So I have my lovely little DotNetKicks-based website up and running (its LOLKicks, by the way). Took me a week to get it working properly, primarily because of URL Rewriting.
What is URL Rewriting, you ask? TL;DR version: It makes ugly URLs like
http://foo.com/bar/default.aspx?user=123&fail=true
into nice looking URLs like
http://foo.com/user/123/fail
This is primarily used for search engine optimization, and to look all cool and stuff.
Anyhow, DotNetKicks makes extensive use of URL rewriting through a nice little project called UrlRewriting.NET. It generally works perfect, but apparently in my case it has a weakness…
My server is a virtual machine running the 64 bit version of Windows Server 2003. Now, as it comes, the server has pretty much everything you need to host an ASP.NET web site. However, it is preconfigured with some nonsense that requires IIS to run in 32bit compatability mode. Usually, that isn't an issue. Hell, it still might not be.
Because its a 64 bit box, it doesn't come with Frontpage 2002 Extensions installed. FPE help make modifying websites easier by providing extensions that programs like Visual Studio and Expression Web can use to directly modify files on the web server over the internet. That's a nice thing; something I would like to take advantage of, moreso now because I want to skin my DNK site.
It seems pretty obvious what you do at this point: You download the Frontpage 2002 Extensions and install them on the web server. The 32bit version won't install on a 64 bit machine, so you have to install the 64 bit version, even though IIS is running in 32bit compat mode. Fine.
Installing FPE is quick and easy and it appears to work. Great. Except for one problem… Once you install them on a web server, UrlRewriting.NET won't work. Not even if you uninstall FPE.
I've learned that UrlRewriting.NET won't work if you install FPE 64bit before you create your website, after you create your website, and if you uninstall FPE in some vain hope of fixing your broken website.
Currently, I have found no solution other than wiping the machine to fix the issue. I have a post about it over at the UrlRewriting.NET discussion group here. It kinda sucks because I'm going to end up having to wipe this server, most likely, in order to fix my error.
Update: Restoring IIS' configuration to a previous state did not fix the break. I'm going to have to wipe tomorrow. Not that I don't normally wipe, I'm just sayin'…