How to Restart IIS (Internet Information Services) on a Windows 2000 Web Server

Various circumstances may cause you to have to reset IIS on your server.

You can reset Internet Information Services (IIS) on a Web server running Microsoft Windows 2000 Server in two ways. You can either use Windows' graphical user interface (GUI) or enter the command manually using the Windows command line interface (CLI). You may need to reset IIS for various reasons, including resetting the service after a software update or as part of a sequence of troubleshooting steps.

Things You'll Need

• Administrator credentials for your server

Instructions

GUI Method

1. Log onto your Windows 2000 Server using an administrator user name and password. You can log on using the server console or via a Remote Desktop connection.

2. Click "Start," then "Control Panel."

3. Double-click the "Administrative Tools" icon, then double-click "Internet Information Services" to access the IIS snap-in.

4. Right-click your server name in the left-hand panel and click "Restart IIS."

5. Select "Restart Internet Services on server" from the drop-down menu. "Server" is replaced with the name of your own server on the list. Click "OK" and wait for the services to restart.

Command Line Method

1. Log onto your Windows 2000 Server using your administrative user account. You can log on using the server console or via an RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) connection.

2. Click "Start," then "Programs," followed by "MS-DOS Prompt" to access the command line interface.

3. Type the following into the command line window:

   IISRESET /RESTART

4. Press "Enter" and wait for the services to restart.

Tips & Warnings

• Resetting IIS while people are accessing sites hosted by your Web server will cause them to lose their connection. It is best to perform this procedure when nobody is accessing your server.

References

• Microsoft: New Restart Features