Closed Bug 147309 Opened 22 years ago Closed 8 years ago

Ignoring Adobe Acrobat reader settings for "Display PDF in Browser"

Categories

(Plugins Graveyard :: PDF (Adobe), defect, P3)

Product:
Plugins Graveyard
Component:
PDF (Adobe)
Platform:
x86
All
Type:
defect

Tracking

(Not tracked)

Status:
RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

People

(Reporter: kalin, Unassigned)

References

Details

(Whiteboard: [PL2:P3][acrobat][Plug-in Mgr][WORKAROUND: Comment out the Acrobat scan in your winpref.js]) 

After some updates (Mzoilla 1.0rc2 and Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0.5), the browser
stopped looking at the Acrobat (plugin) preferences, those accessible from the
Edit|Preferences...(Ctrl+K) menu on Acrobat.

As a result I have no control over "Display PDF in Brwser" option: all PDFs open
inside the browser (or Mail).

The only way I could solve this was to delete (rename) the plugin found in
"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\browser\nppdf32" .

All my other browsers - NN4.79, IE5.00, Opera6.01 - work as expected when I
check/uncheck the box in Acrobat's Edit|Preferences.

I think I had that same problem in Mozilla 0.9.3, but that was long ago.

I tried to configure Acrobat as helper app (as described in pdf below), but it
didn't work as well (plugin gets preferred?).

Example URL:
http://www.adobe.com/support/techguides/acrobat/rdrwinbrwsr/pdfs/rdrwinbrwsr.pdf

Kalin.
do anybody know where this:
"Display PDF in Brwser"
option is saved? I cant find it in the reg.db
helper app settings do not work. I tested it for acrobat.
Assignee: beppe → law
Component: Plug-ins → File Handling
QA Contact: shrir → sairuh
"Display PDF in Browser" is an option in Adobe Acrobat itself. normally, when
checked, IE (for example) launches the plugin in situ, and when unchecked
launches the pdf file in the application proper.

i'm using 1.0rc2 and finding it *extremely* annoying. for some reason mozilla
doesn't even prompt asking what i want to do with the file, so whenever i'm
absent-minded enough not to deliberately save the file to disk and then open it,
i have to sit and twiddle my thumbs while the plugin loads and downloads the
file, before i can kill it and try again.. i'm don't remember this problem in
0.98 and possibly not 0.99 either..
This also occurs on Win 2000 with 2002053012. IIRC, it behaves correctly on 0.99
on Win2k. I agree, it is annoying to have the browser launch a plugin without
asking if I forget to look at the filename extension in the status bar (or if
it's at the other end of a script so you can't even tell in advance what kind of
file it will be). 

IMHO, for every file type other than HTML and txt, the preferences dialog should
allow an option to *always* offer to download this file type (never open in
browser); or always open it with plugin; or always ask. And if such preference
is not set then the browser should ask on a case-by-case basis. I think this is
the behavior for other than pdf's, so this is probably not be a RFE - it's just
broken in 1.0 for pdf's.

Thank you Kalin for mentioning the workaround (moving nppdf32.dll).  I also
found that file in a couple other locations.  After moving them, it now works as
I prefer (as it should).  It was becoming a real annoyance, and you helped me
"fix" it. (win2k, 1.1b)
Thanks!
*** Bug 169419 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
BTW for big pdf files accessing via http:// it is preferable to launch acrobat
as a plugin, because acrobat plugin can fire byte range request for the content,
and in most cases actual download bytes & time could be much lower than for the
whole file.
Yes, the partial download trick that the embedded PDF viewer does is nice--but I
prefer to open the docs in Acrobat standalone.  That way, if I exit Mozilla, I
don't lose the Acrobat doc.
QA Contact: sairuh → petersen
*** Bug 151238 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
chg based on bug 151238
Assignee: law → beppe
Status: UNCONFIRMED → NEW
Component: File Handling → Plug-ins
Ever confirmed: true
Priority: -- → P3
QA Contact: petersen → shrir
Summary: Ignoring Adobe Acrobat reader (plug-in?) settings for "Display PDF in Brwser" → Ignoring Adobe Acrobat reader settings for "Display PDF in Browser"
Whiteboard: [PL2:P3][acrobat][Plug-in Mgr][WORKAROUND: Comment out the Acrobat scan in your winpref.js]
Target Milestone: --- → mozilla1.3alpha
peter
Assignee: beppe → peterl
Target Milestone: mozilla1.3alpha → Future
Problem is listed as Win98.  It is also present in XP Pro
This bug is also present in Mozilla 1.2.1 (20021130) in Windows XP with Acrobat
Reader 5.0. Very annoying, especially because another bug causes special
characters (German umlauts etc.) in E-mails to be displayed as garbage after a
PDF has been opened in the Mail window, which can only be fixed by restarting
Mozilla.
Addition to my above comment (#13): Renaming all instances of nppdf32.dll did
not work for me, the behaviour is unchanged. Editing the winpref.js file (as the
"Status Whiteboard" field above suggests) did not work either, because opening
and saving that file in the XP Notepad (even without actual editing) seems to
invisibly corrupt the file, so Mozilla reports an "error reading configuration
file" on startup. 

