Microsoft KB Archive/298408

= IIS generates courtesy redirect when folder without trailing slash is requested =

Article ID: 298408

Article Last Modified on 12/3/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0
 * Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.0
 * Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.1
 * Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0

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This article was previously published under Q298408



SYMPTOMS
When a browser requests a URL such as http://www.servername.de/SubDir, the browser is redirected to http://www.servername.de/SubDir/. A trailing slash is included at the end of the URL.



CAUSE
Internet Information Server (IIS) first treats SubDir as a file that it should give back to the browser. If this file cannot be found, IIS checks to see if there is a directory with this name. If a directory with this name exists, a courtesy redirect with a 302 &quot;Object moved&quot; response message is returned to the browser. This message also contains the information about the new location of the directory with the trailing slash. In turn, the browser starts a new GET request to the URL with the trailing slash.

With this slash at the end of the URL, IIS treats this as a directory and tries to obtain either the default document from this directory or, if no default document exists, returns the directory listing or a &quot;Directory listing denied&quot; error message.



MORE INFORMATION
When a browser requests a virtual directory that does not contain a trailing slash, Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 returns an HTTP 301 &quot;Moved Permanently&quot; message. This behavior permits the client to append the trailing slash on later requests to the virtual directory.

Keywords: kbprb kbpending KB298408

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