c# - The Web Application Project [...] is configured to use IIS. The Web server [...] could not be found.

Question

I have a web project in my solution file that is "unavailable" when I open the solution. When I right-click on the web project and reload the project, I get the following error:

The Web Application Project mycompany.myapp.mywebproject is configured to use IIS. The Web Server 'http://localhost/MyWebApp could not be found.

I have not manually set up virtual directories for this web application.

Per colleagues, Visual Studio should prompt me to create virtual directories but I am not getting prompted.

I installed VS2010 before installing IIS on my dev machine.

Here is my development machine setup:

• Windows 7 Enterprise
• Service Pack 1
• 64 bit OS
• Visual Studio 2010 Enterprise Service pack 1
• IIS version 7.5

Answer 1

Since the accepted answer requires IIS Manager, and IIS Express doesn't have IIS Manager or any UI, here's the solution for you IIS Express users (and should work for everyone else too):

When you open Visual Studio and get the error message, right-click the project Solution Explorer and choose "Edit {ProjectName}.csproj"

In the project file, change the following line:
<UseIIS>True</UseIIS>
to
<UseIIS>False</UseIIS>
Save the file.

Now reload your project.
Done.

You'll then be able to open your project. If at this point, you want to use IIS, simply go to your project properties, click the "Web" tab, and select the option to use IIS. There's the button there to "Create Virtual Directory". It may tell you that you need to run Visual Studio as an administrator to create that directory, so do that if needed.