How to Configure MIME Types for IIS

Microsoft's IIS, or Internet Information Services, is a Web server included with server editions of Windows. Web servers such as IIS use MIME types that identify the file types the Web server is serving in a more detailed way than just file extensions. IIS includes a pre-configured list of MIME types, but it is fully configurable. You can add new MIME types, edit the file extension or name of an existing MIME type or remove a MIME type. You can customize MIME types for either the Web server, site or application level.

Instructions

1. Click "Start" in the Windows task bar and type "inetmgr" in the Start menu's search box. Press "Enter."

2. Navigate to a Web server, site or application in the connections pane at the left side of the IIS Manager window. Customizing MIME types for a Web server applies the setting to all sites and applications running on the Web server. Customizing MIME types for a site applies the setting to all applications under the site. Customizing MIME types for an application applies the setting to the application alone.

3. Double-click "MIME Types" in the Features View list.

4. Add a MIME type by clicking "Add" in the Actions pane, typing a file name extension--such as ".xyz" into the "File Name Extension" box--or typing a MIME type such as "application/octet-stream" into the "MIME Type" box. Click "OK."

5. Edit a MIME type by clicking its name in the list of MIME types, clicking "Edit" in the Actions pane, typing a new value into either the "File Name Extension" or "MIME Type" boxes and clicking "OK."

6. Remove a MIME type by clicking its name in the list of MIME types, clicking "Remove" in the Actions pane and clicking "Yes."

References

• Microsoft: Open IIS Manager (IIS 7)
• Microsoft: Navigation in IIS Manager (IIS 7)
• Microsoft: Add a MIME Type (IIS 7)
• Microsoft: Edit a MIME Type (IIS 7)
• Microsoft: Remove a MIME Type (IIS 7)