IIS Express 8 - Cannot write configuration file

Question

I am trying to use IIS Express 8 for a MVC site in VS2012. I am getting the following error whenever I attempt to create the site:

Filename: \\?\\C:

Answer 1

I also had the problem and tried to fix it with setting the registry key in HKCU\Software\Microsoft which didn't work.

The error I made, was using HKCU because, since I do not have permissions to edit the registry under by normal account (which I use to run visual studio), I was using an administrative account. Then of course, HKCU was for that account.

So I just used HKEY_USERS\"my normal user's SID" instead and, when starting iisexpress.exe manually, it created its files at the location indicated. What still didn't work was using iisexpress from visual studio. It still seemed that VS didn't use the registry setting at all.

Finally I resorted in setting a non UNC path for Shell Folders\Personal and User Shell Folders\Personal in HKU\"my normal user's SID"\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ which did the trick.