How To: Restart Internet Information Services (IIS)

Symptom/Problem:
Internet Information Services (IIS) needs to be restarted

Environment:
Microsoft Windows

Resolution:
From the command-line

1. From the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and click [OK].
3. At the command prompt, type iisreset and press Enter

Using IIS manager

1. From the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and click OK.
3. At the command prompt, type inetmgr and press Enter
4. Click [+] computer name (Local Computer) to expand folder
5. Click [+] Web Sites to expand folder
6. Right click Default Web Site, click Stop
7. Right click Default Web Site, click Start

Root Cause:
IIS needs to be restarted before certain configuration changes take effect or when applications become unavailable. Restarting IIS is the same as first stopping IIS, and then starting it again.

Restarting or stopping IIS, or rebooting your Web server, is a severe action. When you restart the Internet service, all sessions connected to your Web server (including Internet, FTP, SMTP, and NNTP) are dropped. Any data held in Web applications is lost. All Internet sites are unavailable until Internet services are restarted.