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6 Appendix A: Product Behavior

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The information in this specification is applicable to the following Microsoft products or supplemental software. References to product versions include updates to those products.

The terms "earlier" and "later", when used with a product version, refer to either all preceding versions or all subsequent versions, respectively. The term "through" refers to the inclusive range of versions. Applicable Microsoft products are listed chronologically in this section.

Windows Client

  • Windows XP operating system Service Pack 1 (SP1)

  • Windows Vista operating system

  • Windows 7 operating system

  • Windows 8 operating system

  • Windows 8.1 operating system

  • Windows 10 operating system

  • Windows 11 operating system

Windows Server

  • Windows Server 2003 operating system

  • Windows Server 2008 operating system

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system

  • Windows Server 2012 operating system

  • Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system

  • Windows Server 2016 operating system

  • Windows Server operating system

  • Windows Server 2019 operating system

  • Windows Server 2022 operating system

  • Windows Server 2025 operating system

Exceptions, if any, are noted in this section. If an update version, service pack or Knowledge Base (KB) number appears with a product name, the behavior changed in that update. The new behavior also applies to subsequent updates unless otherwise specified. If a product edition appears with the product version, behavior is different in that product edition.

Unless otherwise specified, any statement of optional behavior in this specification that is prescribed using the terms "SHOULD" or "SHOULD NOT" implies product behavior in accordance with the SHOULD or SHOULD NOT prescription. Unless otherwise specified, the term "MAY" implies that the product does not follow the prescription.

<1> Section 2.1:  Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system support only RTSP using TCP.

<2> Section 2.1: Windows Media Format 9 Series SDK, Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later support NTLM, Digest (as specified in [RFC2617]), and Negotiate (as specified in [RFC4559]) authentication. Basic authentication is supported only when challenged by a proxy server. Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 support NTLM, Digest, and Negotiate authentication. Authentication protocols on the server are disabled by default and can be selectively enabled by the server administrator.

<3> Section 2.2.5.5: For compatibility with Windows Media Format 9 Series SDK, Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, and for compatibility with all of the RTSP implementations on Windows Vista and Windows 7, the URL specified on the control attribute for this stream is "rtx".

<4> Section 2.2.6.2.9: Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 do not provide the x-wms-content-size directive when the content being streamed by the server is a playlist.

<5> Section 2.2.6.2.10: The Windows Media Format 9 Series SDK, the Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later support only the remote-log event.

<6> Section 2.2.6.2.11: This directive is supported only by Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003.

<7> Section 2.2.6.2.12: This directive is supported only by Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003.

<8> Section 2.2.6.7: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 ignore this directive if sent following a rewind.

<9> Section 2.2.6.10: The client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 ignore the Supported header when received in a request or response.

<10> Section 2.2.6.10.1: This rule is not adhered to by the client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<11> Section 2.2.6.10.1: Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 operating system with Service Pack 1 (SP1) ignores this token and sends the EndOfStream request.

<12> Section 2.2.6.10.2: This rule is not adhered to by the client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<13> Section 2.2.6.10.4: This rule is not adhered to by the client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<14> Section 2.2.6.10.6: This rule is not adhered to by the client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<15> Section 2.2.6.10.7: This rule is not adhered to by the client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<16> Section 2.2.6.10.8: This rule is not adhered to by the client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<17> Section 2.2.6.10.8: The X-StartupProfile header is supported by Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and by the server implementation in Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003 with SP1 and Windows Server 2003 operating system with Service Pack 2 (SP2).

<18> Section 2.2.6.28: This header is supported by the Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003 with SP1.

<19> Section 3.1: The Windows Media Format 9 Series SDK, Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003 do not support transitions in or out of the RECORD state.

<20> Section 3.1.5.1: The client-guid syntax element is not sent by Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK. An update is available from Microsoft to correct this problem.

<21> Section 3.1.5.1: Whether the same GUID is used for all sessions or changed between different sessions is determined by how the user has configured Windows Media Player and/or the Windows Media Format SDK.

<22> Section 3.1.5.1: The com.microsoft.wm.startupprofile token is specified only by Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later.

<23> Section 3.1.5.1: Only Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003 supports sending the X-Proxy-Client-Agent and X-Proxy-Client-Verb headers.

<24> Section 3.1.5.2: This rule is not adhered to by the client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<25> Section 3.1.5.4: The Windows Media Format 9 Series SDK, Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Server 2008 R2 and later support NTLM, Digest (as specified in [RFC2617]), and Negotiate (as specified in [RFC4559]) authentication. Basic authentication (as specified in [RFC2617]) is only supported when challenged by a proxy server.

<26> Section 3.1.5.4: The client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 does not check if Server-features indicate that the server supports com.microsoft.wm.srvppair (section 2.2.6.10.6).

<27> Section 3.1.5.6: The client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 does not check whether Server-features indicate that the server supports com.microsoft.wm.srvppair (section 2.2.6.10.6).

<28> Section 3.1.5.15: This rule is not adhered to by the client role in Windows Media Format 9 Series Software Development Kit (SDK), Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<29> Section 3.2: Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003 does not support transitions in or out of the RECORD state.

<30> Section 3.2.5.2: The com.microsoft.wm.startupprofile token is specified only by Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003 with SP1.

<31> Section 3.2.5.7: The variable-size parameter is only supported by Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

<32> Section 3.2.5.8: The actual acceleration provided by Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 is limited to 2Mbps.

<33> Section 3.2.5.8: The AccelDuration parameter of the X-Accelerate-Streaming token specified by Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 could be larger than the client-specified value.

<34> Section 3.2.5.9: Windows Media Services on Windows NT 4.0 operating system, Windows Media Services on Windows 2000 Server operating system, Windows Media Player 6, Windows Media Format 7.0 SDK, Windows Media Format 7.1 SDK, Windows Media Player for Windows XP operating system, Windows Media Format 9 Series SDK, Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 will not fail a logging request for invalid or illegal syntax.

<35> Section 3.2.5.12: Windows Media Services on Windows NT 4.0, Windows Media Services on Windows 2000 Server, Windows Media Player 6, Windows Media Format 7.0 SDK, Windows Media Format 7.1 SDK, Windows Media Player for Windows XP, Windows Media Format 9 Series SDK, Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK, Windows Vista and later, and Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 will not fail a logging request for invalid or illegal syntax.