IIS hero

One of the first things Web Developers using ASP.NET will want to install on Windows is Internet Information Services (IIS). Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11 shipped with different versions of IIS. Let’s take a look at how to install them.

Note: Windows can run different versions of IIS. It’s the same exact process on all modern versions of Windows.

Installing IIS

Keeping with Microsoft’s modular design, IIS in Windows is still an optional “Windows Feature” on  modern versions of Windows.

To install it, press Windows+r, type appwiz.cpl into the run box, and then press Enter.

This will open the Program and Features part of Control Panel. Click on the “Turn Windows features on or off” link on the left-hand side.

Now click on the Internet Information Services check box.

Tick the box next to "Internet Information Services."

If you’re a developer you are going to want to expand it and explore the sub-components as well. By default, it installs all the components needed to host a website, but you are probably going to need some of the more developer-oriented components as well.

Install additional/specific things by expanding the menu.

After clicking OK, this dialog will appear on your screen for a while.

Wait for the installation to finish.

Restart your computer to finish the installation. Fire up your browser and navigate to localhost when it is done.

The IIS splashscreen shown when you connect to localhost if you're running IIS 8.

That’s all there is to it.

Profile Photo for Taylor Gibb Taylor Gibb
Taylor Gibb is a professional software developer with nearly a decade of experience. He served as Microsoft Regional Director in South Africa for two years and has received multiple Microsoft MVP (Most Valued Professional) awards. He currently works in R&D at Derivco International.
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Profile Photo for Nick Lewis Nick Lewis
Nick Lewis is a staff writer for How-To Geek. He has been using computers for 20 years --- tinkering with everything from the UI to the Windows registry to device firmware. Before How-To Geek, he used Python and C++ as a freelance programmer. In college, Nick made extensive use of Fortran while pursuing a physics degree.
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