpErrors"].Count; i++)
    {
        if (VDir.Properties["HttpErrors"][i].ToString().IndexOf(searcherr) == 0)
        {
            //must remove the existing error code first
            VDir.Properties["HttpErrors"].RemoveAt(i);
            VDir.CommitChanges();
            VDir.Properties["HttpErrors"].Add(customerr);
            VDir.CommitChanges();
        }
    }
}

Hope this helps if you come across the same issue. I have more code around this so if you need help just ask.

How do I set a custom error URL in IIS7.5 using WiX

2 Answers2