Plesk and websites are not accessible: ?C:Windowssystem32inetsrvconfigapplicationHost.config Error:

Symptoms

• Plesk and websites are not accessible and no services are listening on the necessary ports.

• When opening the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager on the server, the following error is shown:

  Filename:
  ?C:Windowssystem32inetsrvconfigapplicationHosts.config
  Error:

Cause

IIS is not operating due to the corruption of the C:WindowsSystem32inetsrvConfigapplicationHost.config file.

Resolution

1. Connect to the server via RDP.

2. Rename the file C:WindowsSystem32inetsrvConfigapplicationHost.config.

3. Copy the latest backup of the applicationHost.config file from the directory C:inetpubhistoryCFGHISTORY_XXXXXXXXXX to C:WindowsSystem32inetsrvConfig directory.

   Note: Windows saves a backup history of the IIS configuration files in the C:inetpubhistory folder. If restoration of the latest backup of the applicationHost.config file does not help to solve the issue, restore the older one.