So, does anybody know another workaround?
> because opening and saving that file in the XP Notepad (even without
> actual editing) seems to invisibly corrupt the file

There are various issues with notepad.  My suggestion is to use a 
different text editor.  Also, make sure Moz (including QuickLaunch)
is NOT running while you do it.

push @cc, $me
Workaround is unacceptable:  the cure is worse than the disease.  Now all
it gives is a Save dialog, with no way to just open it in Acrobat Reader.
This is odd, because any other file type, in the absense of a plugin, will
allow you to either save the thing or choose a helper app.  I don't want
acroread embedded in the browser, but I *do* want the PDF to be opened in
Acrobat Reader.

A save dialog is worse than useless, because end users who actually use
this system have no idea what a hard drive is.  The embedding behavior
is bad because it confuses them; they think the PDF is a web page, try
to click on links, don't understand why File->Print doesn't work (answer:
because it's the browser's File menu, not Acrobat's; Acrobat's menu does
not appear when it's embedded), and so on and so forth.  I want Acrobat
Reader launched in a separate window like any other helper app would be.

The bug still is present in Mozilla 1.4b (Build 2003050714) under Win2k.
I'm having similar problems, using Win2K, Mozilla 1.4 RC1 and Acrobat 6.0 Pro

The nppdf32.dll plugin is always opening pdf in current window, disregarding
Acrobat internet settings  (which IE seems to pick up on).

If nppdf32.dll is removed, Acrobat 6.0 starts up without showing anything and
Mozilla crashes completely. The helper application settings for pdf under
preferences has no effect whatsoever.

The status Whiteboard workaround does not seem to have any effect at all.
More than a year ago, I opened this bug for Win98 and Mozilla 1.2.

Since then a lot of things happened, so now I am a happy linux user and build my
own Mozilla, now running 1.5a.

This bug is still here, but the other day, I couldn't find Acrobat Reader's
Internet preferences - they seem to be missing form the linux version. It is
still a bug though.
OS: Windows 98 → All
(1) When I disabled "Display PDF in Brwser" option,
 Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 deleted nppdf32.dll from Plugins directory of Netscape
7.1 but did NOT delete from Plugins of Mozilla 1.4(Installer Version).
(2) When I enabled "Display PDF in Brwser" option,
 Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 copied nppdf32.dll to Plugins directory of Netscape
7.1 but did NOT copy to Plugins of Mozilla 1.4(Installer Version).
(Tested on Windows/Me)
This indicates that "Display PDF in Browser" option is controled by
copying/deleting nppdf32.dll but Acrobat Reader 6 does NOT support at least
Mozilla 1.4.

In addition, Mozilla(probably 1.0 and after) has automatic "Plugin Search"
function and is probably enabled for Acrobat Reader as default because
"plugin.scan.Acrobat" is set to "5.0" in my about:config.
I guess this the reason why renaming/deletion of nppdf32.dll in Acrobat Reader's
program directry was required.

Conclusion :
 Disabling "Display PDF in Browser" on Mozilla requires both deletion of
nppdf32.dll from Plugins directry and disabling plugin search for Acrobat Reader
plugin.
I've had success with going to about:config and changing plugin.scan.Acrobat to
a sufficiently large number (or adding this in the user.js file).

This used to work perfectly but a recent update of either Mozilla or Acrobat
Reader broke this on my computer (it's finding nppdf32.dll on the desktop).
The Acrobat 5.0 "Display PDF in browser" setting is ignored in Mozilla 1.5, in
both Windows 2000/SP4 and Windows XP/SP1. It works fine in IE 5.5 and IE 6.0.
To Comment #21 From Dan Mellem :

I comfirmed that specifying large version number in plugin.scan.xxx does not
force plugin search failure with 2003122108-trunk/Win-Me.
I've added a comment to Bug 194986. 
Please comfirm Bug 194986.
Bug 194986 has been comfirmed by Dan Mellem. 
So my concusion in Comment #20 is to be changed.

New Conclusion :

Disabling "Display PDF in Browser" on Mozilla requires both 
 (action-1) deletion of nppdf32.dll from Plugins directry
and
 (action-2) disabling plugin search for Acrobat Reader plugin.
But Mozilla has Bug 194986 and (action-1) is impossible.
So user have to rename or move or delete or nppdf32.dll in program library of
Adobe Acrobat (Reader) in order to force plugin search failure.
Correction of my mistake. Sorry for spam.

