Arnout blogs

Everyday solutions
Arnout blogs header image 2
← Script to rename Network Connections Remove partition – edit bootmanager →

Windows Media Player Firefox plugin on Server operating systems

May 27th, 2008 · 29 Comments

When installing the Windows Media Player Firefox Plugin (Download here) on Windows Server 2008, I received the following error:

Package does not support server operating systems

Package does not support server operating systems

I extracted wmpfirefoxplugin.exe with Winrar. This archive contains ffplugin.msi. I used Orca edit this msi file. Orca is (only) available in the Windows Installer SDK: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255905

Look for LaunchCondition:

Lookf for LaunchCondition

Remove the row MsiNTProductType = 1:

Drop Row MsiNTProductType = 1

Save the MSI. You can now install the plugin by doubleclicking the msi.

Edit:

When running the installer on Windows Server 2003 SP1, the following “error” occured:

Image

I modified the msi with Orca once more, so the plugin now also works on Windows Server 2003 SP1:

Image

<2009/05/07: download removed>
convert this post to pdf.

Tags: Microsoft Windows

29 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Martin // Jun 5, 2008 at 2:06 am

    Hi,

    could you possibly post the modified file here – somewhere? I’m too running w2k8 and don’t feel like installing more MS stuff than I need.

    Would very much appreciate your help and spread the word! :)

    Kind regards,
    Martin

  • 2 Arnout // Jun 5, 2008 at 4:23 pm

    I’m not sure it’s entirely legal, but I’ve added the files to the post.

  • 3 Martin // Jun 5, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    Superstar!

  • 4 Gorkem PACACI // Jul 19, 2008 at 2:53 am

    Thanks, it worked straight away!

    I’ve downloaded orca from the link in this post:
    http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2004/07/12/180792.aspx

  • 5 Scott // Nov 26, 2008 at 11:54 am

    Thank you!!!!!

  • 6 KnightHawk // Dec 28, 2008 at 7:47 pm

    Thank you for posted the tweeked installer, saved me so much time!

  • 7 Wiebe // Dec 29, 2008 at 7:08 pm

    Thanks a lot…

  • 8 Skylab404 // Jan 1, 2009 at 6:33 pm

    Thanks man, saved a whole bunch of time!

  • 9 Namitara // Jan 31, 2009 at 8:01 pm

    Tried this on Windows 2003 SP1. Errors out saying “Package requires Windows XP SP2 or greater”. Any idea if I’m missing something?

  • 10 arnout // Feb 2, 2009 at 12:40 pm

    Hi Namitara,

    I edited the post and the plugin. It should work for you know.

  • 11 hussein // Mar 13, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    thanks

  • 12 Flash-xD // Apr 26, 2009 at 6:23 pm

    Thank you so much my fried! I used your wmpfirefoxplugin and it works perfectely on windows server 2008 standard.

  • 13 Deadly // May 7, 2009 at 10:36 am

    Excellent! Thank you. You’ve save me some time.

    I’ve seen the same Server OS restriction in other Windows Media components. The same MSI InstallCondition table hack resolved the issue then too. In those cases I could never see any good reason why from browsing in the MSI anyway. Probably just an arbitary marketing decision, after all, why would anyone ever need to view video in a web browser from a Server???

    Oh, and yes. Posting the modified MSI is likely illegal.

    [ Actually, maybe not criminally illegal, but you are infringing MS's copyright. Be careful, these days, from some points of view, that makes you almost as bad as child molesters and terrorists. ]

  • 14 arnout // May 7, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    Good point. The point of the post is explaining howto modify the MSI, so there’s no reason – except maybe saving time or helping the lazy – to leave the download in this post.

  • 15 Turk // May 21, 2009 at 5:44 am

    I didn’t feel like downloading and installing all the extra junk, so I did it with a hex editor…

    Step 1: rename file to “wmpfirefoxplugin.exe.rar”

    Step 2: hex edit (I used hex workshop) the “ffplugin.msi” file and search for the string “MsiNTProductType = 1″ and replace it with spaces.

    Step 3: save the file, and run “ffplugin.msi”.

  • 16 Turk // May 21, 2009 at 5:44 am

    Sorry…

    Step 1.5: Extract the files using winrar.

  • 17 arnout // May 22, 2009 at 9:50 am

    Cool,

    Thanks for sharing this!

  • 18 sufi // May 27, 2009 at 3:44 pm

    thanks

  • 19 kostas // Jul 24, 2009 at 1:33 am

    as i see the posted file is removed…
    fucking microsoft… ruling the world is not enough?
    but wait… the time of changes is not far….!!

  • 20 arnout // Jul 24, 2009 at 10:46 am

    Well, I can’t agree with you there. It’s free software. I think it’s only fair the set some conditions (if any)

    Besides that I’m not even sure if it’s “illegal” to offer the modified file on my site. I just didn’t bother to check.

  • 21 blah // Aug 5, 2009 at 11:24 am

    haha, the hex edit worked great. thanks!

  • 22 michan // Aug 20, 2009 at 12:56 pm

    They seem to have updated wmpfirefoxplugin.exe, because ffplugin.msi isn’t there.

  • 23 arnout // Aug 22, 2009 at 9:43 am

    Hi Michan,,

    I just downloaded it and extracted it with winrar. The ffplugin.msi is still present!?

  • 24 Instalar plugin do Windows Media Player para o Firefox no Windows Server 2008 - Tiago Salgado // Sep 20, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    [...] esta dica aqui :D Published 23-5-2009 20:13 por Tiago Salgado Filed under: Microsoft, software, dicas, firefox, [...]

  • 25 Spartacus // Sep 30, 2009 at 5:58 pm

    First, thank you very much for this simple solution.

    I am really getting angry at this “Won’t install on server versions” even though the program works perfectly.

    For the people that don’t want to download Orca and all (The Orca download link on the tutorial doesn’t work anyways)

    I uploaded the modified version, it will work on wither 2003 or 2008.

    Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EH6IK54T

    Again thank you for the solution.

  • 26 Yakine // Nov 5, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    OMG it works

    thx Spartacus you rock man !

  • 27 Stu // Nov 10, 2009 at 2:55 am

    Other solution: use XVI32 or another hex editor of your choice, open ffplugin.msi, look for MsiNTProductType and change the = with a >

  • 28 LAZAROS // Dec 18, 2009 at 3:47 am

    Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EH6IK54T
    the ling doesent work . pls help me

  • 29 arnout // Dec 18, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    Lazaros,

    you can use the method I described and make a modified version yourself.

Leave a Comment