No IIS server connection for ASP .NET projects

Greetings,

I have a brand-new, straight-out-of-the-box version of Visual Studio .NET, and I am having enormous difficulties getting a very needed part of it to work. I know there have already been some prior threads about this problem, but none of the circumstances mentioned have exactly matched mine. Could someone please tell me what I’m doing wrong?

I am trying to use Visual Studio (Visual Basic) to create a new .NET web application and store it on my internal “localhost” default web site under IIS. When I open VS, select the “ASP .NET Web Application” icon on the project page, and click “OK”, I receive the following error message:

“The web server reported the following error when attempting to create or open the web project located at the following URL: ‘Http://localhost/WebApplication1’. ‘A connection with the server could not be established’.

The environment:
Visual Studio 7.1.3088
IIS 5.1
Windows XP Pro 5.1 service pack2
No firewalls or antivirus software involved.
No network. The computer is standalone, isolated, and not connected to anything.
Computer Manager confirms IIS is running.
Computer Manager confirms the “default website” is running.
Anonymous access used.
IP address =”All unassigned” port 80.
Regiis has been run.
I am the system administrator.
When I use IE to access “http://localhost/”, the Microsoft-supplied default page is displayed correctly.

I’ve been running around in the dark corners of my computer for 3 days trying to figure this out. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all from the sad_developer.

One guess, turn off your firewall software for testing. I know a recent ZoneAlarm free version firewall caused Visual Interdev to exhibit similar symptoms, unable to connect to a perfectly good webserver. In my case everything worked previously, then the za update, then it quit. Stopping za allowed Interdev to connect.

Doug,

Thanks for your reply to my cry for help.

You called it...right on the money.

The McAfee Antivirus software preloaded on my computer has several functions going on within it. Since this machine isn't going out on the internet anytime soon, I normally disable the anti-vi after bootup. However, I thought I was disabling the whole McAfee package. No, I was only disabling the Online VirusScan. The Personal Firewall part of it was still running when I started the VS IDE. That's what was preventing the server connection from taking place. When I checked the firewall settings, lo and behold, internet access through the VS IDE was "completely blocked". As soon as I changed that setting, I was able to create a new ASP project, display it through IE, and re-open it again as an existing project.

I am posting this so that another newbie like me can benefit from my stupidity.

Again, you called it exactly, and Thanks a bunch for your help. You are the man.

I'm happy to hear you got it sorted out.

Have you solved your problem? I have almost the same issue as you had. brand-new dell laptop, windows xp pro installed,
IIS installed. but when i tried to create new asp.net web project or asp.net web service project. it pops up the error message:
The web server reported the following error when attemping to create or open the web project located at the following URL: 'http://localhost/WebApplication1' 'A connection with the server could not be established'
After reading your next message, i disabled Mcfee VirusScan and personal firewall+, the same error message still pops up.
Any suggestions?

Christine

\
Did you read sad_developer's reply?

Yes, i read the reply.
I did disable the Mcfee virus scan and the personal firewall, but the error message still pops up. Anything else i should consider? appreciate help.

also, when i tried to practice a simple web service example on my laptop, adding web reference
http://live.capescience.com/wsdl/AirportWeather.wsdl
it says 'page cannot be displayed'. but the same web reference can be displayed on my desktop.
i wonder if the two has anything to do with each other?
did i miss anything here?

Maybe a DNS problem.