DNN Request Timed Out Error During Uploads or Other Long Requests

DNN > Troubleshooting

Request Timed Out Error While Uploading, Searching, or Performing Other Long Requests or Large Data Transactions

Issue
When uploading, searching, or performing other long requests or large data transactions, a Request timed out error is produced.

Cause
This is caused by timeout values being set too low in the web.config configuration or having really large files and the ASP.NET or DNN times out before the files are uploaded.

 
Resolution
The resolution you pick depends on your situation but both methods work in our DNN environment.  If the files are just large files, like skins and modules, we recommend you use FTP to upload the files to the server. See How to use FTP. 

FTP the Files to the Server
  1. Log into your website via FTP. 
  2. Upload the zip file to the appropriate location
    • Skins - /httpdocs/install/skin/
    • Modules - /httpdocs/install/module/
Append /install/install.aspx?mode=installresources to your site's URL to have DNN install the components. http://www.yourdomainname.com/install/install.aspx?mode=installresources

Edit web.config File
In this fix, we edit the web.config to allow a longer time for the files to upload.  See How to Access Your web.config file.
  1. Open the web.config file of the affected site for editing.
  2. Locate the <httpRuntime> tag within the file.
  • To allow for larger uploads, change or add the maxRequestLength attribute, for example, to allow uploads up to 8mb (8192kb) in size, add the attribute within the <httpRuntime> tag as follows
    <system.web>
    <httpRunTime maxRequestLength="8192">
    </system.web>
  • To allow for longer requests, change or add the executionTimeout attribute. For example, to allow requests with a duration of 300 seconds, change or add the executionTimeout attribute as follows
    <system.web>
    <httpRunTime executionTimeout="300">
    </system.web>
  • These attributes can also be combined.
    <system.web>
    <httpRunTime executionTimeout="3000"  maxRequestLength="8192">
    </system.web>
For more information about the <httpRuntime> element, read Microsoft's site:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/e1f13641(v=vs.85).aspx or contact a developer.
 
     3.  Locate the <system.webServer> tag within the file.
  • Add this code right below the <system.webServer> tag
    <security>
    <requestFiltering>
    <requestLimits maxAllowedContentLength="[size in BYTES]"/>
    </requestFiltering>
    </security>
    Note that, in Step 2, kilobytes should be used and, in Step 3, bytes should be used.
 
Article ID: 205, , Modified: August 25, 2014 at 2:37 PM

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