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MIME Type Settings for Windows Media Services

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Microsoft Corporation

Updated October 2000

Summary: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) types allow for the exchange of different kinds of files on the Internet. For Microsoft Windows Media files and live broadcasts to stream properly, both Web browsers and servers must have their MIME types configured to recognize Windows Media file types. Though browsers usually have their MIME types set automatically, in some cases you may need to do this manually. MIME types almost always need to be configured manually on a server. (9 printed pages)

Contents

Setting Windows Media Services MIME Types on Servers
   Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0
   Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0
   Apache
   NCSA HTTPD
   O'Reilly Website
   CERN HTTPD
   Roxen Challenger/Spinner
   Netscape Web servers
   EMWAC (NT)
   Webstar/Webstar PS (Mac)
   Glaci HTTPd (NetWare)
Browser MIME Type Considerations

Setting Windows Media Services MIME Types on Servers

Follow the procedures in this section for configuring the MIME types on your Web server for Microsoft® Windows Media™. If your server is not covered, see the Help documentation for your server.

Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0

To configure the MIME types when running Microsoft Windows NT® Server and Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Microsoft Management Console (Internet Service Manager).

  2. Select Properties for the Web site you want to update.

  3. Select HTTP Headers.

  4. Click the File Types button.

  5. Add the following file name extensions and their associated MIME types:

    File extension MIME type
    .asf video/x-ms-asf
    .asx video/x-ms-asf
    .wma audio/x-ms-wma
    .wax audio/x-ms-wax
    .wmv video/x-ms-wmv
    .wvx video/x-ms-wvx
    .wm video/x-ms-wm
    .wmx video/x-ms-wmx
    .wmz application/x-ms-wmz
    .wmd application/x-ms-wmd

  6. Click Apply. The Web site will be updated.

Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0

If you are running Windows NT Server and IIS 3.0 and want to configure the MIME types, create a registration entry file with a .reg file name extension:

  1. Open Microsoft Notepad or another text editor.

  2. Type in the following text. (Do not cut and paste the text from the Web page.)

    REGEDIT4

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet
    /Services/InetInfo/Parameters/MimeMap]

    "video/x-ms-asf,asf,,5"=""
    "video/x-ms-asf,asx,,5"=""
    "audio/x-ms-wma,wma,,5"=""
    "audio/x-ms-wax,wax,,5"=""
    "video/x-ms-wmv,wmv,,5"=""
    "video/x-ms-wvx,wvx,,5"=""
    "video/x-ms-wm,wm,,5"=""
    "video/x-ms-wmx,wmx,,5"=""
    "application/x-ms-wmz,wmz,,5"=""
    "application/x-ms-wmd,wmd,,5"=""

  3. Save the file with a .reg file name extension.

  4. Double-click on the file to add the entries to your registry.

  5. After creating this file, stop and then restart all IIS services.

Apache

  1. Ensure that you have server administration privileges. If you do not have these privileges, ask your server administrator to update these MIME type extensions.

  2. Change directories to <apache_root>/httpd/conf. 

  3. Edit the file srm.conf.

  4. Add the following lines to the end of the file, or to where the other AddType video/* entries are found:

    AddType video/x-ms-asf asf asx
    AddType audio/x-ms-wma wma
    AddType audio/x-ms-wax wax
    AddType video/x-ms-wmv wmv
    AddType video/x-ms-wvx wvx
    AddType video/x-ms-wm wm
    AddType video/x-ms-wmx wmx
    AddType application/x-ms-wmz wmz
    AddType application/x-ms-wmd wmd

    If you add these to the end of the file, make sure that the file ends with a blank line.

  5. Save changes and quit the editor.

  6. Restart the Web server.

NCSA HTTPD

  1. Ensure that you have server administration privileges. If you do not have these privileges, ask your server administrator to update these MIME type extensions.

