asp.net mvc - MapRoute behaving differently depending on URI -

i have mvc pattern where, backwards compatibility of website migration, need support 2 specific .php files. 1 (mywebsite.com/afolder/select.php) behaves perfectly: controller called right action. other not (mywebsite.com/index.php). in latter case browser redirects (or gets redirected) mywebsite.com (default home controller, index method).

my routeconfig.cs:

public static void registerroutes(routecollection routes) {     routes.maproute(         name: "php2",         url: "afolder/select.php",         defaults: new { controller = "testtt", action = "foo" }         );     routes.maproute(         name: "php1",         url: "index.php",         defaults: new { controller = "testtt", action = "foo" }         );      routes.ignoreroute("{resource}.axd/{*pathinfo}");      routes.maproute(         name: "default",         url: "{controller}/{action}/{id}",         defaults: new { controller = "home", action = "index", id = urlparameter.optional }     );  } 

my web.config:

<system.webserver>   <handlers>     <add name="phphandler1" path="index.php" verb="get" type="system.web.handlers.transferrequesthandler" precondition="integratedmode,runtimeversionv4.0" />     <add name="phphandler2" path="afolder/select.php" verb="get" type="system.web.handlers.transferrequesthandler" precondition="integratedmode,runtimeversionv4.0" />     <remove name="extensionlessurlhandler-integrated-4.0" />     <remove name="optionsverbhandler" />     <remove name="traceverbhandler" />     <add name="extensionlessurlhandler-integrated-4.0" path="*." verb="*" type="system.web.handlers.transferrequesthandler" precondition="integratedmode,runtimeversionv4.0" />   </handlers> </system.webserver> 

fwiw controller too:

public class testttcontroller : controller {     public actionresult foo()     {         return view();     } } 

(setting breakpoint inside foo gets hit on /afolder/select.php not on /index.php)

it's index.php being in root rather subfolder makes behave differently. ideas why?

after going around in circles months (on , off) , last couple of days intensively, found way - still url rewriting not using web.config rules. ignore op - far simpler 2 .php page requests need handle. provided here such might useful someone.

handlers in web.config:

<add name="phphandler1" path="index.php" verb="get" type="system.web.handlers.transferrequesthandler" precondition="integratedmode,runtimeversionv4.0" /> <add name="phphandler2" path="foo/select.php" verb="get" type="system.web.handlers.transferrequesthandler" precondition="integratedmode,runtimeversionv4.0" /> 

global.asax.cs:

protected void application_beginrequest(object sender, eventargs e) {     string fulloriginalpath = request.url.tostring();     if (fulloriginalpath.contains("index.php"))     {         context.rewritepath("/redirect/index");     }     [...+select.php, etc...] } 

simplified brevity, no error/exception handling shown. standard controller called redirecthandler index returning actionresult (or whatever).