Answer

PROBLEM

When opening the GFI Directory web site the following error is displayed: HTTP 403 Forbidden

ENVIRONMENT

• GFI Directory
• Microsoft Windows 2003
• Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 6

SOLUTION

To set up ASP.NET MVC on IIS6:

1. Go to Start > All programs > Administrative tools and open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager
2. Expand Local computer > Web Sites > Default Web Site and locate your virtual application. By default this is GFIDirectory
3. Right-click the website name and click Properties 
4. In the Virtual Directory tab, click Configuration
5. In the Wildcard application maps area, click Insert
6. In the Add/Edit Application Extension Mapping screen, click Browse and locate the aspnet_filter.dll usually located in the following path: C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\aspnet_filter.dll
7. Ensure the Verify that file exists checkbox is not selected
8. Click OK

CAUSE

ASP.NET MVC is not available. When GFI Directory is installed on Windows Server 2003, ASP.NET MVC needs to be set up on IIS 6.