Problem displaying binary (pdf) content in IIS7

[Brad]

I have a .net 2.0 web application project that creates a pdf file, saves the pdf to disk (crystal reports does this
part), and
then my code reads the pdf file and writes it to the httpresponse The web app works great on win2003 and xp and the end
result is a pdf file is displayed in the browser. When I run the same code on Vista, the browser displays the message
"Internet Explorer cannot display the web page". If I open the same pdf file directly from the browser it displays
correctly. If I trace the code no exceptions are thrown. I am running this as an IIS application. If I switch to
cassini it
works correctly.
What might cause this problem in IIS7?
Here is an example of the code (and the page source has no html content, and agin work find under IIS running on
win2003 and xp)

Dim outputFile As String = Path.Combine(fo lderPath, Current.Session .SessionID & ".pdf")
Dim contentType As String

contentType = "applicatio n/pdf"

With Current.Respons e
If System.IO.File. Exists(outputFi le) = True Then
.ClearContent()
.ClearHeaders()
.ContentType = contentType
Dim fs As FileStream = New FileStream(outp utFile, FileMode.Open)
Try
Dim bufferSize As Integer = CType(fs.Length , Integer)
Dim bt(bufferSize) As Byte
fs.Read(bt, 0, bufferSize)
.BinaryWrite(bt )
Catch ex As Exception
System.Web.Http Context.Current .Trace.Warn(ex. Message)
Throw ex
Finally
fs.Close()
End Try
'############## ############### ###########
.Flush()
.Close()
Else
System.Web.Http Context.Current .Trace.Warn("Re port file not found: " & outputFile)
Throw New Exception("Post ExportToClient: File not found " & outputFile)
End If
End With

[Walter Wang [MSFT]]

Hi Brad,

My understanding of the issue so far is:

1) The web site is installed on IIS7 on Vista
2) When you're visiting a web page that will download a PDF file, you found
it's not working correctly. (One thing unclear to me is: are you using IE7
on the same Vista with IIS7 or from other XP/2003 system? and what's the IE
version involved here)
I just tried to test it on my side using following steps:

1) Configured and installed IIS7 on Vista
2) Created a simple web site and created a web page using your code
3) Downloaded a simple PDF file to test, for example:
http://history-matters.com/archive/pdftest.pdf
4) Installed Adobe Reader 8.0 on Vista

It seems your code is working correctly by opening the PDF document in IE7
browser window on Vista.
I believe there must be something missing here or this is an environment
specific issue.
Sincerely,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Walter Wang [MSFT]]

Hi Brad,

Have you seem my last reply? Does my test works on your side? Please feel
free to let me know if there's anything I can help. Thanks.
Regards,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Brad]

It works for a site under localhost, but not for a different web other
than localhost. However the rest of the same site (project) works
correctly. For example aspx form pages (pages that have html content)
display correctly.

"Walter Wang [MSFT]" <wa****@online. microsoft.comwr ote in message
news:lE******** ******@TK2MSFTN GHUB02.phx.gbl. ..
Hi Brad,

Have you seem my last reply? Does my test works on your side? Please feel
free to let me know if there's anything I can help. Thanks.
Regards,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Brad]

It works for a site under localhost, but not for a different web other
than localhost. However the rest of the same site (project) works
correctly. For example aspx form pages (pages that have html content)
display correctly.....A nd it is the same problem with an image such as jpg.
Image display in casini and localhost, but not the other webs.
"Walter Wang [MSFT]" <wa****@online. microsoft.comwr ote in message
news:lE******** ******@TK2MSFTN GHUB02.phx.gbl. ..
Hi Brad,

Have you seem my last reply? Does my test works on your side? Please feel
free to let me know if there's anything I can help. Thanks.
Regards,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Walter Wang [MSFT]]

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the update.

And it is the same problem with an image such as jpg. Image display in

casini and localhost, but not the other webs.

Do you mean that if you directly visit http://localhost/website/test.jpg
also doesn't work? What's the HTTP status code returned? In my test, if you
remove .jpg from MIME types (IIS manager, configure website's MIME Types),
you will get HTTP 404.3 error code when you visit a .jpg file from the
website.

However, in your PDF case, since we're directly telling the browser that
the content/type is "applicatio n/pdf", the MIME Types settings should not
apply here. By the way, what's the error message when you visit the page
that's generating the PDF file?

