Vista has an integrated Web server, but it’s off by default. If you want to use your machine as a Web server (I do because I use some javascripts that write to my hard drive and thus need to believe that my hard drive is the Web server they’re running on, and if this is stupid or incredibly insecure please don’t tell me because I think I’ll cry), you have to jump through some hoops.

Unfortunately, they’re invisible hoops. Fortunately, over a year ago, Blondr, in his very first post, explained how to do it, with words and screen captures. Incredibly helpful. And along the way, he even explains how to find the !@#$%-ing Web server control panel: Go to Run and type “InetMgr.exe.”

Once you have it running, pages are served up by default from C:\inetpub\wwwroot. I think. It looks like once you’re in the Web server manager (the IIS Manager), the left-hand panel lets you add sites and specify where those sites live on your hard drive, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Anyway, thanks Blondr! [Tags: tech vista web_server blondr]