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How to Fix IIS Express Not Working in Visual Studio 2022 on Windows 11

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where IIS Express fails to run properly within Visual Studio 2022.

Product: Visual Studio 2022
Device & OS: Windows 11 (ARM via Parallels on macOS)
Scenario: Debugging or running a web project in Visual Studio 2022 on an ARM-based Windows 11 virtual machine.
Observed behavior: IIS Express generates permission and installation errors, likely caused by configuration files, folder access restrictions, or an architecture mismatch between the ARM OS and the x86/x64 application directories.

Before you start

Verify that your Windows 11 virtual machine on Parallels is fully updated and that you have administrator privileges for your active user profile.

Solution 1Recommended

Run Visual Studio 2022 as Administrator

Elevating Visual Studio permissions can resolve immediate access restrictions preventing IIS Express from reading or writing to configuration folders.

Often, IIS Express needs permission to bind to certain ports or modify the applicationhost.config file. Running the IDE with administrator rights ensures no baseline OS restrictions block these actions.

Locate Visual Studio

Click the Start menu on your Windows 11 virtual machine and search for Visual Studio 2022.

Run as Administrator

Right-click the Visual Studio 2022 icon and select 'Run as administrator' from the context menu.

Test the Application

Open your web project and press F5 to start debugging. Check if IIS Express successfully launches.

Permission Verified: If this solves the problem, ensure that your user account has full read and write access to the '%USERPROFILE%\Documents\IISExpress\config' directory for standard runs.

Solution 2

Verify IIS Express Architecture and Path

Check that Visual Studio is invoking the correct version of IIS Express compatible with your ARM-based Windows 11 installation.

Solution 3

Repair Visual Studio and IIS Express Components

Use the Visual Studio Installer to repair missing or corrupted IIS Express installation files.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does IIS Express fail on Windows 11 using Parallels?

Windows 11 on Parallels runs on an ARM architecture instead of traditional x86/x64. Visual Studio might struggle to locate the correct IIS Express executable across the multiple 'Program Files' directories created for architecture emulation, leading to startup errors.

Where is the IIS Express configuration file located?

The primary configuration folder for IIS Express is typically located in your Documents directory under '\IISExpress\config'. Project-specific settings are stored in the hidden '.vs\config\applicationhost.config' file inside your Visual Studio solution folder.

How do I switch IIS Express to 64-bit in Visual Studio 2022?

You can toggle the architecture by going to Tools > Options > Projects and Solutions > Web Projects, and checking the box that says 'Use the 64-bit version of IIS Express for web sites and projects'.

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