DOCUMENT:Q247376 25-DEC-1999 [iis] TITLE :WWW and FTP Virtual Directories Are Not Displayed in Directory PRODUCT :Internet Information Server PROD/VER:winnt:2.0,3.0,4.0,5.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Internet Information Server versions 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 - Microsoft Internet Information Services version 5.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When you use Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), no virtual directories are displayed when browsing a WWW folder with directory browsing enabled or displaying directory contents on an FTP site. CAUSE ===== This behavior is by design. Physical directories appear in directory listings, and virtual directories do not. IIS "hides" virtual directories. This is true for both WWW and FTP sites. Hiding virtual directories has tremendous security advantages because users are required to know the virtual path that they want to access. WORKAROUND ========== To display a WWW or FTP virtual directory in a folder, create an empty physical directory of the same name. When a request is made to the directory, the virtual directory is returned, instead of the physical directory. MORE INFORMATION ================ If you create an FTP virtual directory of the same name as a user's name on a server, when the user logs on through an FTP client, the user is automatically redirected to the virtual directory, based on their user name. Needless to say, if you have multiple users on a server, each with their own virtual directory, it can be quite advantageous to not display the virtual directories, because it also compromises user names on the server. Additional query words: ====================================================================== Keywords : Technology : kbiisSearch kbiis500 kbiis400 kbiis300 kbiis200 Version : winnt:2.0,3.0,4.0,5.0 Issue type : kbprb Solution Type : kbpending ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.