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Event ID 344 — Windows Media Directory Playlist Delivery

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Directory playlists are the contents of a folder that you can stream to clients much like a server-side playlist streams a sequence of content. You can configure an on-demand publishing point or a broadcast publishing point to stream files from a folder. For more information, see Sourcing from a directory.

Event Details

Product: Windows Media Services
ID: 344
Source: WMServer
Version: 9.5
Symbolic Name: WMS_EVMSG_CANNOT_READ_DIRECTORY_PLAYLIST
Message: The WMS Directory Playlist Parser cannot read the directory '%1' on publishing point '%2'.

Resolve

Specify Network Service account permissions for the directory

Windows Media Services uses the Network Service account to access digital media content and playlists that are stored in %systemdrive%\WMPub and its subdirectories. By default, the Network Service account has Read permissions to the WMPub directory and its subdirectories.

If the specified content source does not reside in %systemdrive%\WMPub or in one of its subdirectories, you must specify Read permissions on the alternate content source for the Network Service account.

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To specify Network Service account permissions for directory playlists:

  1. On the Windows Media server, open Windows Media Services. To open Windows Media Services, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Media Services.
  2. In the console tree, click the publishing point that sources from the directory.
  3. In the details pane, click the Source tab.
  4. In Content source, note the directory path (for example, C:\WMA\).
  5. In Windows Explorer, right-click the content source folder, and then click Properties.
  6. On the Security tab, click Edit.
  7. In the Permissions for <Object name> dialog box, click Add.
  8. In the Select Users, Computers, or Groups dialog box, in Enter the object names to select, type Network Service, and then click OK.
  9. In the Permissions for <Object name> dialog box, in the Group or user names area, click NETWORK SERVICE.
  10. In the Permissions for NETWORK SERVICE area, click the Allow check box for the following permissions: Read.
  11. Click OK to save the changes.

Verify

To verify that the directory playlist can be delivered to clients, test the stream by using Windows Media Player:

  1. If you want to test the stream by using Windows Media Player on the computer that is running Windows Media Services, you must install Desktop Experience. For more information, see Installing Desktop Experience.
  2. On the Windows Media server, open Windows Media Services. To open Windows Media Services, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Media Services.
  3. In the console tree, click the publishing point that hosts the stream you want to test.
  4. In the details pane, click the Announce tab, and then, in Connect to a unicast stream, note the value of the URL that a client can use to access the content.
  5. Start Windows Media Player on a computer that can access the stream, and enter the URL that you noted in the previous step.
  6. Using the Player controls, test the control functionality of the content stream. Broadcast streams can use the Start and Stop commands. On-demand streams can use the Start, Stop, and Pause commands, and the Seek bar.

Note: If some members of your expected audience will access the stream from outside your network firewall, your testing scenario should include that condition. For more information about the firewall configuration for Windows Media Services, see Firewall Information for Windows Media Services.

Windows Media Directory Playlist Delivery

Streaming Media Services