{"id":9,"date":"2012-06-08T14:28:00","date_gmt":"2012-06-08T14:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/?p=9"},"modified":"2026-09-05T10:07:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T04:37:25","slug":"authorization-erorr-iis-home-page","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/authorization-erorr-iis-home-page\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix &#8220;Authorization Error&#8221; on IIS Websites Hosted in Plesk"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services) is a widely used web server for hosting websites on Windows servers. When IIS is managed through Plesk, website administrators occasionally encounter an <strong>&#8220;Authorization Error&#8221;<\/strong> while attempting to access a hosted website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">This issue typically occurs due to incorrect authentication settings, corrupted security configuration files, or synchronization problems between IIS user accounts and Plesk-managed system users. As a result, visitors are unable to access the website, which can lead to service disruption and a poor user experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">This article explains the common causes of the error and provides step-by-step instructions to resolve it.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Error Message<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">When accessing the website, the following message may be displayed:<\/p>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">Authorization Error<\/code><\/pre>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The website will fail to load, even though IIS services and the website itself appear to be running normally.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Common Causes<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The &#8220;Authorization Error&#8221; can occur for several reasons:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Anonymous authentication is disabled in IIS.<\/li>\n<li>The <code dir=\"ltr\">.Security<\/code> file in the website directory is corrupted.<\/li>\n<li>IIS user account credentials are not synchronized with Plesk.<\/li>\n<li>Incorrect website permissions.<\/li>\n<li>Damaged virtual host configuration.<\/li>\n<li>Changes made directly in IIS that conflict with Plesk settings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Understanding the root cause helps administrators resolve the issue more efficiently.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Prerequisites<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Before proceeding, ensure you have:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Administrator access to the Windows server.<\/li>\n<li>Access to Plesk Administrator Panel.<\/li>\n<li>Access to IIS Manager.<\/li>\n<li>Permission to run commands from an elevated Command Prompt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Resolution<\/h2>\n<h3>Step 1: Enable Anonymous Authentication in IIS<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Anonymous Authentication allows website visitors to access public content without providing credentials.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"1\" data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Open <strong>Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Navigate to the affected website.<\/li>\n<li>Open <strong>Authentication<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Verify that <strong>Anonymous Authentication<\/strong> is enabled.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Alternative navigation path:<\/p>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">IIS \u2192 Websites \u2192 domain.com \u2192 Directory Security \u2192 Enable Anonymous Access<\/code><\/pre>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">If Anonymous Authentication is disabled, enable it and apply the changes.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Step 2: Remove the Corrupted <code dir=\"ltr\">.Security<\/code> File<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Plesk creates a hidden <code dir=\"ltr\">.Security<\/code> file within the website directory. If this file becomes corrupted, IIS may return authorization errors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Navigate to:<\/p>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">C:\\Inetpub\\vhosts\\domain.com\\<\/code><\/pre>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Delete the following file:<\/p>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">.Security<\/code><\/pre>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Note: Removing this file is safe because it will be recreated during the virtual host reconfiguration process.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Step 3: Reconfigure the Virtual Host<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">After removing the <code dir=\"ltr\">.Security<\/code> file, rebuild the IIS configuration for the domain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Open <strong>Command Prompt as Administrator<\/strong> and execute:<\/p>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">\"C:\\Program Files\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\bin\\websrvmng\" --reconfigure-vhost --vhost-name=domain.com<\/code><\/pre>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">This command regenerates the website configuration and restores the required security settings.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Step 4: Verify IIS User Account Synchronization<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">In some cases, the IIS user account password becomes out of sync with the corresponding Plesk system user.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">To correct this:<\/p>\n<ol start=\"1\" data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Change the password for the domain user within Plesk.<\/li>\n<li>Open:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">Computer Management\n\u2192 Local Users and Groups\n\u2192 Users<\/code><\/pre>\n<ol start=\"3\" data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Locate the IIS account:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">IUSR_domain<\/code><\/pre>\n<ol start=\"4\" data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Update the password to match the value configured in Plesk.<\/li>\n<li>Save the changes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Password synchronization ensures IIS can correctly authenticate requests.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Step 5: Verify Website Permissions<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Check that the IIS user has the necessary permissions on the website directory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Recommended permissions:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Read<\/li>\n<li>Execute<\/li>\n<li>List Folder Contents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Incorrect NTFS permissions can also generate authorization-related errors.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Step 6: Check Other Hosted Websites<\/h3>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">If multiple domains are hosted on the server:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Verify whether other websites are affected.<\/li>\n<li>Compare working and non-working site configurations.<\/li>\n<li>Review recent IIS or Plesk configuration changes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">This helps determine whether the issue is isolated to a single website or affects the entire server.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Final Verification<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Once all corrective actions have been completed, execute the following command again:<\/p>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">websrvmng --reconfigure-vhost --vhost-name=domainname.com<\/code><\/pre>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Then:<\/p>\n<ol start=\"1\" data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Restart IIS.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">iisreset<\/code><\/pre>\n<ol start=\"2\" data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Open the website in a browser.<\/li>\n<li>Confirm that the Authorization Error no longer appears.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Troubleshooting Tips<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">If the issue persists:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Review IIS Logs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">IIS logs are typically located at:<\/p>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">C:\\inetpub\\logs\\LogFiles\\<\/code><\/pre>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Check for:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>HTTP 401 errors<\/li>\n<li>Authentication failures<\/li>\n<li>Access denied messages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review Windows Event Viewer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Navigate to:<\/p>\n<pre dir=\"ltr\"><code dir=\"ltr\">Event Viewer\n\u2192 Windows Logs\n\u2192 Application<\/code><\/pre>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Look for:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>IIS warnings<\/li>\n<li>Authentication failures<\/li>\n<li>Plesk-related errors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Check Plesk Logs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Review Plesk logs for additional information regarding virtual host configuration failures.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Root Cause Analysis<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The Authorization Error usually occurs because IIS cannot properly validate or authorize access to the website. In Plesk-managed environments, the problem is commonly linked to:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li>Broken security configuration files.<\/li>\n<li>Authentication settings being modified manually.<\/li>\n<li>Password synchronization failures.<\/li>\n<li>Corrupted virtual host configurations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Reconfiguring the virtual host and restoring authentication settings typically resolves the issue immediately.<\/p>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The IIS &#8220;Authorization Error&#8221; is a common issue in Plesk-hosted environments and is generally caused by authentication or security configuration problems. By enabling anonymous access, removing the corrupted <code dir=\"ltr\">.Security<\/code> file, synchronizing IIS user credentials, and rebuilding the virtual host configuration, administrators can quickly restore website accessibility.<\/p>\n<p>Following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide will help ensure stable IIS operation and minimize downtime for hosted websites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services) is a widely used web server for hosting websites on Windows servers. 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