The error message "Failed to enable ASP.NET web extensions. Installation will not continue" appears when you install Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange (SMSMSE).  The installer does not continue and SMSMSE is not installed.

There are various causes and solutions listed below.

Use one of the following solutions:

• In Windows Server 2008, enable IIS 6 Scripting Tools
• Ensure ASP.NET role services are enabled on Windows 2008
• Ensure ASP.Net 2.0 is allowed in Windows 2003
• Ensure iisext.vbs can be run

1. Open IIS Manager.
2. Expand the Exchange server.
3. Click the Web Service Extensions folder.
4. In the list on the right make sure that ASP.NET v2.0.50727 is set to Allowed.
5. If ASP.NET is not listed please contact Microsoft for assistance.

Ensure iisext.vbs can be run

• Make sure that the following Microsoft files are in the <Windows Dir>\system32\ folder:
   
  • iisext.vbs
  • iisschlp.wsc
  • cscript.exe

• • If the files are not in the system 32 folder, please contact Microsoft for further assistance.
•  Run this command to determine what extensions exist in IIS 6. 

<Windows Dir>\system32\cscript.exe <Windows Dir>\system32\iisext.vbs /ListExt

The response should be similar to this:

Connecting to server ...Done
HTTPODBC
SSINC
WEBDAV
ASP.NET v2.0.50727
MSExchangeClienetAccess
MSEXCHANGE
SMSMSE
BITSEXTS
ASP

The list does not need to match exactly the example above, but this command should return a list of some extensions.
The installer runs this command as a test to register the ASP.NET web extensions with IIS. If this script is not functioning
properly, this command reveals that issue. If an error is returned when attempting to run this command, please contact
Microsoft for further assistance troubleshooting why iisext.vbs is not functioning as expected.

• If the iisext.vbs command shows the following error message: 

Could not create an instance of the IIsScriptHelper object.
Please, check if the Microsoft.IIsScriptHelper is registered.

Perform the following to register the IIsScriptHelper:

1. Open a windows command prompt.
2. CD to directory <windows>\system32.
3. Run the following command: regsvr32 IisScHlp.wsc.

• On Windows 2008 R2, if the iisext.vbs command shows the following:

                     Connecting to server ...Done

                     ASP.NET v4.0.30319

          This means ASP.NET v4.0 is the only version installed. Please download and install ASP.NET v3.5 as well.

•  Check if permission denied to the IIS metabase:  During Installation the Following Error Message is Displayed: "Failed to enable ASP.NET web extensions" When Access to IIS MetaBase is Denied.

Ensure install of Mail Security for Exchange is being started from setup.exe.  Not from the .msi in the x86 or x64 folders.

Installing from setup.exe will detect the appropriate Operating System platform and install the correct version of Mail Security.

Additional Troubleshooting

The following command line is being executed when this error message appears in the installer:

<Windows Dir>\system32\iisext.vbs /enext "ASP.NET v2.0.50727"

Running this from the command line may show additional information as to the source of the trouble. 

If this command works it is necessary to obtain a Microsoft Process Monitor log to determine what is going on in the sub process.

Applies To