Adding file types for Unified Update Platform on premises

[Paul_Reed]

Two file types are required for the on-premises update management with Unified Update Platform. In July we announced a private preview of the Unified Update Platform (UUP) for organizations to manage updates on premises. This preview prepares you to experience your Windows updates in a unified format, no matter the channel through which you get these updates. If you are one of these IT admins in the private preview or plan on trying it out in the future, this brief update is just for you.

Specifically, we have observed that if you use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), you need to add .msu and .wim MIME types on your WSUS servers to support UUP on premises. There are two ways to add the file types: manually and using PowerShell.

Manual addition of file types

Follow these steps to add the required file types manually:

1. On your Windows Server install, open Server Manager.
2. Select Internet Information Services (IIS) in the left column.
3. Right click on your server in the list of servers.
4. Select Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
5. Select your server from the connections list on the left side of the window that opens.
6. In the center pane, scroll down and double click MIME Types.
7. On the right, select Add.
8. Create a MIME Type with the extension ".wim" and the MIME Type "application/x-ms-wim." See the following image.
   
   The MIME Types dialog in the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager showing how to add a .wim file type
9. Select Add again.
10. Create a MIME Type with the extension ".msu" and the MIME Type "application/octet-stream." See the following image.
    
    The MIME Types dialog in the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager showing how to add a .msu file type

Note: Make sure you are adding the MIME types to the root, and not to the sites.

PowerShell addition of file extensions

Alternatively, you can use PowerShell to add the file extensions. Here are some sample PowerShell commands that you can use.

# Remove msu and wim if added previously to IIS server
& $Env:WinDir\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set config /section:staticContent /-"[fileExtension='.msu']"
& $Env:WinDir\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set config /section:staticContent /-"[fileExtension='.wim']"

# Add msu and wim to IIS server
& $Env:WinDir\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set config /section:staticContent /+"[fileExtension='.msu',mimeType='application/octet-stream']"
& $Env:WinDir\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set config /section:staticContent /+"[fileExtension='.wim',mimeType='application/x-ms-wim']"

That's it! This additional step will ensure that your private and public preview experience is smooth and effective at preparing you for the transition to UUP servicing by early 2023.

If you are interested in signing up for the private preview, please see Preview Unified Update Platform for on-premises update management for more information.

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