Cannot read configuration file due to insufficient permissions

Question

I am trying to test my Web Service on an IIS instance on my local machine before I promote to a windows server 2008 environment. I get this when I attempt to browse to the service. I have created a custom application pool that this service will run under btw. So I am guessing that that application ID does not have permissions to access that folder etc... I get this little detail btw...

"This error occurs when there is a problem reading the configuration file for the Web server or Web application. In some cases, the event logs may contain more information about what caused this error."

I am thinking I need to give that application identity permissions, but I am unsure how to accomplish this.

Is there another way to get this done?

Answer 1

Not sure whether this is too late for you.

The IIS website is run by either USERS or IIS_IUSRS.

Try to do following:

• From Windows Explorer
• Right click on the folder pointed by the web
• Go to security tab
• Add computername\IIS_IUSRS or computername\USERS with Read permission.

Answer 2

If you chosen old version of .Net framework in application pool of IIS may sometimes cause this issue. So Try with higher .net framework version.

Answer 3

For me, I just transferred my files under c:\inetpub\wwwroot and the error is gone.

Answer 4

Modifying the application's identity setting from "ApplicationPoolIdentity" to "LocalSystem" on IIS(7) solved my issue. when adding permission to the IIS_IUSRS did not. I don't quite understand why though.

Answer 5

Check your sites Security -> Authentication feature. If anonymousAuthentication is enabled, click on the Edit link (in the Actions column) to see which identity is being used; if it is IUSR, make sure IUSR has FileSystem ACL privileges on the website's folder and files. If it set to 'ApplicationPoolIdentity' make sure group IIS_IUSRS has the same rights, because the 'ApplicationPoolIdentity' is dynamically added to the IIS_IUSRS group at runtime.

Answer 6

All I had to do was edit permissions for the virtual directory(application) in IIS 7.5 and add IUSR to the permissions. That fixed it.

Answer 7

1.Open IIS 2.On left side panel click on application pools 3.And go to its properties and change identity value from "ApplicationPoolIdentity" to "Local System".

I resolved the problem when i tried this.

Answer 8

I faced a similar issue on Windows 8.1. I fixed it by changing identity value from ApplicationPoolIdentity to Local System.