Step 1 - Install Internet Information Services (IIS7)
Before Sitefinity can be installed a web hosting environment (IIS6 or IIS7) needs setup. By default, IIS will not be installed. To install IIS, click the
Windows Orb –> Control Panel –>
Programs –>
Turn Windows features on and off.
1. Check
Internet Information Services 
2. Expand
Internet Information Services
3. Expand
Web Management Tools
4. Expand
IIS 6 Management Compatibility
5. Check
IIS Metabase and IIS 6 configuration compatibility.
6. Expand
World Wide Web Services
7. Expand
Application Development Features
8. Check
ASP.NET
9. Expand
Common HTTP Features
10. Check
Static Content
11. Expand
Security
12. Check
Windows Authentication 
Check, re-check and check again the options above. Most of these options are not selected by default and forgetting to select one of these options will result in errors.
When all the options have been selected, click the
OK button.
Step 2 – Configure Default Web Site & Classic .NET AppPool
The Sitefinity installer will create virtual directories under the Default Web Site. In addition, Sitefinity requires IIS6 features (features that were enabled in Step 1). The step below demonstrate how to configure IIS7 to use IIS6 compatibility.
1. Click the
Start Orb –>
Control Panel –>
System and Security –>
Administrative Tools
2. Click the
IIS Manager
3. Click
Application Pools
4. Click
Advanced Settings 
enlarge screenshot
5. Change the
Identity to
Network Service
6. Click the
OK button
7. Select the
Default Web Site
8. Click
Advanced Settings… 
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9. Change the
Application Pool to
Classic .NET AppPool 
10. Click the
OK button
All web applications created under this Default Web Site will inherit this application pool setting.
Step 3 - Install Microsoft SQL Server Express
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Step 4 – Install Sitefinity “As Administrator”
The Sitefinity installer creates virtual directories in IIS under the Default Web Site. This task requires Administrator privileges. The Sitefinity installer must be run as Administrator to be successful.
1.
Download the Sitefinity installer
2.
Right-click the downloaded exe file
3. Click
Run as Administrator 
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4. Continue through the Sitefinity Install Wizard
5.
Do Not check
Sitefinity Project Manager and click
Finish
Step 5 – Configure Sitefinity Application in IIS Manager
The Sitefinity installer creates two virtual directories in the Default Web Site in IIS. By default, these new virtual directories should have the correct permissions. However, it is often helpful to double-check the IIS settings.
1. Click the
Start Orb –>
Control Panel –>
System and Security –>
Administrative Tools
2. Click the
IIS Manager
3. Expand
Sites –>
Default Web Site –>
telerik –>
Sitefinity3.6
4. Click
Advanced Settings 
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5. Confirm that the
Application Pool is set to
Classic .NET AppPool
6. Click the
OK button.
7. Click the
Authentication icon.
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8. Ensure that
Anonymous Authentication is
Disabled
9. Ensure that
ASP.NET Impersonation is
Enabled
10. Ensure that
Windows Authentication is
Enabled 
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Step 6 – Open the Sitefinity Project Manager
The web-based Sitefinity Project Manager, just like Sitefinity’s installer, creates virtual directories in IIS. This task requires Administrator privileges. To make use of the Project Manager the web browser must be running as Administrator and IIS Impersonation must be enabled.
1. Right-click the IE browser icon and click
Run As Administrator… 
2. Visit:
http://localhost/telerik/Sitefinity[version] (Example: http://localhost/telerik/Sitefinity3.6)
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4. Click the
Create new project button
Note: You might be asked to authenticate yourself. If this is the case, you’ll need to enable your computer’s local Administrator account and authenticate using the Administrator account. (Click here for instructions.)
5. Type a name for the new project
enlarge screenshot 6. Continue through the Project Manager creation wizard 
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7. Close the web browser,
DO NOT click
Go to administer the project
Step 7 - Configure the New Web Site in IIS Manager
The Sitefinity Project Manager created a new web application in IIS. The steps below describe how to check the IIS options for this new web site.
1. Click the
Start Orb –>
Control Panel –>
System and Security –>
Administrative Tools
2. Click the
IIS Manager
3. Expand
Your Computer –>
Sites –>
Default Web Site –>
YourNewWebsite
4. Click
Advanced Settings 
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5. Confirm that the
Application Pool is set to
Classic .NET AppPool 
6. Click the
OK button
7. Click the
Authentication icon for the new web site
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8. Ensure that
Anonymous Authentication is
Enabled
9. Ensure that
Windows Authentication is
Disabled
10. Ensure that
Forms Authentication is
Enabled
11. Ensure that
Windows Authentication is
Disabled 
enlarge screenshot The settings above will ensure the IIS process will maintain the Identity that is set for the Classic .NET AppPool. It will not be possible for this IIS process to Impersonate another user.
Step 8 – Create SQL Express Database for Web Site
Sitefinity can use attached (~/App_Data) SQL Express database files. This technique works well while running web sites inside Visual Studio. However, when a web site is setup through Sitefinity’s Project Manager and IIS, it can be
challenging to setup the correct security environment to allow SqlExpress User Instances to be created.
