Windows Media Player 12 wont play mp4, mp3, wmv files through IIS local hosted website when PC is discoected from the Internet

I have an IIS 6.1 website on a local Windows 7 32-bit machine that serves HTML and MP4 videos through Inteet Explorer all on the local machine. An inteet coection is not required as this is all local storage and local hosting via IIS. IIS is configured to serve the MP4 videos as downloadable files, not streaming in any way. I do have the proper MIME type ".mp4" with "video/mp4" setup in the IIS server, so I do not believe that is the problem.

When the machine is coected to the inteet, clicking an MP4 video link in any HTML page served by the local IIS server results in Windows Media Player opening up and playing the video in its own window. However, when the Etheet cable is unplugged, clicking the same MP4 video link results in Windows Media Player opening its own window, then displaying this error message:

Windows Media Player caot play the file. If the file is located on the Inteet, coect to the Inteet. If the file is located on a removable storage card, insert the storage card.

It is almost as if Windows Media Player has a bug and since it is accessing this media file via a URL but the machine is not coected to a network, it thinks this file is unplayable.

When the Etheet cable is discoected, the local IIS server still serves all the HTML and ActiveX content except for media files. I also tried to access MP3 and WMV files through the IIS server to see if Windows Media Player would open those when the machine is discoected from the Inteet. Those files also caused Windows Media Player to display the same error message.

I tested VLC player (VideoLAN) after changing file extension ownership to VLC from WMP for .mp4 files. With VLC installed and extension ownership changed to VLS, I can download/open the MP4 video using the link in the web page served by IIS all while discoected from the inteet. The only thing I caot do is get VLC player to open up and play the video simply by clicking the link in the Inteet explorer web pages served up by the local IIS server.

I would like to make use of Inteet Explorer and Windows Media Player with this IIS server serving MP4 videos rather than use VLC player.

Thanks

Michael Rayman

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