In case anyone was monitoring this thread...
I have managed to create a work-around.
In my original version, I was setting the target of the link to the display
aspx as "_new". (This is a hyperlink control set as a template column on a
datagrid). By removing this target option (leaving it blank) and setting
the output header for "Content-Disposition" to "attachment" instead of
"inline", I now get the prompt from Adobe Reader to Open or Save the target
PDF. I no longer get the blank IE window at all.
While not my original intention, this is close to my desired aim and at
least is more intuitive to use for my end-users than having two windows pop
up with one (the IE window) being empty. The menu of PDF's remains in the
background, and the Adobe Reader floats wherever they want it. Close the
reader and they still have the pdf list.
Al
"Kevin Spencer" <kevin@DIESPAMMERSDIEtakempis.com> wrote in message
news:e8Xz$x1TGHA.4772@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Hi Alec,
>
> I was able to duplicate the problem by making multiple requests for the
> file with multiple browser instances. I'm running XP/IE 6, BTW. I was able
> to reproduce the problem on both IE and FireFox. The error is coming from
> the Acrobat Reader, alright. I can only guess at the cause, as it doesn't
> give any additional information, or log the error. You may want to contact
> their support group.
>
> --
> HTH,
>
> Kevin Spencer
> Microsoft MVP
> Professional Numbskull
>
> Show me your certification without works,
> and I'll show my certification
> *by* my works.
>
> "Alec MacLean" <alec.maclean@NO-SPAM-copeohs.com> wrote in message
> news:OHHtSxzTGHA.5884@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...[color=green]
>> Hi Kevin,
>>
>> Thanks for your feedback. You don't mention your OS/browser versions -
>> this might help me a bit. I know it works when using Firefox.
>>
>> Yes, Adobe Reader (v.7) is installed on all the machines accessing the
>> pages.
>>
>> The Adobe Reader error message provided is:
>> "There was an error opening this document. This file is already open or
>> in use by another application."
>>
>> I've been searching further afield and note that a few people have logged
>> similar problems, particularly for PDF output.
>>
>> One suggestion is to alter the metabase.xml file to allow greater sizes
>> of AspBufferingLimit, e.g. set it to "2000000000" (2Gb).
>> However, the test files I'm using are only in the 85Kb range, so clearly
>> shouldn't be a problem for the default limit of 4Mb.
>>
>> Interestingly, the XP PC I'm using to develop on doesn't have a
>> metabase.xml - presumably one of the differences between the versions of
>> IIS for XP and Windows Server 2003.
>>
>> Al
>>
>>
>>
>> "Kevin Spencer" <kevin@DIESPAMMERSDIEtakempis.com> wrote in message
>> news:Oi9WPazTGHA.5332@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...[color=darkred]
>>> It didn't fail on this client. Are you sure that the Adobe acrobat
>>> reader was installed on the machine on which it failed? Can you describe
>>> in detail what you mean by "failed?"
>>>
>>> --
>>> HTH,
>>>
>>> Kevin Spencer
>>> Microsoft MVP
>>> Professional Numbskull
>>>
>>> Show me your certification without works,
>>> and I'll show my certification
>>> *by* my works.
>>>
>>> "Alec MacLean" <alec.maclean@NO-SPAM-copeohs.com> wrote in message
>>> news:e0jsuMzTGHA.792@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I've created a small application for our company extranet (staff
>>>> bulletins)
>>>> that outputs a list of links to PDF's that are stored in a SQL table.
>>>> The
>>>> user clicks a link and the PDF is loaded into a new browser window.
>>>>
>>>> This works as expected on the test PC (using forms authentication, but
>>>> no
>>>> SSL) using IE. It also works as expected on the production server when
>>>> using FireFox. The production server environment is using forms
>>>> authentication and SSL.
>>>>
>>>> However the PDF load fails when using IE as the browser to access the
>>>> production server (which my users/staff colleagues will be doing).
>>>>
>>>> I have also tested it without using SSL or Forms authentication by
>>>> putting
>>>> it on our public site on the production server.
>>>> This also means you can (temporarily) see the problem for yourself
>>>> at:
www.copeohs.com/ebulletins/bulletins.aspx
>>>>
>>>> The error seems to be generated by Adobe Reader rather than
>>>> specifically IE,
>>>> but as the system works using FireFox, I am guessing it is the
>>>> relationship
>>>> between IE and Adobe Reader that is the problem?
>>>>
>>>> The Adobe Reader error message provided is:
>>>> "There was an error opening this document. This file is already open
>>>> or in
>>>> use by another application."
>>>>
>>>> I am using VB.NET 1.1 on IIS 6 (win 2003 svr).
>>>>
>>>> Code snippet that outputs the PDF from the DB:
>>>> --------------------------------------------------------
>>>> 'The required file ID comes from the querystring.
>>>> If Me.Request.IsAuthenticated Then
>>>> If Request.QueryString.Count <> 0 Then
>>>> 'Get the (pdf) filename to display
>>>> Me.FileID = CInt(Request.QueryString("doc").ToString)
>>>> Dim ds As New DataSet
>>>> Dim PDFfileSize As Long
>>>> Dim db As Database = DatabaseFactory.CreateDatabase
>>>> Dim cmd As DBCommandWrapper =
>>>> db.GetStoredProcCommandWrapper("usp_Bulletin_Singl e_SELECT")
>>>> cmd.AddInParameter("@BID", DbType.Int32, Me.FileID)
>>>>
>>>> Try
>>>> Me.lblErr.Visible = False
>>>> 'Load the record (PDF file) into local dataset
>>>> db.LoadDataSet(cmd, ds, "theBulletin")
>>>>
>>>> 'Resize the byte array for file
>>>> PDFfileSize =
>>>> CLng(ds.Tables("theBulletin").Rows(0).Item("BFile" ).length)
>>>> Dim thePDF(CInt(PDFfileSize)) As Byte
>>>>
>>>> 'Put the PDf into the byte array
>>>> thePDF = ds.Tables("theBulletin").Rows(0).Item("BFile")
>>>>
>>>> 'Send the file to the output stream
>>>> Response.BufferOutput = True
>>>>
>>>> 'Try and ensure the browser always opens the file and doesn't just
>>>> prompt to "open/save".
>>>> Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "inline")
>>>>
>>>> 'Set the output stream to the correct content type (PDF).
>>>> Response.ContentType = "application/pdf"
>>>>
>>>> 'Output the file
>>>> Response.BinaryWrite(thePDF)
>>>>
>>>> thePDF = Nothing
>>>>
>>>> Catch ex As Exception
>>>> Me.lblErr.Visible = True
>>>> Me.lblErr.Text = ex.Message.ToString
>>>>
>>>> Finally
>>>> 'Tidy memory
>>>> ds = Nothing
>>>> cmd = Nothing
>>>> db = Nothing
>>>> End Try
>>>>
>>>> End If
>>>> Else
>>>> Response.Redirect("/logon/applist.aspx")
>>>> End If
>>>> --------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> I would greatly appreciate any help/ideas offered...thanks in advance.
>>>>
>>>> Al
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>[/color]
>>
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]
