We installed a new instance of Sharepoint Foundation 2010 on a Windows 2008 server. Using Sharepoint Designer 2010 I am unable to connect to any site (or application) from that instance. The designer repeatedly prompts for credentials.
I tried running the designer from the server itself, but the problem remains the same.
Authentication with NTLM semms ok (as you can see below) because the request to _vti_inf.html is authenticated ok, but the request to shtml.dll still returns a 401 error.
Event viewer is empty, with all auditing options ON.
Sharepoint logs shows nothing relevant.
Here are the requests captured with fiddler, during authentication:
GET /_vti_inf.html HTTP/1.1
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:54 GMT
MIME-Version: 1.0
Accept: */*
User-Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MS FrontPage 14.0)
Host: dc-retail
Accept-Language: en-us, en;q=0.1
Accept: auth/sicily
X-FORMS_BASED_AUTH_ACCEPTED: T
Content-Length: 0
Accept-encoding: gzip, deflate
Connection: Keep-Alive
Pragma: no-cache
Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}
Authorization: NTLM TlRMTVNTUAABAAAAB4IIogAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGAbAdAAAADw==
HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.5
SPRequestGuid: 30b73f93-0dda-4605-b322-1e22c0981c33
WWW-Authenticate: NTLM TlRMTVNTUAACAAAADAAMADgAAAAFgomio3NFKpS4KUAAAAAAAAAAAJ4AngBEAAAABgGwHQAAAA9SAEUAVABBAEkATAACAAwAUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwAAQASAEQAQwAtAFIARQBUAEEASQBMAAQAGABSAEUAVABBAEkATAAuAEwATwBDAEEATAADACwARABDAC0AUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwALgBSAEUAVABBAEkATAAuAEwATwBDAEEATAAFABgAUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwALgBMAE8AQwBBAEwABwAIAH5V7/Pe38sBAAAAAA==
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 14.0.0.4762
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:24:57 GMT
Content-Length: 0
Proxy-Support: Session-Based-Authentication
------------------------------------------------------------------
GET /_vti_inf.html HTTP/1.1
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:54 GMT
MIME-Version: 1.0
Accept: */*
User-Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MS FrontPage 14.0)
Host: dc-retail
Accept-Language: en-us, en;q=0.1
Accept: auth/sicily
X-FORMS_BASED_AUTH_ACCEPTED: T
Content-Length: 0
Accept-encoding: gzip, deflate
Connection: Keep-Alive
Pragma: no-cache
Authorization: NTLM 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
Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Cache-Control: private,max-age=0
Content-Length: 247
Expires: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:24:57 GMT
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.5
SPRequestGuid: 0afb45ea-a78e-4e96-adb8-efc6352aa666
Set-Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}; path=/
X-SharePointHealthScore: 0
Public-Extension: http://schemas.microsoft.com/repl-2
Set-Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}; path=/
Persistent-Auth: true
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 14.0.0.4762
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:24:57 GMT
<!-- FrontPage Configuration Information
FPVersion="14.00.0.000"
FPShtmlScriptUrl="_vti_bin/shtml.dll/_vti_rpc"
FPAuthorScriptUrl="_vti_bin/_vti_aut/author.dll"
FPAdminScriptUrl="_vti_bin/_vti_adm/admin.dll"
TPScriptUrl="_vti_bin/owssvr.dll"
-->
------------------------------------------------------------------
POST /_vti_bin/shtml.dll/_vti_rpc HTTP/1.1
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:54 GMT
MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: MSFrontPage/14.0
Host: dc-retail
Accept-Language: en-us, en;q=0.1
Accept: auth/sicily
X-FORMS_BASED_AUTH_ACCEPTED: T
Content-Length: 42
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
X-Vermeer-Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Accept-encoding: gzip, deflate
Connection: Keep-Alive
Pragma: no-cache
Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}
method=server+version%3a14%2e0%2e0%2e4730
HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.5
SPRequestGuid: 2397219c-28ce-48e5-b19b-2a223ba5ef33
Set-Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}; path=/
X-SharePointHealthScore: 0
WWW-Authenticate: NTLM
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 14.0.0.4762
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:24:57 GMT
Content-Length: 16
Proxy-Support: Session-Based-Authentication
401 UNAUTHORIZED
------------------------------------------------------------------
POST /_vti_bin/shtml.dll/_vti_rpc HTTP/1.1
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:54 GMT
MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: MSFrontPage/14.0
Host: dc-retail
Accept-Language: en-us, en;q=0.1
Accept: auth/sicily
X-FORMS_BASED_AUTH_ACCEPTED: T
Content-Length: 0
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
X-Vermeer-Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Accept-encoding: gzip, deflate
Connection: Keep-Alive
