Unable to create a domain in Plesk or repair web server configuration: applicationHost.config Error: Cannot read configuration file

Symptoms

• When creating a domain in Plesk or repairing web server configuration using plesk repair web, the operation fails with the following error message:

  PLESK_ERROR: Creating physical hosting
  Update FTP user failed: ftpmng failed: Filename: \\?\C:\Windows\system32\inetsrv\config\applicationHost.config
  Error: Cannot read configuration file
  <...>

• Plesk and websites are not accessible with the error:

  PLESK_INFO: Service Unavailable
  HTTP Error 503. The service is unavailable.

• When clicking on Application Pools or Sites in IIS Manager, the following error is displayed:

  PLESK_INFO: There was an error while performing this operation.
  Details:
  Could not find file
  C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\config\applicationhost.config

• applicationHost.config file (root configuration file for IIS web server) is missing in C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config.

• On attempt to copy/move applicationHost.config from backup folder C:\inetpub\history\ to C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config, the operation fails with:

  PLESK_INFO: The system cannot find the file specified.
          0 file(s) copied.

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: An unexpected error is keeping you from renaming the file. If you continue to receive this error, you can use the error code to search for help with this problem.

Cause

Some OS level configuration, which is not in control of Plesk, does not allow creation of applicationHost.config file inside C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\config.

Resolution

Contact Microsoft Support to get assistance:

• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/contactus/