FAQ: How do I stop a website in order to perform an upgrade?

Applies To:  Making changes when FTP access is the only available option.

Manually Disable the Website

When a website is active, the server has a lock on the DLL files located in the \Bin\ folder.  If you need to update one of these files, then you must first stop the website so the lock is released.

If you do not have direct access, or the ability to stop your website, then follow these simple instructions prior to upgrading.

1. Create a file named "app_offline.htm".  It doesn't have to contain any text, just a blank file will work.
2. Using FTP, copy this file to the root folder of your website.
3. After the application is stopped, copy the necessary files into place.

Restart the Website

When you are finished updating any files, then simply delete "app_offline.htm" to re-enable the website.

Upon access to any page, the application will restart fresh.

Manually Recycle the Application

If you are making updates to Asp.Net files, ones that are not located in the \Bin\ folder, then you can use this little trick to recycle the application after new files are uploaded to the website.

1. Find and open the web.config file in the root folder.
2. Make any small change within one of the comment sections.
3. Save the file and the application will recycle the next time you access a page.