Running a web server on Windows 10 can be a useful skill to have, whether you want to test your websites locally or create a development environment. In this tutorial, we will explore the steps to set up a web server on your Windows 10 machine. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Check if IIS is Installed
Before we begin, let’s check if Internet Information Services (IIS) is already installed on your Windows 10 computer. To do this, follow these steps:
- Click on the Start menu and type “Turn Windows features on or off”.
- Open the “Turn Windows features on or off” app.
If IIS is already installed, you will see it checked in the list of features. If it’s not checked, proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Install IIS
Let’s install IIS on your Windows 10 machine by following these steps:
- Click on the Start menu and type “Turn Windows features on or off”.
- In the list of features, scroll down and find “Internet Information Services”.
- Expand it by clicking on the “+” icon.
- Check the box for “Internet Information Services” and its subfeatures like “Web Management Tools” and “World Wide Web Services”.
- Click “OK” and wait for the installation process to complete.
Step 3: Configure IIS
Now that we have installed IIS, let’s configure it to run as a web server. Follow these steps:
- Click on the Start menu and type “IIS Manager”.
- Open the “Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager” app.
- In the left-hand pane, expand your computer’s name.
- Right-click on “Sites” and select “Add Website”.
Step 4: Create a Website
To create a website in IIS, follow these steps:
- In the “Add Website” dialog, enter a name for your website in the “Site name” field.
- In the “Physical path” field, browse to the folder where your website files are located.
- Enter a port number of your choice in the “Port” field. The default is 80 for HTTP.
- If you want to use a custom domain name like “mywebsite.local”, enter it in the “Host name” field.
- Click “OK” to create the website.
Step 5: Test Your Web Server
To test if your web server is running correctly, follow these steps:
- Open a web browser of your choice and enter either localhost or the custom domain you specified earlier in the address bar.
- If everything is set up correctly, you should see your website’s content displayed in the browser.
Congratulations! You have successfully set up a web server on Windows 10 using IIS.
Summary
In this tutorial, we learned how to run a web server on Windows 10 using Internet Information Services (IIS). We covered the steps to check if IIS is installed, install IIS if necessary, configure it as a web server, create a website, and test its functionality.
Now you can use this knowledge to develop and test websites locally on your Windows 10 machine. Happy coding!
Additional Resources:
– Official Microsoft documentation on installing IIS on Windows 10.
– A step-by-step guide on installing and configuring IIS on Windows 10.