Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 releases: Beta 3, RC0

After installing Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Media Services on Windows Vista, the Windows Media Services snap-in for MMC may not be able to access the remote Windows Media server. You may encounter one or both of the following error messages:

Error Code: 0x80070005

Error Text: The account that you are using to run Windows Media Services requires access to the directory or file. Verify that the Network Service account has permissions to access the directory or file.

-or-

Error Code: 0x800706BA

Error Text: The RPC server is unavailable.

Access permissions for Remote Server Administration tools may not be configured correctly on the Windows Media server. In addition, Windows Firewall may not be configured to allow Windows Media Instrumentation (WMI) to communicate through the firewall. Perform the following procedures on the Windows Media server computer to correct these issues:

To create access permissions for Remote Server Administration Tools

1. Open Component Services. (Click Start, click Run, and then type dcomcnfg.)

2. In the Component Services console tree, under Component Services, right-click the local computer (My Computer), and then click Properties.

3. On the COM Security tab, in the Access Permissions area, click Edit Limits.

4. In the Access Permission dialog box, on the Security tab, click ANONYMOUS LOGON.

5. In the Permissions for ANONYMOUS LOGON area, make sure that the Allow Remote Access check box is selected.

To enable an exception for WMI in Windows Firewall

1. Open Windows Firewall. (Click Start, click Run, and type firewall.cpl.)

2. In Windows Firewall Settings, on the Exceptions tab, select the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) check box.

Note

Remote Server Administration Tools provides role administration tools that let administrators remotely manage servers that are running Windows Server 2008. The Streaming Media Services role is not supported by this feature in Windows Server 2008. However, you can install Remote Server Administration Tools for the Streaming Media Services role on a computer that is running Windows Vista. For more information, see article 934518, "How to install Windows Media Services in Windows Server 2008," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 releases: IDS_C, Beta 2, Beta 3

In Server Manager, after installation of the Streaming Media Services role is completed, the role is not displayed in Server Manager.

Restart Server Manager to display the Streaming Media Services role and begin managing your Windows Media server.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 releases: IDS_C, Beta 2

In Server Manager, you can install either of the following Windows Media Services role services:

• Web-based Administration
  
  
• Logging Agent
  
  

If you do, the following additional server roles are installed:

• Web Server (IIS)
  
  
• Windows Activation Service (WAS)
  
  

After you complete the installation of the Windows Media Services role services, the Installation Summary page indicates that the IIS server role failed to install. This is an erroneous indication; the IIS server role actually installs successfully.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 release: Beta 2

In Server Manager, if you install only the Windows Media Services role service Web-based Administration to manage external Windows Media servers, you will not be able to manage external Windows Media servers using Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web because the Windows Media Administration site is not created in Web Server (IIS) Manager.

To fix this problem, in Server Manager, install the Windows Media Services server role as well as the Windows Media Services role service Web-based Administration. This will allow the Windows Media Administration site to be created in IIS.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 release: Beta 2

In Server Manager, you cannot uninstall the Windows Media Services role, and then install it to return all Windows Media server settings to their default values. To restore the default settings after reinstallation, you can replace the ServerNamespace.xml file with a backup copy from the original installation.

To restore default Windows Media server settings

1. In Server Manager, install the Windows Media Services role.

2. In %SystemRoot%\System32\Windows Media\Server, create a copy of the ServerNamespace.xml file and rename the file copy to ServerNamespace.bak.

3. After a subsequent reinstallation, stop the Windows Media Services service. (In Services, click Windows Media Services, and then, on the Action menu, click Stop.)

4. Delete the newly-installed ServerNamespace.xml file.

5. Rename ServerNamespace.bak to ServerNamespace.xml.

6. Start the Windows Media Services service. (In Services, click Windows Media Services, and then, on the Action menu, click Start.)

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 release: Beta 2

In Server Manager, if you install the Windows Media Services role service Web-based Administration, the Web Server (IIS) server role is also installed. However, the default security authentication packages in IIS, which are required for Web-based administration of Windows Media Services, are not installed.

