PDFs not opening

[scribbler]

Hi, I have indexed a folder on our corporate network drive and provided the Search facility to staff over http on an internal website. The problem is that I can open a pdf from the Search Results but other users can't. When they try opening a pdf, a browser opens with the correct network file system url but nothing displays - no error message. When they try opening a .doc or .ppt, they get a Save or Open dialog; which opens OK if they click Open.

The issue is with pdf. Any thoughts?

mike

[David]

Do they have Adobe reader installed?

Are they using the same browser as yourself?

Is the path to the file the same for other users as for yourself? (e.g. maybe you have X: drive mapped to the network, and everyone else as Y:.

If (outside if Zoom) you enter the "corrent" URL directly into a browser does it work?

What is an example of the URL/path in question?

[scribbler]

1. They all have Adobe reader installed.

2. They all have the same browser as me, IEv6.

3. Path is the full network path, including the server and is the same for everyone. No mapped drives specified.

4. It works when I type the "correct" URL into a browser. Also works for me if I type the "correct" URL into Windows Explorer. Neither of these work for anyone else but me.
However others can open the document in IE if they retype the path as file:server01\Operations\etc - that is, with backslashes instead of the URL forward slashes.

5. An example of a URL from the Search results is file://server01/Operations/Approved%20Documentation/Example_Doc.pdf

[Ray]

You originally described that you were giving access to your staff via HTTP, but the URLs indicate that this is not actually the case. "file://" are offline URLs and not served by the web server. They are handled differently from browser to browser, and network permissions come into play as you are accessing them through the file system.

I would imagine that given the URL (from the search result), entered directly to the browser on your staff's computers, that they would behave the same way? With what URL would the documents open the way you want them to, on the staff computers?

If you have the search function served via HTTP, but you provide links via file:// then you are effectively crossing security zones in IE. Depending on the security settings of your browser, it may trigger the behaviour you describe.

Another thing to check is if you are using the MOTW on your search page. IE will refuse links that leave a page with a MOTW to a page without it (considering them to be again, different security zones).

Note that you can change the search result URLs to be anything you want by changing the base URL (in Offline Mode anyway).

[Ray]

Here is the official Microsoft Knowledge Base article on this issue:
Adobe Acrobat .pdf Files Appear as a Blank Window or Frame

Setting your security zones correctly should address this. Also check if you have other security programs running that may interfere.

[scribbler]

Thanks very much for the replies.

I would imagine that given the URL (from the search result), entered directly to the browser on your staff's computers, that they would behave the same way? With what URL would the documents open the way you want them to, on the staff computers?

Staff can open the PDFs from emails in the format:
file:ukthfile01\operations%20training\Approved%20D ocumentation\Genesis\Genesis_2-3\BlahGuide_DRAFT.pdf
As this seems to work I am would prefer the search result URLs to be in this format.

If you have the search function served via HTTP, but you provide links via file:// then you are effectively crossing security zones in IE. Depending on the security settings of your browser, it may trigger the behaviour you describe.

This does seem to be what I am doing. I am keen to avoid crossing security zones if possible.

Another thing to check is if you are using the MOTW on your search page. IE will refuse links that leave a page with a MOTW to a page without it (considering them to be again, different security zones).

There's no MOTW on our search pages. Presumably MOTW would have to be added by us..it's not configurable in Zoom configuration?

Note that you can change the search result URLs to be anything you want by changing the base URL (in Offline Mode anyway).

I did try changing the base URL from:
file://ukthfile01/operations training/Approved Documentation/
to
\\ukthfile01\operations training\Approved Documentation\

The result was no difference to how the search results URLs are shown in a browser, ie.
http://ukthfile01/operations%20training/Approved%20Documentation/Genesis/Genesis_2/BlahGuide_DRAFT.pdf

[Ray]

Staff can open the PDFs from emails in the format:
file:ukthfile01\operations%20training\Approved%20D ocumentation\Genesis\Genesis_2-3\BlahGuide_DRAFT.pdf
As this seems to work I am would prefer the search result URLs to be in this format.

This is not a recognized file path or URI scheme. Windows Explorer doesn't seem to understand this, neither does Outlook. Are you using some other email client whereby this is a special feature, e.g. Lotus Notes or something?

I am keen to avoid crossing security zones if possible.

You can avoid crossing security zones by hosting all files which you wish to share, on the web server. That way, all files would be accessed via HTTP.

There's no MOTW on our search pages. Presumably MOTW would have to be added by us..it's not configurable in Zoom configuration?

No, Zoom does not add a MOTW. It may be added by yourself or a web authoring application. I only mentioned it as something to check, since it can cause unexpected security zone crossings, especially in IE, where no error is issued when it happens.

I did try changing the base URL from:
file://ukthfile01/operations training/Approved Documentation/
to
\\ukthfile01\operations training\Approved Documentation\

This won't work because the latter is not a URL, it is a UNC path. The base URL can be in the form of any valid URL in Offline Mode, (which includes "file://" links) but it can't be an invalid URL.