How to Open IIS Manager in Windows 10: A Step-by-Step Guide

By / October 24, 2025

If you’re working with websites, APIs, or web applications on Windows, the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager is your best friend. It’s Microsoft’s built-in web server management tool that lets you host, configure, and monitor websites directly from your PC.

But if you’ve just installed Windows 10 or recently set up IIS, you might be wondering: how do I open IIS Manager in Windows 10?

Don’t worry — this step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from installing IIS (if you don’t have it yet) to opening and using IIS Manager like a pro.

🧩 What Is IIS Manager?

IIS (Internet Information Services) is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server for hosting anything from simple static websites to complex ASP.NET applications.

The IIS Manager is the graphical interface that allows you to control all of that — without typing a single line of code.

💡 What Can You Do with IIS Manager?

Here are some common tasks you can perform:

  • Host and configure websites and virtual directories.

  • Manage SSL certificates (HTTPS).

  • Set up authentication and authorization rules.

  • Enable or disable features like PHP, ASP.NET, or CGI.

  • Monitor requests, logs, and server performance.

✅ Step 1: Check If IIS Is Installed on Windows 10

Before you can open IIS Manager, you need to make sure IIS is installed on your system.

🧭 How to Check:

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.

  2. Type inetmgr and press Enter.

If IIS Manager opens — congratulations! IIS is already installed.
If you see an error message like “Windows cannot find ‘inetmgr’”, then you’ll need to install it first.

✅ Step 2: Install IIS on Windows 10 (If Not Installed)

💻 Method 1: Install IIS via Control Panel

  1. Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter.

  2. In the left sidebar, click Turn Windows features on or off.

  3. In the Windows Features window, scroll down and find Internet Information Services.

  4. Check the box next to it.

  5. (Optional) Expand it to enable additional components like:

    • Web Management Tools

    • World Wide Web Services

    • Application Development Features (for ASP.NET, CGI, etc.)

  6. Click OK.

  7. Wait while Windows installs IIS components — this may take a few minutes.

  8. Once done, click Close.

💡 Tip:

You can verify the installation by opening a browser and typing:

http://localhost

If IIS is running, you’ll see the IIS Welcome page.

✅ Step 3: Open IIS Manager in Windows 10

There are multiple ways to open IIS Manager. Choose whichever is most convenient for you.

🧭 Method 1: Using Run Command

  1. Press Windows + R.

  2. Type inetmgr and hit Enter.

  3. The IIS Manager window will open.

This is the fastest and most commonly used method.

🖥️ Method 2: Using Start Menu

  1. Click on the Start button or press Windows key.

  2. Type IIS or Internet Information Services.

  3. Click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager from the search results.

⚙️ Method 3: Using Control Panel

  1. Open the Control Panel.

  2. Go to Administrative Tools.

  3. Double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

🧩 Method 4: Using Windows Search

  1. Press Windows + S or click the Search icon in the taskbar.

  2. Type IIS.

  3. Select IIS Manager from the results.

💻 Method 5: Using Command Prompt or PowerShell

You can also open IIS Manager directly from Command Prompt or PowerShell.

  • Open Command Prompt (cmd) or PowerShell.

  • Type:

    inetmgr

  • Press Enter.

IIS Manager will launch instantly.

🧠 Step 4: Understanding the IIS Manager Interface

Once you open IIS Manager, you’ll see several panels and menus. Let’s break them down.

Section Description
Connections Pane Shows a tree view of servers, sites, and application pools.
Features View Displays configuration options like authentication, directory browsing, and logging.
Actions Pane Provides quick access to tasks like starting, stopping, or restarting websites.

💡 Tip:

If you manage multiple websites or servers, you can connect to remote IIS servers using the “Connect to a Server” option in the Actions pane.

✅ Step 5: Open a Website in IIS Manager

To manage or configure your hosted websites:

  1. In the Connections pane, expand your computer name.

  2. Click Sites to view all hosted sites.

  3. Select the site you want to manage.

  4. The Features View will display all available options for that site.

Here, you can:

  • Set up bindings (HTTP/HTTPS).

  • Configure authentication methods.

  • Manage directory browsing and MIME types.