Try to create a new Application from the Root directory, this will make
sure it inherits from the settings from your root directory (since you
mentioned the root application is working fine).
Regards,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Brad]

Just the opposite. If I directly vist the pdf or image url it DOES work. It only fails when the content is served up
via a asp.net page
Please note: I have created multiple webs on the vista workstation. The problem occurs on a web other than localhost.
If I use localhost all works correctly. If I use a web other that localhost, displaying the image content from an
asp.net page fails i.e. http://myotherweb/website/showimage.aspx , however accessing the image directly does work i.e.
http://myotherweb/website/test.jpg

There is no .Net error message with the error occrus (event if I step through the code no exception is raised).
Internet Explorer just shows the generic message "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"
"Walter Wang [MSFT]" <wa****@online. microsoft.comwr ote in message news:fG******** ******@TK2MSFTN GHUB02.phx.gbl. ..

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the update.

>And it is the same problem with an image such as jpg. Image display in

casini and localhost, but not the other webs.

Do you mean that if you directly visit http://localhost/website/test.jpg
also doesn't work? What's the HTTP status code returned? In my test, if you
remove .jpg from MIME types (IIS manager, configure website's MIME Types),
you will get HTTP 404.3 error code when you visit a .jpg file from the
website.

However, in your PDF case, since we're directly telling the browser that
the content/type is "applicatio n/pdf", the MIME Types settings should not
apply here. By the way, what's the error message when you visit the page
that's generating the PDF file?

Try to create a new Application from the Root directory, this will make
sure it inherits from the settings from your root directory (since you
mentioned the root application is working fine).
Regards,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Walter Wang [MSFT]]

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the update, so the showimage.aspx is writing out binary image
data just like the PDF?

Please install Fiddler (http://www.fiddlertool.com/) and capture the
request/response between the browser and the web server to compare the
difference when the page is served using localhost and a sub website. I
think the returned HTTP status code will be different.

Regards,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Brad]

Fiddler does not seem capture localhost traffic (tested this on fact on several computers). It only seems to capture
from webs other than localhost. But here are the header differences between viewing the pdf directly and viewing it
from aspx page:

Viewing pdf directly (pdf does display)
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/pdf
Last-Modified: Mon, 07 May 2007 15:07:22 GMT
Accept-Ranges: bytes
ETag: "c0bf96ab990c71 :0"
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.0
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
Date: Mon, 07 May 2007 15:14:51 GMT
Content-Length: 55193

Viewing pdf from aspx page that writes binary content using code that started this thread (pdf does not display)
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Cache-Control: private
Transfer-Encoding: chunked
Content-Type: application/pdf
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.0
X-AspNet-Version: 2.0.50727
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
Date: Mon, 07 May 2007 14:57:16 GMT
"Walter Wang [MSFT]" <wa****@online. microsoft.comwr ote in message news:$2******** ******@TK2MSFTN GHUB02.phx.gbl. ..

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the update, so the showimage.aspx is writing out binary image
data just like the PDF?

Please install Fiddler (http://www.fiddlertool.com/) and capture the
request/response between the browser and the web server to compare the
difference when the page is served using localhost and a sub website. I
think the returned HTTP status code will be different.

Regards,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[George Ter-Saakov]

I believe for binary files you must output "Content-Length" in a header.
Cause otherwise browser does not know when transmission of the file stopped.

George.
"Brad" <la**@newsgroup .nospamwrote in message
news:ei******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP06.phx.gbl...

Fiddler does not seem capture localhost traffic (tested this on fact on
several computers). It only seems to capture
from webs other than localhost. But here are the header differences
between viewing the pdf directly and viewing it
from aspx page:

Viewing pdf directly (pdf does display)
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/pdf
Last-Modified: Mon, 07 May 2007 15:07:22 GMT
Accept-Ranges: bytes
ETag: "c0bf96ab990c71 :0"
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.0
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
Date: Mon, 07 May 2007 15:14:51 GMT
Content-Length: 55193

Viewing pdf from aspx page that writes binary content using code that
started this thread (pdf does not display)
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Cache-Control: private
Transfer-Encoding: chunked
Content-Type: application/pdf
Server: Microsoft-IIS/7.0
X-AspNet-Version: 2.0.50727
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
Date: Mon, 07 May 2007 14:57:16 GMT
"Walter Wang [MSFT]" <wa****@online. microsoft.comwr ote in message
news:$2******** ******@TK2MSFTN GHUB02.phx.gbl. ..

>Hi Brad,

Thanks for the update, so the showimage.aspx is writing out binary image
data just like the PDF?

Please install Fiddler (http://www.fiddlertool.com/) and capture the
request/response between the browser and the web server to compare the
difference when the page is served using localhost and a sub website. I
think the returned HTTP status code will be different.

Regards,
Walter Wang (wa****@online. microsoft.com, remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
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This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.