Error Directory Name
The name of the directory in which error files are to be placed. The default directory name is "errors".

Error Directory Search Mode
This setting determines how to find the Error Directory.

Selecting "Check Site Root..." means that CustomError will only look for the Error Directory in the root of the Web site. For example, if C:\www\site1 was the root of the Web site and the CustomError directory was configured to be "MyErrors", then CustomError would look in C:\www\site1\MyErrors for the appropriate Error File.

Selecting "Check Requested Directory..." means that CustomError will begin searching for the Error Directory within the same directory as the requested file, and then look to the next highest level directory in the request URL, and so on, until an Error Directory is found.

Regardless of which method is selected, if an appropriately-named Error Directory or an appropriately-named Error File are not found, the error is simply handled by Microsoft IIS as if CustomError were not present.

Static Error Pages
This file extension list configures the order in which CustomError searches for the Error File. The default order is (1) .htm, (2) .html. For example, if a 405 error occurs, CustomError would look for 405.htm, then if that file does not exist, proceed to look for 405.html.


Enable Dynamic 404 Pages
This setting enables CustomError to allow dynamic error pages for 404 errors. The file extension list associated with this setting configures the order in which CustomError searches for the Error File. The default order is (1) .asp, (2) .aspx. For example, if this setting is enabled and a 404 error occurs, CustomError would look for 404.asp, and then if that file does not exist, proceed to look for 404.aspx.


Enable 404 Images
This setting enables CustomError to send an error image rather than an HTML file when a 404 error occurs.

CustomError determines when to send an error image by the Request Wildcards tab. If the request that causes a 404 error matches any of these wildcards, then CustomError will send an error image (if one exists). For example, the first default wildcard is "/images/*". This means that any request (resulting in a 404) whose path starts with /images/ will be considered an image request.

The file extension list on the File Extension tab, configures the order in which CustomError looks for an error image with the specified file extension. The file extension of the error image does not need to be the same as the file extension of the requested image.

A unique feature of CustomError is its centrally located, rule-based redirection file, rules.ce, which should be located at the root of the Web site. The file can contain simple rules that CustomError will use to send a redirection response (rather than the usual HTML response) when a 404 error occurs.

The syntax is simple: The Request-Wildcard should reflect the path portion of the request; an asterisk (*) may be used as a wild card. For example, a Request-Wildcard with this value: would only match a request for the file /products/mypage.htm. However, if the Request-Wildcard was: it would match all of the following:
The Redirection-URL is the URL that CustomError will put in the Location: header of the redirection response. You can enter the fully qualified URL (i.e. http://www.port80software.com/products/index.htm) or just the path portion (i.e. /products/index.htm). The rules file also allows for special variables to be used in the Redirection-URL, which CustomError will replace with the actual values.
For example:

Request URL:	/dir/mypage.asp?var1=value1
Redirection-URL Rule:	/dir/*   /MyErrorHandler.asp?path=$P&query=$Q
Redirection URL:	/MyErrorHandler.asp?   path=%dir%2Fmypage%2Easp&query=var1%value1

This allows you to do your own logging and/or handling of errors that occur on your site.

The Redirection-Type determines the type of HTTP redirect used in the error response and is optional. The possible values are: If the Redirection-Type is not included in the rule, the default is a 302 redirect.

This tab allows you to enable logging for CustomError. When enabled, CustomError will log information about requests in which it acts upon. The log files are created in the directory specified. If you enter [SITE] into the path when you have "Default Settings" or multiple sites selected, the Settings Manager will automatically insert the Microsoft IIS virtual server site number into the path. For example, if you were to select "All Web Sites" and enter CustomError would create these directories: and so on, for each site selected.

* Since Windows XP lacks a true "server" configuration, Port80 Software neither recommends nor supports the use of its software on Windows XP (and the associated version of IIS) in production environments. The Windows XP environment is supported exclusively as an evaluation platform.