AJS 3.x Manual

Note! This Manual is for the "Forms authentication" version. This version requires you to create each account and store credentials in the HTTP Commander XML database. If you have Windows server or Active Directory accounts already and want to use them in the HTTP Commander, you need to download the "Windows authentication" version! This Manual is for the Forms authentication version only!

Web file manager Free Installation assistance

Configure anonymous access to AnonymousDownload.ashx

These instructions apply to the following AuthMode: Windows, Forms with Windows users.

• For IIS 7, 7.5, 8 and 8.5 (Windows 2008, 2012):
  • Open the IIS console: Control panel-> Administrative tools-> Internet Information Services
  • Expand "Web Sites", "Default web site", "HTCOMNET".

  • Right-click the "HTCOMNET" virtual folder and select "Switch to content view" in the context menu. In the list of files in the middle panel, select the "AnonymousDownload.ashx" file and click the "Switch to features view" option. Now you may change settings pertaining to the "AnonymousDownload.ashx" file. Click the "Authentication" feature on the central pane.

    • Enable "Anonymous Authentication" and "ASP.NET Impersonation". Disable other items if possible. (In Forms with Windows users authentication mode Forms Authentication items cannot be disabled.)
      Screenshot

       

    • Now you need to configure how the identity under "AnonymousDownload.ashx" will work. Choose method A (Easy) or Method B (For Advanced administrators. Recommended):
      Method A (Easy):
      • Select "Anonymous authentication" and click the "Edit..." link on the action pane. In the new dialog box click the "Set" button and type the name of the user who will have read and write NTFS permissions to all the files you want to provide access to. It can be a domain administrator or a special user.
        Screenshot

         

      or Method B (For Advanced admins):
      • Select "ASP.NET Impersonation" and click the "Edit..." link on the action panel.
      • In the "Edit ASP.NET Impersonation Settings" dialog box, select the "Specific user" check box, click the "Set" button and type the name of the user who will have read and write NTFS permissions to all the files you want to provide access to. Use the full user name with domain to avoid ambiguity: domain\user. It can be a domain administrator or a special user. Click OK to close the "Set Credentials" dialog, click "OK" to close the "Edit ASP.NET Impersonation Settings" dialog.
        Screenshot

           

      • IIS Manager stores the supplied settings in the Web.config file in the Handlers directory. You may inspect this file with a text editor. IIS Manager writes the user name and password in clear text in the configuration file. Although IIS will not transmit .config files in response to a user agent request, .config files can be read by other means. For security reasons we recommend to encrypt the configuration file as described below. You may skip the rest of this configuration guide if you think that is not a problem.

      • Execute the following command as Administrator:

        %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\version\aspnet_regiis -pe "system.web/identity" -app "/htcomnet/Handlers" -location "AnonymousDownload.ashx".

        Replace %windir% and version with actual values. You may need to change the value of the -app parameter if your web application name is not "htcomnet". Output of the command should look as follows.

        Microsoft (R) ASP.NET RegIIS version 4.0.30319.17626
        Administration utility to install and uninstall ASP.NET on the local machine.
        Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
        Decrypting configuration section...
        Succeeded!
        

      • Inspect the web.config file to ensure the content was encrypted.
      • If you later decide to change the credentials of the anonymous user, you need to decrypt the configuration file first. IIS Manager does not work with encrypted sections. Apply the same command you used for encryption with -pe parameter replaced with -pd. Encrypt file after applying the changes.
• For IIS 6 (Windows 2003):
  • Open the IIS console: Control panel->Administrative tools-> Internet Information Services->Expand "Web Sites", "Default web site", "HTCOMNET" and then the Handlers folder.
  • In the right panel, right-click the "AnonymousDownload.ashx" file and select "Properties" in the context menu.
    In the AnonymousDownload.ashx properties dialog box, open the "Directory Security" tab, click the "Edit.." button.
    1. Check the "Enable anonymous access" option and uncheck the "Basic authentication" and "Windows Integrated" options.
    2. In the anonymous access area you have a default anonymous user. Insert a user who will have read and write NTFS permissions to all the files you want to provide access to. It can be a domain administrator or a custom user.
    Screenshot