"The folder is no longer available" - it's got to be a VS.NET 2003 bug

[Stan]

When I create a Web project and then try to add the files to it (Add
Existing Item), I get
this error message

"The folder http://localhost/FinWeb is no longer availabe"

In fact the folder and the virtual directory FinWeb both exist and project
compiles just fine, but I cannot add the existing files to it.

If I create a project with a different name (FinWeb2) it works fine.

I deleted FinWeb manually, restarted IIS and VS.NET but still cannot get the
issue resolved..

Is there a way to fix it or I should live with FinWeb2?

Thanks,

-Stan

 

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi Stan,

From your description, you found that you can't add exising files into a
certain web project and recieved the following error:

"The folder http://localhost/FinWeb is no longer availabe"

if try adding a file , yes?

When does the problem occur on this web project(FinWeb) ? Have you done any
particular changes on it which may cause the problem?
Also, is it ok to add a new item ( page or source file) into the project?

Generally, the problem is likely due to the Virutal Folder in the IIS is
corrupted. Since the VS.NET will use Frontpage server extension or File
Shared to create a virutal folder in IIS, if something of those setting is
corrupted, we may get error when do file manipulating on the folder. In
addition to using a new created Folder(Project) , I think you can still try
removeing the corrupted folder from IIS (be sure to remove clearly) and
create it again, if still has problem I'm afriad we have to use a new
Virutal Dir instead.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Support

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[Stan]

Steven,

thanks for the reply.

I know that "something of those setting is corrupted". Yes, I tried to
removed the virtual directory from IIS completly and it did not help.

I need to know how to fix it.

-Stan

 

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi Stan,

Then can you open the virutal folder by IE's file-->open ( select open as
web folder) through its web url path?
Also, have you met any problem when close the project and reopen it via
vs.net?
As how to fix the folder , since it is likely due to the FrontPage Server
Extension is corrupted in this folder, it may be hard to repair. One simple
means is to rename the corrupted virtual dir and create a new one as the
name and move the original web project's items into the new one.
Thanks.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Support

Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
(This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no
rights.)

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[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi Stan,

Have you got any further ideas on this issue? If there're anything else we
can help, please feel free to post here. Thanks.

Regards,

Steven Cheng
Microsoft Online Support

Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security
(This posting is provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confers no
rights.)

Get Preview at ASP.NET whidbey
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[demon420]

I had the same problem. After reading this post I began exploring the
IIS virtual directory and found the following.

By right clicking on the virtual directory and looking under "all
tasks" i found an option for "check server extentions". Selecting this
option ran a quick check which reported to me that the _vti_bin folder
was not executable. It then fixed the problem on its own and reported
that all was well. Upon re-opening my .net project I was then able to
successfully "add existing item" without receiving any errors.

Good luck, hope this works for you.