Problem: Need to disable access to a fast cgi handler for some application pools / sites.
My solution: deny user (app pool identity) file system permissions to the executable (php-cgi.exe or php.exe for php4).
Strange: if I deny access to the user directly to the executable, all is ok - the fast cgi fails with an unexpected error. But - if I deny access to a group that contains the user, fast cgi continues to work fine.
Strange no.2: if the permissions to the php folder is System, Administrators - full control, users - read and execute, fast cgi works. If I remove the users group but add another that contains all the same users (and even everyone) - fast cgi fails. The user from the app pool for the site is not a member of the users group. the users group contains only Aspnet, authenticated users and interactive.
Environment: Vista x64 SP1, PHP 5.2.6, 4.4.8.