  2. Change directories to <httpd_root>/conf. 

  3. Edit the file mimes.types.

  4. Add the following lines to the end of the file or to where the other video/* entries are found:

    video/x-ms-asf asf asx
    audio/x-ms-wma wma
    audio/x-ms-wax wax
    video/x-ms-wmv wmv
    video/x-ms-wvx wvx
    video/x-ms-wm wm
    video/x-ms-wmx wmx
    application/x-ms-wmz wmz
    application/x-ms-wmd wmd

    If you add it to the end of the file, make sure that the file ends with a blank line.

  5. Save changes and quit the editor.

  6. Restart the Web server.

O'Reilly Website

  1. Click on the ORA Website yellow gear icon (right by the clock on the Taskbar). Select Server Properties.

  2. Choose the Mapping tab.

  3. In the List Selector section, choose the Content Types radio button.

  4. In the File Extension (class) field, type .asf.

  5. In the MIME Content Type field, enter video/x-ms-asf.

  6. Click Add.

  7. Click Apply.

  8. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for the following Windows Media Services MIME types:

    File extension MIME content type
    .asx video/x-ms-asf
    .wma audio/x-ms-wma
    .wax audio/x-ms-wax
    .wmv video/x-ms-wmv
    .wvx video/x-ms-wvx
    .wm video/x-ms-wm
    .wmx video/x-ms-wmx
    .wmz application/x-ms-wmz
    .wmd application/x-ms-wmd

  9. Click OK.

  10. Save changes and quit the editor.

  11. Restart the Web server.

CERN HTTPD

  1. Make sure that you have server administration privileges. If you do not have these privileges, ask your server administrator to update these MIME type extensions.

  2. Change directories to <httpd_root>/conf. 

  3. Edit the file mimes.types.

  4. Add the following lines to the end of the file or to where the other AddType ... video/* entries are found:

    AddType .asf video/x-ms-asf binary
    AddType .asx video/x-ms-asf binary
    AddType .wma audio/x-ms-wma binary
    AddType .wax audio/x-ms-wax binary
    AddType .wmv video/x-ms-wmv binary
    AddType .wvx video/x-ms-wvx binary
    AddType .wm video/x-ms-wm binary
    AddType .wmx video/x-ms-wmx binary
    AddType .wmz application/x-ms-wmz binary
    AddType .wmd application/x-ms-wmd binary

    If you add these to the end of the file, make sure that the file ends with a blank line.

  5. Save changes and quit the editor.

  6. Restart the Web server.

Roxen Challenger/Spinner

(Roxen Challenger is the more recent release of Spinner.)

  1. Make sure that you have server administration privileges. If you do not have these privileges, ask your server administrator to update these MIME type extensions.

  2. Change directories to <webserver_root>/etc. 

  3. Edit the file extensions.

  4. Add the following lines to the end of the file:

    asf    video/x-ms-asf
    asx    video/x-ms-asf
    wma    audio/x-ms-wma
    wax    audio/x-ms-wax
    wmv   video/x-ms-wmv
    wvx    video/x-ms-wvx
    wm    video/x-ms-wm
    wmx    video/x-ms-wmx
    wmz    application/x-ms-wmz
    wmd    application/x-ms-wmd

  5. Save changes and quit the editor.

  6. Restart the Web server.

Netscape Web servers

  1. Make sure you have server administration privileges. If you do not have these privileges, ask your server administrator to update these MIME type extensions.

  2. Change directories to <netscape-server_root>\config. 

  3. Edit the file mime.types.

  4. Add the following line to the end of the file or to where the other type=video/* entries are found:

    type=video/x-ms-asf    exts=asf,asx
    type=audio/x-ms-wma    exts=wma
    type=audio/x-ms-wax    exts=wax
    type=video/x-ms-wmv    ext=wmv
    type=video/v-ms-wvx    ext=wvx
    type=video/x-ms-wm    ext=wm
    type=video/v-ms-wmx    ext=wmx
    type=application/x-ms-wmz    ext=wmz
    type=application/v-ms-wmd    ext=wmd

    If you add these to the end of the file, make sure that the file ends with a blank line.

