IIS 8.5: Virtual Account for App Pool (IIS AppPool\{Application Pool Name} is not available

Question

I am running IIS 8.5 on a Windows 2012 R2 Core box. I created a new application pool called "MyNewAppPool". I have a website instance, called "MyNewWebsite.com" running in the "MyNewAppPool" application pool. The Identity used for "MyNewAppPool" is "ApplicationPoolIdentity".

It is my understanding that I can assign security permissions for application pools in IIS 8.5 by using the auto-generated local virtual accounts, which will be named "IIS AppPool\{Application Pool Name}".

So, in Windows Explorer on the "MyNewWebsite.com" directory, I should be able to assign read/write permissions for the virtual user account "IIS AppPool\MyNewAppPool". I cannot find this user account to assign any permissions to. I am searching the local computer location and not the whole domain. I can find the "IIS AppPool\DefaultAppPool" account, however I don't want to run MyNewWebsite.com under the DefaultAppPPool, I want to run it under the MyNewAppPool application pool.

Can anyone please tell me why I don't can't find the auto-generated virtual account for MyNewAppPool?

Solution 1

You won't ever find the synthesised application pool identity in the permissions search dialogue. Just type in the name of the pool identity like this:

Via GUI:

The click the Check Names button:

Via Command Line:

Alternatively you can use ICACLS from an administrator command line/Powershell:

icacls c:\wwwroot\mysite /grant "IIS AppPool\MyNewAppPool":(CI)(OI)(M)

Solution 2

Above answer works great, just remember to use the server's name rather than the domain name. I got hung up for a bit trying to figure out why it wasn't resolving:

Comments

[KPhillipson]

I tried exactly this. I still cannot get the application pool name to resolve. I had this issue on a dev server, and then for an unknown reason the issue went away. Now I'm setting up a QA server I'm experiencing the same problem again.

[Kev]

@KPhillipson I've seen that before on original Windows 2008 Server and Windows 2008R2 (pre-service pack) and it was mighty bloody annoying. Have a look at my update, it should work with ICACLS from the command line.

[Kev]

OP does mention in the question "I am searching the local computer location and not the whole domain."

[BrainSlugs83]

@Kev, nope. No mapping between account names and security IDs was done. Successfully processed 0 files; Failed processing 1 files

[BrainSlugs83]

Nope. Server is not domain joined; local machine name is populated there by default.

[Kev]

@BrainSlugs83 - what OS, have you got all the latest service packs/updates? Are you sure you're running powershell/command prompt as Administrator? Have you spaces in the path you're granting permissions to? If so wrap in double quotes.....you've not provided much info to go on, I don't normally complain but the DV seems a wee bit unfair as it's not an egregiously incorrect answer. Sounds more like your environment is to blame than the answer.