HowTos:Installing MDriven Server on Windows

Installing MDriven Server on Windows

This page was created by Wikiadmin on 2026-07-29. Last edited by Wikiadmin on 2026-07-29.

You can install MDriven Server, and optionally host it together with MDriven Turnkey, on a Windows IIS server by preparing IIS, deploying the downloaded packages, configuring HTTPS, and completing the first-run administration setup.

Before you start

Use this guide for an IIS-based Windows installation. You need:

A Windows computer or Windows Server with administrative access.
IIS (Internet Information Services).
The current Windows packages for MDriven Server and, when required, MDriven Turnkey, downloaded from MDriven Downloads.
An HTTPS certificate whose name matches the hostname you will use to access the server.

This page covers both the older .NET Framework-based application and the Core application. Choose the application-pool configuration that matches the package you deploy. For the current Core IIS deployment workflow, including the required ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle and CommandLineOverride.xml, follow Documentation:Deploying MDriven Server & Turnkey Core on IIS.

For Windows 7 Enterprise, use HowTos:Install MDriven Server on Windows 7 Enterprise. For Azure App Service, use HowTos:Install MDriven Server and Turnkey on Microsoft Azure.

Plan the IIS application structure

You can host MDriven Turnkey at a site root or below a named IIS application. When MDriven Server and Turnkey share a site, MDriven Server must be the child application named __MDrivenServer (two underscore characters).

What you host	IIS structure	Example MDriven Server URL
MDriven Server only	An IIS site or application for MDriven Server	`https://server.example/__MDrivenServer/` when installed under that application path
Turnkey and MDriven Server under a named application	`MyTurnkeyApp` for Turnkey, with `__MDrivenServer` below it	`https://server.example/MyTurnkeyApp/__MDrivenServer/`
Turnkey at the IIS site root and MDriven Server below it	Site root for Turnkey, with child application `__MDrivenServer`	`https://server.example/__MDrivenServer/`

For example, if users open Turnkey at https://server.example/MyTurnkeyApp/, create MDriven Server as MyTurnkeyApp/__MDrivenServer. Do not rename __MDrivenServer in this shared-site layout.

1. Install IIS and required features

Install IIS.
- On Windows 8 or Windows 10, open Control Panel → Programs and Features → Turn Windows features on or off, then enable Internet Information Services.
- On Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2016, add the Web Server (IIS) role.
Select the IIS and .NET features required by the application type you are deploying.

Legacy .NET Framework application requirements

For the older .NET Framework-based MDriven Server application, install ASP.NET 4.5 or later and its related IIS components. The legacy installation guidance identifies ASP.NET 4.7 or later as the dependency for ISAPI; ISAPI itself can be omitted when it is not needed.

If you use WCF (Windows Communication Foundation) services, enable these .NET Framework features:

WCF Services → HTTP Activation
WCF Services → TCP Port Sharing

Web API does not use these WCF features. Without HTTP Activation, the server can show Error 405 – Method Not Allowed instead of the MDriven login screen.

On Windows 10, also confirm that World Wide Web Services → Common HTTP Features → Static Content is enabled.

Core application requirements

For MDriven Server Core or Turnkey Core, install the ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle before deploying the application. Create an application pool using No Managed Code. Continue with the Core-specific deployment and configuration instructions in Documentation:Deploying MDriven Server & Turnkey Core on IIS.

Recommended IIS features

Consider enabling the following IIS features when they match your operational or authentication requirements:

Logging Tools
Request Monitor
Tracing
Dynamic Content Compression
Application Initialization
Management Service
IIS Management Scripts and Tools
An authentication service, such as Basic Authentication or Windows Authentication

If you plan to use Windows Authentication rather than the default username/password authentication, enable Windows Authentication and then configure the server as described in HowTos:MDrivenServer with Windows authentication.

2. Install Web Deploy

Web Deploy provides the IIS Import Application action used to import the downloaded deployment ZIP packages.

Download and install Microsoft Web Deploy.
During setup, use a custom installation, or later use Add programs → Change installation.
Confirm that IIS Deployment Handler is installed.