(Invalid) But Mozilla has Bug 194986 and (action-1) is impossible.
(Valid)   But Mozilla has Bug 194986 and (action-2) is impossible.

I do not want Acrobat opened 'embedded' nside mozilla, it prevents me from using
the back button, and most of the tools I use in the [ful] version of acrobat are
not available.

We need a way to stop internal handling of application/pdf
(In reply to comment #26)
> I do not want Acrobat opened 'embedded' nside mozilla, it prevents me from using
> the back button, and most of the tools I use in the [ful] version of acrobat are
> not available.
> 
> We need a way to stop internal handling of application/pdf

In Firefox 0.9 on both Mac and PC, the browser simply refuses to change its own
internal settings. I actually set the action for *.pdf files to be "save to
disk" inside preferences (or options on Windoze), but pdfs are still opened in
Acrobat as a plugin inside the browser. I haven't had the chance to see whether
changes in action for handling other file types are similarly ignored.

Payam
> I haven't had the chance to see whether changes in action for handling other
file types are similarly ignored.

It does the same thing for video/quicktime (.mov) files, too.
I have trouble opening Adobe files for some months now.
I have to resort to Explorer in disgust!!

I ( and my wife) are using 1.7.2 Mozilla, with Windows home XP
Thanks
Graham Evans

In my newly installed Firefox 1.0rc1 deselecting the option "Display PDF in
Browser" in Acrobat Reader did not work anymore (I used to use the preview
version in which it did work).

I found out that you could work around it by disabeling the Acrobat Plugin in
the Firefox preferences window. Deselect it if you want the PDF file to open in
a separate Acrobat window or to be saved to disk. 

The "Display PDF in Browser" option in Acrobat Reader seems to have no effect
anymore in this version of Firefox.
Adboe Reader 7.0 for MS Win has changed Netscape plugin module management
process, and disabling "Display PDF in Browser" can easily be doen even when
automatic plugin search is used. 

Adobe Reader 7.0 now places plugin module in his C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat
7.0\Reader\Browser directry only when "Display PDF in Browser" is on.
Plugin modules in this directry was not found when "Display PDF in Browser" is
off, and was created(installed by Adobe Reader) when "Display PDF in Browser"
was changed to on, and were deleted(uninstalled by Adobe Reader) when "Display
PDF in Browser" was reset to off again.
As a result of plugin module remove from Adobe Reader's program library,
Mozilla's automatic plugin search fails, then disabling "Display PDF in Browser"
can easily be doen even when automatic plugin search is used for Adobe Reader.

Thanks to developers of Adobe. 
I just installed Acrobat Reader 7.0.

"Display PDF in Browser" didn't work for either Firefox 1.0.3 or Mozilla 1.7.3.

To avoid the acrobat browser plugin being used, I had to find every instance of
nppdf32.dll on my hard disk and delete it.

I added a comment about this to bug 236195, but since that's in Resolved state,
my attempt to add comment and reopen appears to have vanished into thin air.
This used to work with Acrobat 7.0 and Firefox 1.07.  I upgraded to Firefox 1.5 but it started hanging on all PDF files.  So I upgraded to Acrobat 7.0.5.  Now the  files display correctly but in a separate popup window instead of inside the browser.

comment #34 was for Bug 210093. Sorry for spam.

No pdf's will show at all not in mail or anywhere else for that matter, will not
post anywhere, I had no problem with the internet explorer.
This bug is still present in current branch builds. I'm currently using Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.2pre) Gecko/2008082405 GranParadiso/3.0.2pre with Adobe Reader 9.0.0 and it ignores the "Display PDF in Browser=Off" option.
But current trunk builds (Fx 3.1) honour the setting and PDF gets opened with Adobe Reader as external app.
QA Contact: shrir → plugins
Component: Plug-ins → PDF (Adobe)
Product: Core → Plugins
QA Contact: plugins → adobe-reader
Target Milestone: Future → ---
Version: Trunk → unspecified
(In reply to comment #38)
> But current trunk builds (Fx 3.1) honour the setting and PDF gets opened with
> Adobe Reader as external app.

so WFM?
and bug 194986 as well?
Assignee: peterl-bugs → nobody
Closing old bugs in the Plugins component. We aren't going to track issues in 3rd-party plugins in the Mozilla bug tracker. In addition, support for NPAPI plugins will be removed at the end of this year; for more details see the post at https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2015/10/08/npapi-plugins-in-firefox/

If there is a serious bug in Firefox, it needs to be filed in the "Core" product, "Plug-Ins" component.
Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 8 years ago
Resolution: --- → INCOMPLETE
Product: Plugins → Plugins Graveyard
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