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Windows 11 IIS Manager Fix - Missing Features After Update

  • Updated

Problem Description

After Windows 11 cumulative updates (particularly August 2025 updates like KB5064401/KB5064081), IIS Manager displays an empty or nearly empty interface showing only certain installed modules (like URL Rewrite) while missing all core IIS management features such as:

  • Sites
  • Application Pools
  • Authentication
  • Authorization Rules
  • Default Document
  • Directory Browsing
  • Error Pages
  • Handler Mappings
  • And other standard IIS features

Important: This is a UI-only issue. Your websites and IIS services continue to run normally - only the management interface is affected.

Root Cause 

The Windows update corrupted the administration.config file by failing to replace token placeholders with actual values. Specifically, %WINDOWS_PUBLIC_KEY_TOKEN% tokens were left unreplaced instead of being converted to the correct value 31bf3856ad364e35.

Solution 

Step 1: Create a Backup 

Before making any changes, create a backup of the configuration file: 

1. Navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config\ 

2. Copy administration.config to a safe location (e.g., Desktop)

Step 2: Edit the Configuration File 

1. Open Notepad as Administrator: 

  • Right-click on Notepad
  • Select "Run as administrator"

2. Open the configuration file:

  • In Notepad, go to File → Open
  • Navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config\administration.config
  • Click Open

3. Find and Replace the token: 

  • Press Ctrl + H to open Find and Replace dialog
  • Find what: %WINDOWS_PUBLIC_KEY_TOKEN%
  • Replace with: 31bf3856ad364e35
  • Click "Replace All"
  • You should see multiple replacements made

4. Save the file: 

  • Press Ctrl + S to save
  • Close Notepad

Step 3: Restart IIS Services 

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

  • Press Windows + X
  • Select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)"                                                        

2. Reset IIS: 

Alternative method - Restart services manually: 

  • Open Services ( services.msc )

  • Restart these services in order: 

    1. Windows Process Activation Service (WAS) 

    2. World Wide Web Publishing Service (W3SVC)

Step 4: Verify the Fix

1. Close IIS Manager completely (if it was open)

2. Reopen IIS Manager: 

  • Press Windows + R
  • Type inetmgr
  • Press Enter

3. Verify all features are visible: 

  • Sites node should be present
  • Application Pools should be visible
  • All IIS features should appear in the main panel

Alternative Solution 

If the primary solution doesn't work, try using a backup configuration: 

1. Check for backup configurations: 

  • Navigate to: C:\inetpub\history
  • Look for subdirectories like CFGHISTORY_0000000001, CFGHISTORY_0000000002, etc.

2. Find a working config: 

  • Open the administration.config files in these directories
  • Look for one that contains 31bf3856ad364e35 instead of %WINDOWS_PUBLIC_KEY_TOKEN% 

3. Copy the working config: 

  • Copy the working administration.config file
  • Replace the one in C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config\
  • Follow Step 3 above to restart IIS services

Prevention 

To avoid this issue in the future:

1. Pause Windows Updates temporarily if you need stable IIS management 

2. Create regular backups of your IIS configuration files

3. Test updates on non-production systems first

Troubleshooting

If the fix doesn't work:

1. Check Event Viewer for IIS-related errors: 

  • Open Event Viewer
  • Navigate to: Custom Views → Server Roles → Web Server (IIS)

2. Verify file permissions on the configuration file

3. Run System File Checker:

4. Check antivirus software - some security software may interfere with IIS installation

If you still see issues: 

  • Ensure you're running IIS Manager as Administrator
  • Verify all required IIS features are installed in "Turn Windows features on or off"
  • Consider uninstalling and reinstalling IIS as a last resort 

Additional Information 

  • File Location: C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config\administration.config
  • Affected Windows Versions: Windows 11 (particularly after August 2025 updates)
  • Token Value: 31bf3856ad364e35 (this is the correct Microsoft public key token)
  • Services: WAS (Windows Process Activation Service) and W3SVC (World Wide Web Publishing Service) 

 

Note: This is a known Microsoft issue with recent Windows 11 cumulative updates. The fix addresses the corrupted configuration file that prevents the IIS Management Console from displaying properly.

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