Article ID: 940248 - Last Review: January 7, 2009 - Revision: 3.0

Error message when a user accesses a SharePoint Web site that is published in ISA Server 2006 or in Windows Essential Business Server 2008: "HTTP 401 Unauthorized"

Expand all | Collapse all

SYMPTOMS

When a user accesses a SharePoint Web site that is published in Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006, ISA Server 2006 SP1 or in Windows Essential Business Server 2008, the user may receive one of the following error messages:

Error message 1
HTTP 401 Unauthorized
Error message 2
HTTP 500 The server denied the specified Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Contact the server administrator.
This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:
  • In the Web listener that the SharePoint Web publishing rule uses, HTML Form Authentication is configured.
  • The Web client sends a POST request to the SharePoint Web site.
  • The URL of the POST request contains extended characters. For example, the URL contains é, à, or è.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because ISA Server or Windows Essential Business Server 2008 cannot parse a URL that contains extended characters. In this case, ISA Server or Windows Essential Business Server 2008 rejects the POST request that the client sends.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:
  1. Apply the hotfix that is described in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 940250. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    940250  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940250/ ) Description of the ISA Server 2006 hotfix package: July 16, 2007
  2. Copy the following script into Notepad:

    Note To resolve this problem in ISA Server 2006, use the following script. You do not have to apply the hotfix in this article for ISA Server 2006 SP1, but you have to use the script.
    Const SE_VPS_GUID = "{143F5698-103B-12D4-FF34-1F34767DEabc}"
    Const SE_VPS_NAME = "CookieFilterDecodeUEncoding"
    Const SE_VPS_VALUE = true
    
    Sub SetValue()
    
        ' Create the root obect.
        Dim root  ' The FPCLib.FPC root object
        Set root = CreateObject("FPC.Root")
    
        'Declare the other objects needed.
        Dim array       ' An FPCArray object
        Dim VendorSets  ' An FPCVendorParametersSets collection
        Dim VendorSet   ' An FPCVendorParametersSet object
    
        ' Get references to the array object
        ' and the network rules collection.
        Set array = root.GetContainingArray
        Set VendorSets = array.VendorParametersSets
    
        On Error Resume Next
        Set VendorSet = VendorSets.Item( SE_VPS_GUID )
    
        If Err.Number <> 0 Then
            Err.Clear
    
            ' Add the item
            Set VendorSet = VendorSets.Add( SE_VPS_GUID )
            CheckError
            WScript.Echo "New VendorSet added... " & VendorSet.Name
    
        Else
            WScript.Echo "Existing VendorSet found... value- " &  VendorSet.Value(SE_VPS_NAME)
        End If
    
        if VendorSet.Value(SE_VPS_NAME) <> SE_VPS_VALUE Then
    
            Err.Clear
            VendorSet.Value(SE_VPS_NAME) = SE_VPS_VALUE
    
            If Err.Number <> 0 Then
                CheckError
            Else
                VendorSets.Save false, true
                CheckError
    
                If Err.Number = 0 Then
                    WScript.Echo "Done with " & SE_VPS_NAME & ", saved!"
                End If
            End If
        Else
            WScript.Echo "Done with " & SE_VPS_NAME & ", no change!"
        End If
    
    End Sub
    
    Sub CheckError()
    
        If Err.Number <> 0 Then
            WScript.Echo "An error occurred: 0x" & Hex(Err.Number) & " " & Err.Description
            Err.Clear
        End If
    
    End Sub
    
    SetValue
    
    
  3. Save the file as a Microsoft Visual Basic script file by using the .vbs file name extension. For example, save the file by using the following name:
    EnableKB940248.vbs
  4. At a command prompt, move to the location where you saved the EnableKB940248.vbs file.
  5. Run the following command:
    cscript EnableKB940248.vbs
Note After you follow these steps, only the query part of the URL can contain extended characters. The query part follows the question mark (?) in the URL. The part that comes before the question mark in the URL cannot contain extended characters even after you use this resolution.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 Enterprise Edition
  • Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Standard
Keywords: 
kbtshoot kbexpertiseinter kbprb KB940248
 

Article Translations