Error when you use Server.Transfer or Server.Execute in ASP.NET pages: Executing Child Request

This article helps you resolve the problem that an error (executing child request) occurs when you transfer control from an ASP.NET page to an Active Server Pages (ASP) page in Internet Information Services (IIS).

Original product version:   ASP.NET
Original KB number:   320439

Symptoms

When you try to use the Server.Transfer or the Server.Execute method in your ASP.NET page to transfer control from an ASP.NET page to an ASP page, you might receive the following error message:

Error executing child request for PageName.asp.

The PageName.asp in the error message is the name of your ASP page.

Cause

IIS dispatches the Server.Transfer or the Server.Execute request to the appropriate Internet Server Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) extension based on the extension of the requesting file. For example, a request for an .aspx page is dispatched to the Aspnet_isapi.dll ISAPI extension.

After the request is dispatched to appropriate ISAPI extension, the ISAPI extension cannot call another ISAPI extension. You receive the error message that is listed in the Symptoms section because the Aspnet_isapi.dll file, which handles requests to ASP.NET pages, cannot forward the request to the Asp.dll file, which handles requests to ASP pages.

Resolution

To resolve this problem, use the Response.Redirect method to redirect the request from an ASP.NET page to an ASP page.

Status

This behavior is by design.