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Creating Virtual Directories in IIS 6.0

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

In most cases, the content you publish to your Web or FTP site is located in a root or home directory on your computer, such as C:\Inetpub\Wwwroot\. However, there might be instances when the content is located somewhere else, or even on a remote computer.

To publish from any directory not contained within your home or root directory, you can create a virtual directory. A virtual directory is a directory that is not contained in the home directory but appears to client browsers as though it were.

You can create a virtual directory through IIS Manager or by using Windows Explorer. Additionally, you can create a Web virtual directory by using the Iisvdir.vbs script, and a FTP virtual directory by using the Iisftpdr.vbs script.

Important

You must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer to perform the following procedure or procedures. As a security best practice, log on to your computer by using an account that is not in the Administrators group, and then use the runas command to run IIS Manager as an administrator. At a command prompt, type runas /user:Administrative_AccountName "mmc %systemroot%\system32\inetsrv\iis.msc".

Procedures

To create a virtual directory by using IIS Manager

  1. In IIS Manager, expand the local computer, expand the Web Sites or FTP Sites folder, right-click the site or folder within which you want to create the virtual directory, point to New, and then click Virtual Directory. The Virtual Directory Creation Wizard appears.

  2. Click Next.

  3. In the Alias box, type a name for the virtual directory. (Choose a short name that is easy to type because the user types this name.)

  4. Click Next.

  5. In the Path box, type or browse to the physical directory in which the virtual directory resides, and then click Next.

  6. Under Allow the following permissions, select the check boxes for the access permissions you want to assign to your users, and then click Next.

    Important

    For security reasons, when selecting access permissions, consider allowing only the default Read permission. By restricting permissions in this way, you can help avoid attacks against your Web site by malicious users. For more information about setting access permissions, see Securing Virtual Directories and Access Control in Help and Support Center for Windows Server 2003.

  7. Click Finish. The virtual directory is created below the currently selected folder level.

To create a virtual directory by using Windows Explorer

  1. Open Windows Explorer.

  2. Right-click the folder you want to be a virtual directory, and click Sharing and Security.

  3. Click the Web Sharing tab.

  4. Click Share this folder.

  5. In the Alias box, type the name for the virtual directory.

  6. Click OK twice.

To create a Web virtual directory by using the Iisvdir.vbs script

  1. From the Start menu, click Run.

  2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.

  3. At the command prompt, type the following:

    cscript %SystemRoot%\system32\iisvdir.vbs /create SampleWebSite[**/Path] VirtualDirectorydrive:\**path

    where SampleWebSite, VirtualDirectory, and path is the physical directory, as appropriate.

For more information about creating Web virtual directories by using the Iisvdir.vbs command and its parameters, type the following at the command prompt: iisvdir /create /?.

To create an FTP virtual directory by using the Iisftpdr.vbs script

  1. From the Start menu, click Run.

  2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.

  3. At the command prompt, type the following:

    cscript %SystemRoot%\system32\iisftpdr.vbs /create FTPSite[**/Path] VirtualDirectory drive:\**path

    where FTPSite, VirtualDirectory, and path is the physical directory, as appropriate.

For more information about creating FTP virtual directories by using the Iisftpdr.vbs command and its parameters, type the following at the command prompt: iisftpdr /create /?.