After installation, Windows Media Services Administrator for the Web cannot establish a secure connection to the Windows Media Administration site because Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is not enabled. You will not be able to enable SSL until you install the required security authentication package in IIS.

To install the IIS Security role service Basic Authentication

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

2. In Server Manager, under Manage Roles, click Web Server (IIS).

3. In the details pane, click Add role services.

4. In the Add Role Services Wizard, on the Select Role Services page, select the Security role service Basic Authentication for the Web Server role.

5. Complete the wizard.

Note

You can complete this procedure either before or after installing the Web-based Administration role service for the Windows Media Services role.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 release: Beta 2

In Windows Media Playlist Editor, in the Add Media Elements dialog box, when you click the Browse button to add content to a server-side playlist, the Browse dialog box that is used to locate the content does not open.

To add content to your server-side playlists, type the path or URL to the content in the Location of content box, and then click the Add button. For more information, see "Adding media elements to the playlist file" in Windows Media Services Help.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 releases: IDS_C, Beta 2

The Network Service user account does not have the appropriate level of file and folder permissions for the default folder WMRoot. Normally, the Network Service user account is assigned Modify, Read & Execute, Read, and Write permissions. Windows Media Services, which runs under the Network Service user account, requires these permissions for any activity that requires reading and writing data, for example, creating and modifying playlists, logging, archiving broadcasts, and accessing digital media files. Make sure that the Network Service user account is added to the access list for WMRoot and that the appropriate permissions are granted. For more information, see "Understanding rights" in Windows Media Services Help.

Note

If you want to save your playlist files on another computer or network drive, you must first grant share permissions to the Windows Media server. The Windows Media server cannot write files to a remote network drive if the server has not been granted permissions.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 release: Beta 2

In the Windows Media Services snap-in or in the Windows Media Administration site, if you start Windows Media Performance Monitor, you can add counters from Windows Media Services and Windows Media Publishing Points performance objects to Windows Media Services Performance Monitor; however, the counters cannot be monitored—the display does not respond.

Instead, add counters from the Windows Media Services and Windows Media Publishing Points performance objects to Performance Monitor in the Performance Diagnostic Console.

To view Performance Monitor in the Performance Diagnostic Console

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Performance Diagnostic Console.

2. In Performance Diagnostic Console, under Monitoring Tools, click Performance Monitor.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 release: IDS_C

In the Windows Media Services snap-in or in the Windows Media Administration site, if you try to start Windows Media Performance Monitor, you will receive an "Invalid Pointer" error.

Add counters from the Windows Media Services and Windows Media Publishing Points performance objects to Performance Monitor in the Reliability and Performance Console and monitor them there instead.

To view Performance Monitor in Reliability and Performance Monitor

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Reliability and Performance Monitor.

2. In Reliability and Performance Monitor, under Monitoring Tools, click Performance Monitor.

Applies to the following Windows Server 2008 release: Beta 2

If you automatically install Windows Media Services by using the Unattend.xml file, the following items are either not installed or not configured:

• The default publishing points are not installed.
  
  
• WMS Anonymous User Authentication plug-ins are not configured.
  
  

Perform the following procedures to install the default publishing points and to configure and enable WMS Anonymous User Authentication plug-ins.

To install the default publishing points

1. Stop the Windows Media Services service. (In Services, click Windows Media Services, and then, on the Action menu, click Stop.)

2. Run the Windows Media Services Initial Configuration Tool (WMSServerConfig.exe), which is located in %SystemRoot%\System32\Windows Media\Server.

3. Start the Windows Media Services service. (In Services, click Windows Media Services, and then, on the Action menu, click Start.)

To configure and enable WMS Anonymous User Authentication plug-ins

1. In Windows Media Services, click the server or publishing point for which you want to configure the plug-in.

2. In the details pane, click the Properties tab.

3. In Category, click Authentication.

4. In Plug-in, select WMS Anonymous User Authentication, and then click the Properties button.

5. In User name, type the user name of a valid user account on your system for anonymous users to use when accessing content.

6. In Password, type the password for the user account.

7. In Confirm password, type the password again to verify that you entered it correctly.

8. In the details pane, click the Enable button.