Question

I have created a very simple ASP.NET application with a web.config file, which contains a connection string. The connection string is used to connect to a database and return one value (this works).

I am now trying to encrypt the connection string. I use the following command (taken from here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff647398.aspx):

C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\aspnet_regiis -pe "connectionStrings" -app "/Test".

The command prompt returns “succeeded”, but when I look at the web.config (in the Test folder), nothing has changed.

I have Visual Web Developer Express installed on my development PC. This is for testing purposes. Once I am confident with this tool (aspnet_regiis) I will be making a change to a live web app using Visual Studio Professional.

Is there something wrong with the command I am running? Are you not able to encrypt connection strings using Visual Web Developer Express?

Answer 1

Instead of using -pe, I suggest using -pef and specifying the path to the directory holding the web.config file – this avoid any ambiguity as to what IIS is pointing at.

ASPNET_REGIIS -pef "connectionStrings" "path to directory with web.config"