Visual Studio 7 Debugger Problems

a.k.a. Error while trying to run project: Unable to start debugging on the web server

If you've found this page, it's likely that you're feeling very frustrated right now. So first of all take a deep breath. Now try this:

In your ASP.NET project directory, check your .webinfo file. If your project URL consists of an IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.1/....) this will not work. You must use a NetBios name (e.g. Server1 or DevBox.au.global.ad). Microsoft say you can add the IP address of the server to the Trusted Sites collection in your Internet Options but I could not get this to work.

If this does not work, then the next things to check are:

1. Does your project's website in IIS have the DEBUG verb mapped with .aspx files? The Security Lockdown tool can disable this.
2. Do you know the user making the debug request on the server? Enable IIS logging, try debugging again, and check the logs for the user making the web request. You will also need to check that your website has Integrated Windows authentication enabled.
3. Is the user making the request a member of Debugger Users, VS Developers, and IIS_WPG groups? It doesn't hurt to add the user to the Administrators group too, except this presents a security hole - so proceed with caution and thought if you do this.
4. Have you tried disabling all firewalls and virus scanners on your dev machine and your dev server?
5. Are the VS.NET Remote Components installed properly? On the server uninstall VS.NET and reinstall the Remote Components only.

If you still have a problem, here is a collection of links that should cover pretty much everything you need to solve this problem. Thanks to all these page maintainers. Big thanks!

• http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/h35f56yz(VS.80).aspx
• ms-help://MS.VSCC.2003/MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033/vsintro7/html/vxurfProjectFolderNotSecureDialogBox.htm (MSDN)
  
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vsdebug/html/vctskinstallingremotedebugmonitor.asp
• http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;817265
  
• http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?id=kb;en-us;Q306005
• http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/f/8/ff8c8040-d1a7-4402-90df-5d1aaa7d37af/dotNETDevSvrDEVELOPER2003.doc
  
• http://blogs.msdn.com/mkpark/articles/86872.aspx
  <-- excellent site
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833977 (DCOM - unlikely to help)
• http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.vsnet.debugging
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/317290
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833977
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318041/EN-US/

Best of luck!