Installing Windows Media Services

IT professionals will quickly recognize that the installation process for Windows Media Services on Windows Server 2008 R2 is not as simplistic as it was with previous Windows Server operating systems. In the past, an IT professional would simply add the Windows Media Services component through Add and Remove Programs as it was included with the base Windows Server operating system. With Windows Server 2008 R2, more steps are involved in the installation process. Windows Media Services is no longer included with the Windows Server 2008 R2 family of operating systems, as it is offered as a separate out-of-band download. Therefore, IT professionals will need to download the Microsoft Update Standalone (MUS) package from the Microsoft website and install it on Windows Server 2008 R2. Unlike Windows Server 2008, there is only one MUS package that needs to be downloaded for all editions of Windows Server 2008 R2. After the installation is complete, the next step is to add the Streaming Media Services role in Server Manager.

Downloading the Windows Media Services Source Files

As mentioned earlier, the first step when installing the Windows Media Services role on Windows Server 2008 R2 is to obtain the Windows Media Services for Windows Server 2008 R2 installer files from the Microsoft website.