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

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

application/x-msmoney is a MIME type used by Microsoft Money software.
It tells your computer how to handle files that store personal finance data.
The format holds information like transactions, accounts, and budgets. The main file linked to this type is MNY.

Financial Management: Stores detailed records for budgeting and expense tracking.
Data Organization: Keeps account summaries, transactions, and financial reports structured.
Backup & Restore: Lets you save and recover your financial data securely.
Data Exchange: Supports importing and exporting data within Microsoft Money, easing financial analysis.

For more details on MIME types and their roles, see this MDN resource.

Associated file extensions

.mny

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

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


    Content-Type: application/x-msmoney

HTML

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


    <a href="file.dat" type="application/x-msmoney">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-msmoney');    
      res.end('Content here');    
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.mny

FAQs

What kind of data does application/x-msmoney describe?

This MIME type represents the proprietary database format used by the discontinued Microsoft Money software. It is primarily associated with files ending in .mny, which contain a user's complete financial history, including accounts, transactions, and budget configurations.

How do I configure a web server to handle .mny files?

To ensure browsers download these files correctly, you must map the extension to the MIME type. For Apache, add AddType application/x-msmoney .mny to your configuration or .htaccess file. For Nginx, include application/x-msmoney mny; inside your mime.types block.

Why does my browser download the file instead of displaying it?

Web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge do not have built-in engines to render Microsoft Money databases. When a server sends the application/x-msmoney header, the browser recognizes it as a binary file requiring external software and triggers a download prompt.

Is application/x-msmoney the same as OFX or QIF?

No, these are different formats. application/x-msmoney is a full database file for a specific application, whereas formats like OFX (Open Financial Exchange) and QIF (Quicken Interchange Format) are text-based standards used to transfer transaction lists between different banks and software programs.

How can I open a file with this MIME type on Windows 10 or 11?

Since Microsoft Money was discontinued, you must install the Microsoft Money Plus Sunset edition to open these files natively. Alternatively, you can use third-party financial conversion tools to export the data from the MNY file into a modern format like CSV or Excel.

Are there security risks associated with this MIME type?

The main risk is data privacy, as these files contain sensitive personal banking information. While the file type itself is not an executable script, you should always ensure these files are transferred over secure connections (HTTPS) and never download them from untrusted sources.

General FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.