What is MIME type "application/x-mscardfile"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

application/x-mscardfile is a MIME type that tells a computer a file contains Microsoft card data. It was designed for contact information stored in a simple digital card format.

The file that uses this type is CRD. This format was common in older versions of Windows and in applications like Microsoft Cardfile.

• Key fact: It holds basic contact details such as names, addresses, and phone numbers.
• Key fact: The "x-" prefix means it is a non-standard or experimental type defined by Microsoft.
• Use case: Opening or importing contact files in programs that support legacy Windows data.
• Use case: Transitioning older contact records to modern systems.

This MIME type helps programs determine how to manage the file content. Modern systems now favor other formats like vCard, but application/x-mscardfile played an important role in early Windows-based contact management. For further technical details, see this reference.

Associated file extensions

.crd

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:

    Content-Type: application/x-mscardfile
  

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:

    <a href="file.dat" type="application/x-mscardfile">Download file</a>
  

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:

    const http = require('http');
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-mscardfile');
      res.end('Content here');
    }).listen(3000);
  

Associated file extensions

.crd