404 - File or directory not found

[CCSupport Profile]

Hello all,

Please excuse my newbie status, I am trying to understand what the issue is.

I have a Win2008R2 x64 server with IIS7.5. I have a client that requires the use of .htaccess and was recommended Helicon Ape as the solution. However it doesn't really do anything after installing it!

I will explain what I mean, I have completed the Trial Installation of 'Helicon_Ape_0076.msi'. This was simple and I can see the module within IIS. I also use WebsitePanel so I have ticked the '.htaccess (Helicon Ape)' box within the Hosting Plan.

So, all the above I would guess would allow the client to use their exisitng .htaccess file which works fine on a Linux server (using Apache). However when trying to access a non existant url link it should direct to a different one however it comes up with a 404 error.

Is there anything else the Web Developer needs to do or take into account with his exisitng .htaccess file? Or do I need to make any changes over the ones already stated?

Here is the contents for the .htaccess file:

Code: Select all

Options +FollowSymlinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^xxxx\.com$ [NC]
#RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^(.*) http://www\.xxxx\.com/$1 [R=301,L]

###### new re-write rules for new site

RewriteRule ^about$ /about/ [L]
RewriteRule ^about/$ /about/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^(about)/([a-z-]+)$ /about/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^property$ /property/ [L]
RewriteRule ^property/$ /property/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^property/([0-9]+)$ /property/index.php?np=$1 [L]
RewriteRule ^property-details/([0-9]+)-([0-9]+)$ /property/property-details.php?s=$1&np=$2 [L]
RewriteRule ^property-details/([0-9]+)-([0-9]+)-([0-9]+)$ /property/property-details.php?s=$1&np=$2&t=$3 [L]
RewriteRule ^(property)/([a-z-]+)$ /property/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^property-search$ /property-search/ [L]
RewriteRule ^property-search/$ /property-search/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^property-search/([0-9]+)$ /property-search/index.php?np=$1 [L]
RewriteRule ^property-search/([0-9]+)-([a-zA-Z0-9]+)-([0-9]+)-([0-9]+)-([0-9]+)-([a-zA-Z0-9\/]+)-([a-zA-Z0-9\/]+)$ /property-search/index.php?np=$1&towns=$2&propprice=$3&bedrooms=$4&sleeps=$5&dateFrm=$6&dateTo=$7 [L]
RewriteRule ^(property-search)/([a-z-]+)$ /property-search/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^the-xxxx$ /the-xxxx/ [L]
RewriteRule ^the-xxxx/$ /the-xxxx/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^(the-xxxx)/([a-z-]+)$ /the-xxxx/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^getting-here$ /getting-here/ [L]
RewriteRule ^getting-here/$ /getting-here/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^(getting-here)/([a-z-]+)$ /getting-here/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^landlords$ /landlords/ [L]
RewriteRule ^landlords/$ /landlords/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^(landlords)/([a-z-]+)$ /landlords/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^faqs$ /faqs/ [L]
RewriteRule ^faqs/$ /faqs/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^(faqs)/([a-z-]+)$ /faqs/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^downloads$ /downloads/ [L]
RewriteRule ^downloads/$ /downloads/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^(downloads)/([a-z-]+)$ /downloads/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^news$ /news/ [L]
RewriteRule ^news/$ /news/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^news/([0-9]+)$ /news/index.php?np=$1 [L]
RewriteRule ^news-story/([0-9]+)-([0-9]+)$ /news/news-story.php?s=$1&np=$2 [L]
RewriteRule ^(news)/([a-z-]+)$ /news/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^contact-xxxx$ /contact-xxxx/ [L]
RewriteRule ^contact-xxxx/$ /contact-xxxx/index.php [L]
RewriteRule ^(contact-xxxx)/([a-z-]+)$ /contact-xxxx/subpage.php?s=$1&p=$2 [L]

RewriteRule ^enquiry$ /enquiry/ [L]
RewriteRule ^enquiry/$ /enquiry/index.php [L]

RewriteRule ^thanks$ /thanks/ [L]
RewriteRule ^thanks/$ /contact-emizon/thanks.php [L]

RewriteRule ^sitemap$ /sitemap/ [L]
RewriteRule ^sitemap/$ /sitemap/index.php [L]

Any help or guidance would be very much appreciated!!

[HeliconAndrew]

Hello,

From this point of view all you need to do is to uncomment "RewriteBase /"

I f this won't do the trick, try to enable logging in httdp.conf and see the error.log and rewrite.log for the testing request.

Regards
Andrew

[CCSupport Profile]

Thanks Andrew.

I have uncommented the line mentioned, however this has not made a difference.

Could you let me know how to complete the other two log tasks? Is there a 'paid for' service that could look into this for me?

Many thanks

Graham

[HeliconAndrew]

There's a Premium Support Plan described here

To enable logging you'll find the following lines;

Code: Select all

#RewriteLog rewrite.log
#RewriteLogLevel 9

After you uncomment them and run a testing request, you'll find the logs in helicon installation folder.

Regards
Andrew

[CCSupport Profile]

Thanks Andrew.

This is very weird, I have uncommented the lines you mentioned, however after running a test the log (rewrite.log) is empty.

Any suggestions?

I would like to use the premium support, however I don't really want to pay to get it working if it says it should work

Any help would be great,

Thank you

[CCSupport Profile]

Also, just to note, I have checked the web.config file under the hosting for the site and it doesn't mention Helicon at all....is that right? The 'example_web,config' is nothing like the one created by IIS/WSP.

