318360 - Click on a PDF download link fails to initialise Acrobat 7 for viewing of file

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[mike]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5

Clicking on a web based PDF file link fails to open Acrobat Reader V7. It did work fine in Firefox 1.07 and the replication below does force Acrobat to open when browsed through IE6.


Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Go to page http://www.encaustic.com/acatalog/brochure.html
2.Find line reading "Download & printout a UK price list here"
3.Click on the word here which links to the file "retail_list_autumn_2004.pdf" that is located here: http://www.encaustic.com/retail_list_autumn_2004.pdf


Actual Results:  
Instead of initialising Acrobat 7 to receive the file PDF it simply leaves a blank screen.

Expected Results:  
Acrobat V7 should open and receive then display the file PDF format

Comment 1

[Ryan Flint [:rflint] (ping via IRC for reviews)]

WFM Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5

Does the Acrobat plugin show under about:plugins?

Comment 2

[mike]

(In reply to comment #1)
> WFM Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111
> Firefox/1.5
> 
> Does the Acrobat plugin show under about:plugins?

I don't see anything about plugins from any of the drop down menues. Acrobat 7.05 is working as a plugin to IE6 fine on the same machine, same user.
> 

Comment 3

[mike]

Firefox / Options / Download / Actions - PDF files should be opened with Acrobat.
I'm not sure where else to look for "plugins" that are installed.

Acrobat is on my system adn used automatically by IE6 without fault.

Comment 4

[Walter Runciman]

I am pleased that I am not the only one with this problem.

I reproduced the error, as suggested by Mike, and received a similar result to that that I was having at my own web site. I also run Win XP (SP1), Acreobat 7.05 and Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5.

In addition to the blank Firefox page, I get a pop-up window with the heading "Enter name of file to save to .."

However, if I entered the URL for the PDF in the URL selection panel, OR right-clicked and chose "Open link in new tab" then the PDF file will open as requested. From that point on, PDF files will continue to open, even with a simple Click, until Firefox is closed.

I have another PC running Win98 Firefox 1.05 and Adobe Reader 6.0. I do not have the problem on that PC.

Comment 5

[mike]

I have found that if Acrobat is uninstalled then reinstalled, that Firefox will then pick up the plugin.  I wonder if somehow the installation of Firefox 1.5 is failing to find the Acrobat installation if it already exists upon the system?

Michael

Comment 6

[Walter Runciman]

I tried the reinstall of Acrobat Reader 7.05, twice. Firefox still fails as I described before.

Comment 7

[Ryan Flint [:rflint] (ping via IRC for reviews)]

Please see the MozillaZine forums (http://forums.mozillazine.org) for assistance if this is still an issue.

Comment 8

[Neale Upstone]

I've had a similar issue to this with FF2.  

If I click on http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/download/asset/?asset_id=4390001 (from a google search, in this case), I get "You have chosen to open "{Filename}.pdf" would you like to save it".

It fails to recognise that it's a pdf (probably as it's following an HTTP redirect  or something) in order to be able to launch the Acrobat plug-in.  Surely it should?