How do I add a new file extension / MIME type?

The following article explains how to create a MIME type for a new file extension. This will allow different file extensions to work in a web browser.

To add a new MIME type, please follow these steps:

1. Log into your server through Terminal Services or Remote Desktop Connection.
2. Click Start, select Programs, and then click Administrative Tools.
   
   • For IIS 5.0 click Internet Services Manager.
   • For IIS 6.0 click Internet Information Services.
3. In the left column you will see the Server Name.
   • In IIS 5.0, expand the Server Name to find the domain name.
   • In IIS 6.0, expand the Server Name and then Web Sites to find the domain name.
4. If you would like to add the MIME type to a specific website, right-click on the domain name and select Properties. If you would like to add MIME types globally to all websites on the server, right-click Web Sites and select Properties.
5. On the HTTP Headers tab click MIME Types.
6. Click New.
7. Enter the appropriate information:
   • Extension - the file type extension.
   • MIME type - the type of file this extension refers to (view a list of common MIME types).
   
8. Click Ok.

You may need to restart the IIS service for the MIME type to begin working.

To restart the IIS service, please follow these steps:

1. Click Start, select Run, type command to open a command prompt.
2. Type iisreset and press Enter. This will stop the IIS service and then restart it.

Note: Restarting the IIS service will temporarily suspend the web service and prevent websites from working. The reset should only take around 10 - 30 seconds to complete.