Issues with WordPress on Windows Server

We have a new WordPress site that is on, what turns out to be, a windows server.

WordPress has always been able to automatically display the 404.php template if searchers land on an old page, or a non-existent page. We are now seeing that this does NOT work on a Windows server – and the host is pretty useless in being able to offer any help.

Besides moving the site altogether – are there any workarounds?

I’m thinking the simplest thing to do would be to dig up the old HTML pages that keep displaying in Google, and add a line to redirect to its NEW WordPress page?

It may be a while before Google stops displaying the old, removed HTML pages, correct?

To see what I’m talking about – in Google, search for the phrase:

food services inc

The homepage works fine, of course, but Google displays a bunch of other old pages and this Windows host doesn’t jive with WordPress’s 404 abilities.

HOpe this makes sense.