[HeliconAndrew]

Since it's a websitePanel, please, check if .NET is active for your hosting plan.

Regards
Andrew

[HeliconAndrew]

Please, take a look at your web-site's modules in IIS manager. Is there Ape?

If nothing helped, try to look at FailedRequest tool for a testing request.

Regards
Andrew

[CCSupport Profile]

Just an update - I stupidly thought I have enabled the .htaccess file within WSP, however it turns out it needs to be done within the 'Website' page too. So, after enabling it I now see errors in the log and also an error when I try to run the test.

The browser error is:

Code: Select all

This web page has a redirect loop
The web page at http://www.xxxx.com/about/test has resulted in too many redirects. Clearing your cookies for this site or allowing third-party cookies may fix the problem. If not, it is possibly a server configuration issue and not a problem with your computer.
Here are some suggestions:
Reload this web page later.
Learn more about this problem.
Error 310 (net::ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS): There were too many redirects.

The log file shows:

Code: Select all

78.147.186.xx 78.147.186.xx  [11/Oct/2012:15:10:51] [www.xxxx.com/sid#9][rid#8998912/initial] (1) [perdir c:\hostingspaces\xxxx\xxxx.com\wwwroot\] init rewrite engine with /about/test
78.147.186.xx 78.147.186.xx  [11/Oct/2012:15:10:51] [www.xxxx.com/sid#9][rid#8998912/initial] (5) [perdir c:\hostingspaces\xxxx\xxxx.com\wwwroot\] strip matching prefix: /about/test -> about/test
78.147.186.xx 78.147.186.xx  [11/Oct/2012:15:10:51] [www.xxxx.com/sid#9][rid#8998912/initial] (3) [perdir c:\hostingspaces\xxxx\xxxx.com\wwwroot\] applying pattern ^(.*) to uri about/test
78.147.186.xx 78.147.186.xx  [11/Oct/2012:15:10:51] [www.wightislandescapes.com/sid#9][rid#8998912/initial] (4) [perdir c:\hostingspaces\xxxx\xxxx.com\wwwroot\] RewriteCond: input='www.xxxx.com' pattern='!^xxxx\.com$' => matched
78.147.186.xx 78.147.186.xx  [11/Oct/2012:15:10:51] [www.xxxx.com/sid#9][rid#8998912/initial] (2) [perdir c:\hostingspaces\xxxx\xxxx.com\wwwroot\] escaping http://www.xxxx.com/about/test
78.147.186.xx 78.147.186.xx  [11/Oct/2012:15:10:51] [www.xxxx.com/sid#9][rid#8998912/initial] (2) [perdir c:\hostingspaces\xxxx\xxxx.com\wwwroot\] forcing responsecode 301 for http://www.xxxx.com/about/test

Any ideas? Getting closer but not close enough!

[CCSupport Profile]

Also, in WebsitePanel, after enabling Helicon Ape under the Website page, it also shows you can add users and groups, is that needed? Mine are empty.

[HeliconAndrew]

This is the looping rule:

Code: Select all

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^xxxx\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*) http://www\.xxxx\.com/$1 [R=301,L]


try to comment it.

[CCSupport Profile]

Thanks Andrew.

I have commented it out. It now doesn't loop but shows the following error:

WebsitePanel IIS Modules Error

AuthName directive not found.

File: C:\HostingSpaces\xxx\xxx.com\wwwroot\.htaccess

Is that to do with the user/group I emtioned within WSP? If so, any ideas how to fix?

[HeliconAndrew]

There's a module in WebsitePanel called SecuredFolder, it sees the .htaccess and ties to protect it.

You either need to disable that module or specify different type of name for. htaccess files.

Regards
Andrew

[CCSupport Profile]

Thanks Andrew.

Do you know how to disable that folder/module?

[HeliconAndrew]

Never done it before, but our customers did. sorry

[CCSupport Profile]

OK, thank you. I will try the WebsitePanel Forum.

Many thanks for your help.

[CCSupport Profile]

I have just carried out some further research and in August Yaroslav Govorunov who is a Helicon Tech said that Helicon was working on a fix for this issue, see below:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-GB/wspsupport/thread/a193f677-79c6-435b-a511-f4abc824f8a0.

So, I wonder if this has been fixed?! If not, seems I will not be paying the $199 for each of the servers!

[Yaroslav]

1. We've been definitely fixing this issue. We need to check source code again. What exact version of WSP you are running?

2. Yes, in WSP after enabling some feature in the hosting plan, you then need to actually activate feature in the user's control panel - this is by design for all features.

3. Helicon Ape module references, as well as all other site-specific settings are written to the applicationHost.config in the corresponding web site sections. This is how WSP works with configurations.

4. A control to add users/groups is only for user convenience. Helicon Ape is much more than just an access control tool and you can use full .htaccess support with nearly all standard Apache modules. So empty users/groups list is normal and only indicates that you currently don't restrict access to this location.

[CCSupport Profile]

Thanks for the reply.

I have managed to get it working by deleting the SecureModuleFolders reference for the site in question. Not ideal but it now works.

I am using WSP 1.2.1. The latest production distribution.

[Yaroslav]

Now I have a confirmation that this fix was not merged into WSP 1.2.1, only into 1.2.2 which is now 2.0 beta. We can probably prepare a custom build of WSP 1.2.1 for you with the fix, or if you plan to upgrade for 2.0 in future this may be better just to wait for 2.0 to be released out of beta.