  5. Save changes and quit the editor.

  6. Restart the Web server.

EMWAC (NT)

  1. Make sure you have server administration privileges. If you do not have these privileges, ask your server administrator to update these MIME type extensions.

  2. Open the HTTP server Control Panel applet.

  3. Click the New Mapping button.

  4. In the Extension field, type ASF.

  5. In the MIME type text box enter:

    video/x-ms-asf

  6. Click OK.

  7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for the following Windows Media Services MIME types:

    Extension MIME Type
    ASX video/x-ms-asf
    WMA audio/x-ms-wma
    WAX audio/x-ms-wax
    WMV video/x-ms-wmv
    WVX video/x-ms-wvx
    WM video/x-ms-wm
    WMX video/x-ms-wmx
    WMZ application/x-ms-wmz
    WMD application/x-ms-wmd

  8. Quit the editor and save changes.

  9. Restart the Web server.

Webstar/Webstar PS (Mac)

  1. Open the WebSTAR Admin application.

  2. Open the Configure menu and select Suffix Mapping.

  3. Make the following settings for each parameter:

    Parameter Setting
    Action BINARY
    File Suffix .asf
    File Type *
    MIME Type video/x-ms-asf
    Creator *

  4. Click on Add to add the new suffix mapping.

  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each of each file type:

    Set File Suffix MIME Type
    ASX video/x-ms-asf
    WMA audio/x-ms-wma
    WAX audio/x-ms-wax
    WMV video/x-ms-wmv
    WVX video/x-ms-wvx
    WM video/x-ms-wm
    WMX video/x-ms-wmx
    WMZ application/x-ms-wmz
    WMD application/x-ms-wmd

  6. Click on Update to apply the changes.

Glaci HTTPd (NetWare)

  1. Make sure you have server administration privileges. If you do not have these privileges, ask your server administrator to update these MIME type extensions.

  2. Change directories to <glaci_root> (usually SYS:\ETC). Edit the file mimetype.cfg.

  3. Add the following lines to the end of the file or to where the other audio/*, video/*, and application/* entries are found:

    audio/x-ms-wma wma 
    audio/x-ms-wax wax

    video/x-ms-wmv wmv 
    video/x-ms-wvx wvx 
    video/x-ms-wm wm
    video/x-ms-wmx wmx 
    video/x-ms-asf asf asx

    application/x-ms-wmz wmz
    application/x-ms-wmd wmd

    If you add it to the end of the file, make sure that the file ends with a blank line.

  4. Save changes and quit the editor.

  5. Restart the Web server.

Browser MIME Type Considerations

Browser MIME types should be set automatically when Windows Media Player is installed. If you have Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0 or higher or Netscape Navigator 3.0 or higher, the MIME type is set automatically. This is true even when you install Internet Explorer or Navigator after installing the Windows Media Player. If you are having MIME type problems, reinstall Windows Media Player.

If you're using a browser other than Microsoft Internet Explorer, AOL, Opera, or Netscape Navigator (or if you've installed a browser after installing Windows Media Player), you may need to set the MIME types. The best way to do this is to reinstall Windows Media Player. To change these settings manually, refer to your browser documentation to determine how to add the following settings:

Extension MIME Type
ASX video/x-ms-asf
WMA audio/x-ms-wma
WAX audio/x-ms-wax
WMV video/x-ms-wmv
WVX video/x-ms-wvx
WM video/x-ms-wm
WMX video/x-ms-wmx
WMZ application/x-ms-wmz
WMD application/x-ms-wmd

For the helper application, specify wmplayer.exe (Windows Media Player 7) or mplayer2.exe (versions prior to 7). 

Reinstalling the Player will typically set the MIME types for newly installed browsers. To make settings in Windows Media Player version 6.1, on the View menu, click Options. Then click the Formats tab and select the check boxes of the file types you want to associate with the Player. The Windows Media Player will register all selected file types in the Web browsers.