Using WebDAV Server with Digest Authentication

With Windows Vista Client

Web Folders on Windows Vista may attach a machine or domain name to the user name returned in Digest Authorization header. Unlike Basic authentication it returns domain and user name separated with 2 ‘\’ symbols: DOMAIN\\User. Note that in digest algorithm Windows Vista uses domain and user name separated with only one ‘\’ symbol: DOMAIN\User. DeltaV sample shipped with the engine provides Digest authentication class that works with any Windows version including Vista.

With Windows XP and Windows 2003 Client

Web Folders components shipped with Windows 2003 and Windows XP has a serious bug in Digest authentication. Web Folders does to attach Authorization header with OPTIONS requests. To allow Digest authentication OPTIONS requests must be left unauthenticated. This bug is fixed on Windows Vista SP1 RC.

We do not recommend using Digest authentication with Web Folders on Windows XP and Windows 2003. Use secure Basic authentication or NTLM/Kerberos instead.