IISView Commands and Examples for Windows Administrators
IISView is a lightweight tool for inspecting and exporting Internet Information Services (IIS) configuration and runtime details. This article covers common IISView commands, practical examples, and quick troubleshooting tips for Windows administrators.
Prerequisites
- Windows Server with IIS installed.
- IISView executable available on the server (download or copy into a tools folder).
- Run commands from an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt when needed.
Common IISView Commands
The exact command names and flags can vary by IISView version. Below are standard, commonly supported operations:
- iisip — List IIS sites and bindings.
- iisapp — Show application pools and associated worker processes.
- iisconf — Export configuration sections (applicationHost.config, web.config paths).
- iismeta — Show metadata for a specific site/app (physical path, app pool, enabled protocols).
- iisssl — List SSL bindings and certificate thumbprints.
- iisaudit — Run a quick audit for common misconfigurations.
- –format / -f — Output format (text, json, csv).
- –site / -s — Target a specific site by name or ID.
- –app / -a — Target a specific application path.
- –pool / -p — Target a specific application pool.
- –out / -o — Write output to a file.
Examples
1) List all IIS sites and bindings (text)
Command:
Code
iisview iisip
What it shows: Site IDs, names, state (Started/Stopped), and bindings (hostname, IP, port).
2) Export sites and bindings to JSON
Command:
Code
iisview iisip -f json -o C:\tools\iissites.json
Use: Import into other tools or store as configuration snapshot.
3) Show application pools and worker process IDs
Command:
Code
iisview iisapp
What it shows: App pool names, .NET CLR version, pipeline mode, worker process (w3wp.exe) PIDs, and uptime.
4) Target a single site (by name) and output CSV
Command:
Code
iisview iisip -s “Default Web Site” -f csv -o C:\reports\defaultsite.csv
Use: Generate a quick report for auditors or ticket attachments.
5) Display configuration paths for an application
Command:
Code
iisview iismeta -s “Default Web Site” -a “/MyApp”
What it shows: Physical path, web.config path, application pool, virtual directory entries.
6) List SSL bindings and certificates
Command:
Code
iisview iisssl -f json -o C:\tools\sslbindings.json
What it shows: IP:Port, hostnames, certificate thumbprints, store names. Useful for certificate rotation planning.
7) Run a quick audit for common misconfigurations
Command:
Code
iisview iisaudit -o C:\reports\iisaudit.txt
What it checks: App pool identities, overlapping bindings, missing physical paths, weak TLS settings (report only).
8) Inspect a specific application pool
Command:
Code
iisview iisapp -p “MyAppPool” -f json
What it shows: Pool state, pipeline, identity, recycle settings, list of assigned apps.
Quick Troubleshooting Tips
- If IISView returns permission errors, re-run from an elevated prompt.
- For missing sites, verify the tool is run on the server hosting IIS and that applicationHost.config is accessible.
- Use JSON output for machine parsing and CSV for spreadsheet review.
- Correlate iisapp PIDs with Task Manager or Process Explorer to investigate high CPU/memory.
- When SSL bindings appear incorrect, cross-check with netsh http show sslcert.
Sample PowerShell: Automated Site Snapshot
Save this as snapshot-iis.ps1:
powershell
\(ts</span><span> = </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">(</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">Get-Date</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">)</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">.</span><span>ToString</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">(</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(163, 21, 21);">"yyyyMMdd_HHmm"</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">)</span><span> </span><span></span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">.</span><span>\iisview iisip </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">-</span><span>f json </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">-</span><span>o </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(163, 21, 21);">"C:\backups\iis_sites_</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(54, 172, 170);">\)ts.json” .\iisview iisapp -f json -o “C:\backups\iispools$ts.json”
Run from an elevated PowerShell to capture site and app pool state.
Conclusion
IISView provides concise commands to inspect IIS configuration, runtime state, and SSL bindings. Use JSON for automation, CSV for reporting, and regular audits to catch misconfigurations early. Adjust the command flags above for your IISView version and include elevated privileges where necessary.
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