The workaround to this problem is to manually create & configure a new SQL Express database.
1. Download and install
SQL Server Management Studio Express
2. Click the
Start Orb –>
All programs –>
Microsoft SQL Server 2005/2008
3. Click
SQL Server Management Studio Express
4. Connect using your local username
5. Expand your computer
6. Right-click
Databases
7. Click
New Database
8. Type a
Database name (I suggest using the same name used for Project Name) 
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9. Click the
OK button
In Step 2 the Identity for the Classic .NET AppPool’s Identify was set to Local System. By default, this account should already be setup in the Logins. 
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In addition, the
System account should already be granted the
sysadmin database role.
enlarge screenshot Because the Identity for the Classic .NET AppPool is Local System and Local System already has database privileges, no changes are needed.
Step 9 – Project Startup / Setup new Sitefinity Website
1. Click
IE to open a new web browser
2. Visit the new project’s URL: http://localhost/[projectname]
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3. Select
SQL Server 2005 / 2008
4. Check
Windows Authentication
5. Type
localhost\SQLEXPRESS for
Server
6. Type your
Database Name for
Database 
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7. Click the
Continue button.
8. Continue through the Sitefinity Project Startup wizard
When the installation is finished, you should be able to navigate to the main web site (example: http://localhost/TestWebsite).
Common Sitefinity Installation Errors
Below are some installation related errors I encountered while working through this topic. I also included the solutions I used to overcome these errors. The details can be found in the steps above.
Error creating virtual directory telerik. Exception details: Unknown error (0x80005000)
Error creating virtual directory telerik/Sitefinity3.6. Exception details: Unknown error (0x80005000)
1. The Sitefinity installer isn’t being run as Administrator.
2. IIS has not been installed.
3. The necessary IIS features have not been installed.
4. The Default Web Site in IIS has been removed or renamed.
HTTP Error 500.24 - Internal Server Error
An ASP.NET setting has been detected that does not apply in Integrated managed pipeline mode.
500 - Internal server error.
There is a problem with the resource you are looking for, and it cannot be displayed.
Change the web site’s application pool to Classic ASP.NET AppPool.
Access to the path 'C:\Program Files\telerik\Sitefinity3.6\ProjectManager\Templates\Community' is denied.
1. The web browser is not being run as Administrator.
2. Impersonation has not been enabled for the telerik\Sitefinity3.6 application in IIS.
There was an error trying to connect to the Database Server:
Failed to generate a user instance of SQL Server due to failure in retrieving the user's local application data path. Please make sure the user has a local user profile on the computer. The connection will be closed.
You’re trying to use SqlExpress for the database type, use the database instructions above.
There was an error trying to connect to the Database Server:
Cannot open database "TestWebsite" requested by the login. The login failed. Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\IUSR'.
The Identity for the Classic .NET AppPool has not been set to Local System. Alternately, you can grant database privileges to the user shown above (IUSR).
Never ending loop during Project Startup. After typing the database connection details you are returned to Step 1.
The new web site is not using the Classic ASP.NET AppPool for its Application Pool.
Failed to generate a user instance of SQL Server due to a failure in impersonating the client. The connection will be closed.
Windows Authentication has not been enabled for the web site.
There was an error trying to connect to the Database Server:
Cannot open database "TestWebsite" requested by the login. The login failed. Login failed for user 'IIS APPPOOL\Classic .NET AppPool'.
Change the Identity of Classic ASP.NET AppPool to Local System.
There was an error trying to connect to the Database Server:
Could not open new database 'C:\PROGRAM FILES\TELERIK\SITEFINITY3.6\WEBSITES\BUSINESSTEST3\APP_DATA\SITEFINITY.MDF'. CREATE DATABASE is aborted. An attempt to attach an auto-named database for file C:\Program Files\telerik\Sitefinity3.6\WebSites\BusinessTest3\App_Data\Sitefinity.mdf failed. A database with the same name exists, or specified file cannot be opened, or it is located on UNC share. File activation failure. The physical file name "C:\Program Files\telerik\Sitefinity3.6\WebSites\BusinessTest3\App_Data\Sitefinity_log.ldf" may be incorrect. The log cannot be rebuilt when the primary file is read-only
Instead of using the SqlExpress (attached files) option for the database type, use the method described above.
401 - Unauthorized: Access is denied due to invalid credentials.
You do not have permission to view this directory or page using the credentials that you supplied.
Ensure that Windows Authentication has been enabled in IIS and login as Administrator
The account, you have authenticated with, has no permissions to create virtual directories. Please make sure that windows authentication is enabled.
Ensure the web browser is running as Administrator.
Validation of viewstate MAC failed. If this application is hosted by a Web Farm or cluster, ensure that <machineKey> configuration specifies the same validationKey and validation algorithm. AutoGenerate cannot be used in a cluster.
The web server has been altered between page postbacks. Close the web browser, re-open and try again.
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