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"

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

Error message 2

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 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 object.
       Dim root  ' The FPCLib.FPC root object
       Set root = CreateObject("FPC.Root")
   
       'Declare the other objects that are needed.
       Dim array       ' An FPCArray object
       Dim VendorSets  ' An FPCVendorParametersSets collection
       Dim VendorSet   ' An FPCVendorParametersSet object
   
       ' Get references to the array object
       ' and to 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.

If you want to remove the changes that are made when you run the script in step 5, run the following script:

Const SE_VPS_GUID = "{143F5698-103B-12D4-FF34-1F34767DEabc}"
Const SE_VPS_NAME = "CookieFilterDecodeUEncoding"
Const SE_VPS_VALUE = False

Sub SetValue()

' Create the root object.
Dim root ' The FPCLib.FPC root object
root = CreateObject("FPC.Root")

'Declare the other objects that are needed.
Dim array ' An FPCArray object
Dim VendorSets ' An FPCVendorParametersSets collection
Dim VendorSet ' An FPCVendorParametersSet object

' Get references to the array object
' and to the network rules collection.
array = root.GetContainingArray
VendorSets = array.VendorParametersSets

On Error Resume Next
VendorSet = VendorSets.Item(SE_VPS_GUID)

If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear()

' Add the item
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 

Change to:

[INSERT CORRECTION]


Const SE_VPS_GUID = "{143F5698-103B-12D4-FF34-1F34767DEabc}"
Const SE_VPS_NAME = "CookieFilterDecodeUEncoding"
Const SE_VPS_VALUE = false

Sub SetValue()

' Create the root object.
Dim root ' The FPCLib.FPC root object
Set root = CreateObject("FPC.Root")

'Declare the other objects that are needed.
Dim array ' An FPCArray object
Dim VendorSets ' An FPCVendorParametersSets collection
Dim VendorSet ' An FPCVendorParametersSet object

' Get references to the array object
' and to 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

Status

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