  • View logs or set up custom error pages.

⚙️ Step 6: Access IIS Manager as Administrator

If you’re facing permission issues (for example, can’t start/stop sites), try running IIS Manager as an administrator.

Here’s how:

  1. Type IIS in Windows search.

  2. Right-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  3. Select Run as administrator.

This ensures you have full control over configurations and system-level settings.

🧩 Common IIS Manager Commands

Here are some handy commands you can use to work with IIS faster:

Command Description
inetmgr Opens IIS Manager
iisreset Restarts IIS web server
appcmd list site Lists all IIS sites
appcmd start site "SiteName" Starts a specific site
appcmd stop site "SiteName" Stops a specific site

(Use these in Command Prompt or PowerShell with administrator privileges.)

🚀 Step 7: Test IIS Installation

To make sure everything works correctly:

  1. Open your browser.

  2. Type:

    http://localhost

  3. You should see the IIS Welcome page, confirming that IIS is running successfully.

🛠️ Troubleshooting: IIS Manager Won’t Open?

If inetmgr doesn’t open IIS Manager, try the following fixes:

1. Ensure IIS Is Installed

Run this command in PowerShell:

Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName IIS-ManagementConsole

If it shows “Disabled,” enable it:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName IIS-ManagementConsole

2. Restart Your PC

After installation, always restart to ensure all IIS components load properly.

3. Check Windows Version

IIS Manager is available on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions — not Home by default.

You can enable IIS manually on Home using optional packages, but the GUI (IIS Manager) may be limited.

💡 Bonus Tip: Create a Shortcut for IIS Manager

If you use IIS frequently:

  1. Right-click on the desktop.

  2. Select New → Shortcut.

  3. In the location field, type:

    inetmgr

  4. Name it IIS Manager and click Finish.

Now you can open IIS with one click anytime!

🧭 Why Use IIS on Windows 10?

Using IIS on Windows 10 offers several benefits:

  • Native integration with Windows environment.

  • Easy configuration for ASP.NET and .NET Core apps.

  • Great for local testing before deployment.

  • Stable and secure for hosting internal or small-scale web projects.

🧰 Alternatives to IIS Manager

If you’re exploring web server management options, here are some alternatives:

Tool Platform Best For
Apache Cross-platform PHP, static websites
Nginx Cross-platform High-performance sites
XAMPP/WAMP Windows Local PHP/MySQL testing
LiteSpeed Windows/Linux Enterprise-level performance

However, for .NET or ASP.NET developers, IIS remains the best choice due to native support and integration with Visual Studio.

🧩 Key Takeaways

  • IIS Manager is the GUI tool for managing websites and web servers on Windows 10.

  • You can open it using Run (inetmgr), Start menu, or Control Panel.

  • If IIS isn’t installed, enable it from Windows Features first.

  • Always run IIS as Administrator for full control.

  • You can test it by visiting http://localhost in your browser.

🏁 Conclusion

And that’s it! Now you know how to open IIS Manager in Windows 10 — plus how to install it, access it using different methods, and troubleshoot common issues.

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, IIS can become a powerful platform for developing, testing, and managing your web applications right from your PC.

❓ FAQs About IIS Manager in Windows 10

1. How do I open IIS Manager quickly in Windows 10?

You can press Windows + R, type inetmgr, and hit Enter. This is the fastest way.

2. Why can’t I find IIS Manager on my computer?

It’s likely not installed. You can enable it from Control Panel → Turn Windows features on or off → Internet Information Services.

3. Does Windows 10 Home include IIS?

No, IIS Manager isn’t included by default in Windows 10 Home. You can install it manually, but some features may be limited.

4. Can I manage remote IIS servers using IIS Manager?

Yes! IIS Manager lets you connect to remote servers for centralized management — just use “Connect to a Server” in the Actions pane.

5. What is the default port for IIS websites?

By default, IIS uses port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS.

⚡ Key Takeaways (Quick Recap)

  • Main command: inetmgr

  • Install via Windows Features

  • Access through Run, Start, or Control Panel

  • Use Run as Administrator for full control

  • Test with http://localhost

Related Posts:

Scroll to Top