If IIS Deployment Handler is not available as an installation option, enable the IIS feature it depends on, then run a Web Deploy repair. After repair, verify that IIS Manager offers the Import Application action.

3. Create and configure the application pool

Open IIS Manager.
Select Application Pools and choose Add Application Pool.
Give the pool a descriptive name, such as MDrivenServerAppPool.
Configure the pool according to the application type:

Application type	.NET CLR version	Pipeline mode
Legacy .NET Framework MDriven Server	.NET CLR Version v4.0	Integrated
MDriven Server Core	No Managed Code	Use the Core IIS guidance in Documentation:Deploying MDriven Server & Turnkey Core on IIS

Select the new pool and choose Advanced Settings.
Set these values for the legacy application pool:
- Start Mode: AlwaysRunning
- Identity: choose the account appropriate for your environment.
- Limit interval: 1
- Disable Overlapped Recycle: 1

When hosting more than one site, review the pool's memory settings and apply the memory optimization appropriate to the sites you host.

Grant application-pool file access

The application accesses the file system as its application-pool identity. Grant that identity access to:

The application directory, so the application can distribute CodeDress assemblies.
The account's %temp% directory, used to extract AssetsTK and CodeDress assemblies from the .modlr file.
The application's Logg subdirectory, with Write and Modify permissions (full control as stated by the legacy installation guidance).

For example, if the application pool runs as a dedicated service account, grant that account these permissions rather than relying on your interactive administrator account.

4. Configure HTTPS

MDriven Server must be accessed with the hostname represented by its certificate. A hostname mismatch causes a certificate error and prevents the server from communicating internally; do not ignore that error.

In IIS Manager, select the server node.
Open Server Certificates.
Create or import a certificate. For a self-signed certificate, create it using the server machine name.
Note the name in the certificate's Issued to field. This is the hostname you must use in browser URLs.
Select the IIS site that will host the application.
Choose Bindings and add an https binding on port 443.
Select the certificate.

For example, if the certificate is issued to server.example, open https://server.example/..., not https://localhost/....

5. Create the IIS applications and deploy the packages

In IIS Manager, create the site or application layout planned earlier.
Assign the application pool you created.
If you host Turnkey and MDriven Server together, create the Turnkey application first, then create its child application named __MDrivenServer.
Download the MDriven Server and MDriven Turnkey ZIP packages from MDriven Downloads.
Select each target IIS application and use the Web Deploy import action to import the corresponding ZIP package. The deployment ZIP can be imported directly.

When upgrading, the installer does not overwrite the existing database. The normal framework-upgrade choice is to overwrite existing files without removing existing files.

If you created the IIS application structure before importing, leave the import dialog's application path field empty. This preserves the required folder and application structure.

6. Complete the first MDriven Server setup

Browse to MDriven Server using the certificate hostname and the application path. For a combined installation at the site root, use:

https://<certificate-hostname>/__MDrivenServer/

Register the initial MDriven Server user, for example admin. Do not use a for this initial account.
Sign in and open Admin area → Infos, errors and MDrivenServer evolve.
Select Evolve Admin database.

MDriven Turnkey uses an account named a. To configure that account:

Return to AutoForm.
Select databaseIdentity for the admin user.
Open ASP_User and select Show to view MDriven Server users.
Locate the user a. Select Details if you need to change its user name.
Log out, then register the a user with a password you choose.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
403 error when starting MDriven Server	Confirm that ASP.NET 4.7 or later is installed for the legacy .NET Framework deployment.
405 – Method Not Allowed instead of the login screen	For a WCF deployment, enable .NET Framework WCF Services → HTTP Activation.
Browser certificate error or server communication failure	Use the certificate's Issued to hostname in the URL, and confirm the IIS HTTPS binding uses that certificate.
Web Deploy cannot import an application	Confirm Web Deploy and IIS Deployment Handler are installed. Enable its required IIS feature and repair Web Deploy if the handler option is missing.
Application cannot write logs or extract assemblies	Verify permissions for the application-pool identity on the application directory, `%temp%`, and the `Logg` directory.

After installation, use HowTos:Configure and Maintain MDriven Server for ongoing configuration and maintenance. For the MDriven Server documentation index, see Documentation:Server.

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