If images are not displaying on your WordPress site running on IIS 10, even though they appear in the Media Library, it is likely due to one or more of the following issues:

1. Verify File Permissions

WordPress requires the correct read/write permissions for media files.

Fix Permissions

1. Navigate to: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\your-site\wp-content\uploads
2. Right-click the uploads folder > Properties.
3. Go to the Security tab and click Edit.
4. Select IUSR and IIS_IUSRS, then ensure:
   • Read & Execute ✔
   • List Folder Contents ✔
   • Read ✔
   • Write (for uploads) ✔
5. Click Apply and OK.

2. Check IIS MIME Type Settings

If images aren’t displaying, IIS may not be serving the file type correctly.

Add Missing MIME Types

1. Open IIS Manager.
2. Select your site.
3. Click MIME Types.
4. Check if the necessary image types exist:
   • .jpg → image/jpeg
   • .png → image/png
   • .gif → image/gif
   • .svg → image/svg+xml
5. If any are missing:
   • Click Add on the right.
   • Enter the extension and MIME type.
   • Click OK.

3. Disable Hotlink Protection

Some security plugins or IIS Rewrite Rules may block direct access to images.

Check .htaccess (if applicable)

If you migrated from Apache, check for hotlink protection rules.

Check IIS Rewrite Rules

1. Open IIS Manager.
2. Select your site and open URL Rewrite.
3. Look for rules blocking image requests (wp-content/uploads).
4. Disable or modify any restrictive rules.

4. Check File Upload Location

1. Go to WordPress Admin > Settings > Media.
2. Verify the upload directory:
   • Should be: wp-content/uploads
   • If it shows an incorrect path, update wp-config.php:define('UPLOADS', 'wp-content/uploads');
3. Save changes and refresh your site.

5. Ensure IIS Has Static Content Enabled

IIS needs Static Content enabled to serve images.

Enable Static Content

1. Open Server Manager.
2. Click Manage > Add Roles and Features.
3. Go to Web Server (IIS) > Common HTTP Features.
4. Check Static Content.
5. Click Install.

6. Regenerate Thumbnails

If image thumbnails are missing or corrupted, regenerate them.

Use a Plugin

1. Install Regenerate Thumbnails from the WordPress plugin store.
2. Run the tool to regenerate all images.

7. Check for Broken Links

1. Right-click the missing image and Copy Image Address.
2. Open it in a new tab.
3. If it returns a 404 or 403 error, check:
   • Permissions (uploads folder).
   • Incorrect file path.
   • IIS rules blocking access.

8. Restart IIS

After making changes, restart IIS.

Run this command in PowerShell:

iisreset

Final Check

• Clear browser cache.
• Open Developer Tools (F12) > Network.
• Look for blocked requests or incorrect paths.

These steps should resolve the issue. Let me know if you need more help! 🚀