Unable to Change Password Using the IIS 4.0 Change Password Feature

ID: Q184058

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to change your password through the Internet Information Server (IIS) change password feature, you may receive the following error in Internet Explorer:

The server returned and invalid or unrecognized response.


CAUSE

The Web site is configured to support password changing, but the IISADMPWD virtual directory does not exist on that Web site. When Internet Information Server is installed, the IISADMPWD virtual directory is only added to the default Web site.


RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, add a virtual directory named IISADMPWD to the Web site by performing the following steps:

  1. In the Internet Service Manager, click the Web site.


  2. From the Action menu, point to New and then click Virtual Directory.


  3. Type "IISADMPWD" (without the quotation marks) in the alias name box of the New Virtual Directory Wizard, and then click Next.


  4. Type the path to the Winnt\System32\Inetsrv\Iisadmpwd folder, and then click Next.


  5. Click to disable the Allow Script Access.


  6. Click to enable Allow Execute Access (Includes Script Access), and then click Finish.



STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Internet Information Server version 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.


MORE INFORMATION

Internet Information Server 4.0 includes the capability that allows a Windows NT user to change their password, receive notification when their password is to expire, and allow them to change the password. IIS installs this functionality in the IISADMPWD virtual directory of the default Web site. This feature is implemented as a set of .HTR files located in the %system%\System32\Inetsrv\Iisadmpwd directory and the ISAPI extension file Ism.dll.

For additional information about configuring Internet Information Server to support password changing, view the section Notifying Clients of Password Status section of the Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack Documentation. 


Keywords          : 
Version           : WINNT:4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: April 27, 1999