Pragma: no-cache
Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}
Authorization: NTLM TlRMTVNTUAABAAAAB4IIogAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGAbAdAAAADw==
HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.5
SPRequestGuid: 9fc97c50-976c-4d30-925d-f9126d9d9eb1
WWW-Authenticate: NTLM TlRMTVNTUAACAAAADAAMADgAAAAFgomiTAzoFYPLRCUAAAAAAAAAAJ4AngBEAAAABgGwHQAAAA9SAEUAVABBAEkATAACAAwAUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwAAQASAEQAQwAtAFIARQBUAEEASQBMAAQAGABSAEUAVABBAEkATAAuAEwATwBDAEEATAADACwARABDAC0AUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwALgBSAEUAVABBAEkATAAuAEwATwBDAEEATAAFABgAUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwALgBMAE8AQwBBAEwABwAIAN628fPe38sBAAAAAA==
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 14.0.0.4762
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:24:57 GMT
Content-Length: 0
Proxy-Support: Session-Based-Authentication
------------------------------------------------------------------
POST /_vti_bin/shtml.dll/_vti_rpc HTTP/1.1
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:54 GMT
MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: MSFrontPage/14.0
Host: dc-retail
Accept-Language: en-us, en;q=0.1
Accept: auth/sicily
X-FORMS_BASED_AUTH_ACCEPTED: T
Content-Length: 42
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
X-Vermeer-Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Accept-encoding: gzip, deflate
Connection: Keep-Alive
Pragma: no-cache
Authorization: NTLM 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
Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}
method=server+version%3a14%2e0%2e0%2e4730
HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.5
SPRequestGuid: e6cae461-0160-4396-b515-450ea71dd4b3
Set-Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}; path=/
X-SharePointHealthScore: 0
WWW-Authenticate: NTLM
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 14.0.0.4762
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:24:57 GMT
Content-Length: 16
Proxy-Support: Session-Based-Authentication
401 UNAUTHORIZED
------------------------------------------------------------------
POST /_vti_bin/shtml.dll/_vti_rpc HTTP/1.1
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:54 GMT
MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: MSFrontPage/14.0
Host: dc-retail
Accept-Language: en-us, en;q=0.1
Accept: auth/sicily
X-FORMS_BASED_AUTH_ACCEPTED: T
Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
X-Vermeer-Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Accept-encoding: gzip, deflate
Connection: Keep-Alive
Pragma: no-cache
Content-Length: 0
Authorization: NTLM TlRMTVNTUAABAAAAB4IIogAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGAbAdAAAADw==
HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.5
SPRequestGuid: cbce22c8-c8dc-4ada-b1e8-4505847d5069
WWW-Authenticate: NTLM TlRMTVNTUAACAAAADAAMADgAAAAFgomi6SpBGgNKevwAAAAAAAAAAJ4AngBEAAAABgGwHQAAAA9SAEUAVABBAEkATAACAAwAUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwAAQASAEQAQwAtAFIARQBUAEEASQBMAAQAGABSAEUAVABBAEkATAAuAEwATwBDAEEATAADACwARABDAC0AUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwALgBSAEUAVABBAEkATAAuAEwATwBDAEEATAAFABgAUgBFAFQAQQBJAEwALgBMAE8AQwBBAEwABwAIAPYx8Pbe38sBAAAAAA==
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 14.0.0.4762
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:02 GMT
Content-Length: 0
Proxy-Support: Session-Based-Authentication
------------------------------------------------------------------
POST /_vti_bin/shtml.dll/_vti_rpc HTTP/1.1
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:54 GMT
MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: MSFrontPage/14.0
Host: dc-retail
Accept-Language: en-us, en;q=0.1
Accept: auth/sicily
X-FORMS_BASED_AUTH_ACCEPTED: T
Authorization: NTLM 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
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
X-Vermeer-Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Accept-encoding: gzip, deflate
Connection: Keep-Alive
Pragma: no-cache
Content-Length: 42
Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}
method=server+version%3a14%2e0%2e0%2e4730
HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.5
SPRequestGuid: 4aa92f6a-85fa-49ea-ba7e-b2a877674b99
Set-Cookie: WSS_KeepSessionAuthenticated={0fd9a89e-7284-4d62-a243-83e74c767a47}; path=/
X-SharePointHealthScore: 0
WWW-Authenticate: NTLM
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
MicrosoftSharePointTeamServices: 14.0.0.4762
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:25:02 GMT
Content-Length: 16
Proxy-Support: Session-Based-Authentication
401 UNAUTHORIZED
------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Answer
In my case, the problem was caused by a custom IIS Http Module, who was doing some checking on request form variables. It was only checking if HttpRequest.Form property <> null, and it seems this type of check crashes the request made by Sharepoint Designer.