Microsoft KB Archive/246921

= HTTP 204 Response Returns Message-Body to Client =

Article ID: 246921

Article Last Modified on 11/21/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.0

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This article was previously published under Q246921



SYMPTOMS
When you browse an empty Active Server Pages (ASP) page, a message body is returned in addition to a 204 response.



CAUSE
This is by design. IIS usually returns "friendly" HTTP responses with error codes. However, in the case of a "204 No Content" error message, this is different from the HTTP/1.1 specification detailed in the Request For Comment (RFC) number 2616 as follows:

"The 204 response MUST NOT include a message-body, and thus is always terminated by the first empty line after the header fields."



WORKAROUND
When an empty page needs to be returned to client, use an empty text or HTML file (for example Empty.txt, Empty.htm, and so on).



MORE INFORMATION
For more information on this topic, please see section 10.2.5 of the HTTP/1.1 specification in RFC 2616 at the following URL:

http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616.html

Keywords: kbpending kbprb KB246921

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