now downloading rather than displaying</a></h1> </div> <div class="grid fw-wrap pb8 mb16 bb bc-black-075"> <div class="grid--cell ws-nowrap mr16 mb8" title="2016-01-12 19:07:53Z"> <span class="fc-light mr2">Asked</span> <time itemprop="dateCreated" datetime="2017-12-29T20:21:19.027" class="fromnow">Dec 29 '17 at 20:21</time> </div> <div class="grid--cell ws-nowrap mr16 mb8"> <span class="fc-light mr2">Active</span> <time class="fromnow" title="2020-12-18T08:14:38.110" datetime="2020-12-18T08:14:38.110">Dec 18 '20 at 08:14</a> </div> <div class="grid--cell ws-nowrap mb8" title="Viewed 2,965 times"> <span class="fc-light mr2">Viewed</span> 2,965 times </div> </div> <div id="mainbar" role="main" aria-label="questions and answers"> <div id="question" class="question" data-questionid="48028036" data-ownerid="192044" data-score="5"> <div class="post-layout"> <div class="votecell post-layout--left"> <div class="js-voting-container grid jc-center fd-column ai-stretch gs4 fc-black-200" data-post-id="48028036"> <button class="js-vote-up-btn grid--cell s-btn s-btnunset c-pointer"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="m0 svg-icon iconArrowUpLg" width="36" height="36" viewBox="0 0 36 36"><path d="M2 26h32L18 10 2 26z"></path></svg></button> <div class="js-vote-count grid--cell fc-black-500 fs-title grid fd-column ai-center" itemprop="upvoteCount" data-value="5">5</div> <button class="js-bookmark-btn s-btn s-btnunset c-pointer py4"> <svg aria-hidden="true" class="svg-icon iconBookmark" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 18 18"><path d="M6 1a2 2 0 00-2 2v14l5-4 5 4V3a2 2 0 00-2-2H6zm3.9 3.83h2.9l-2.35 1.7.9 2.77L9 7.59l-2.35 1.7.9-2.76-2.35-1.7h2.9L9 2.06l.9 2.77z"></path></svg> <div class="js-bookmark-count mt4" data-value=""></div> </button> </div> </div> <div class="postcell post-layout--right"> <div class="s-prose js-post-body" itemprop="text"><p>As of this morning we have a handful of users experiencing a change in behavior on our very old website.</p> <p>We have HTML that looks like this:</p> <pre><code><iframe id="I1" style="HEIGHT: 495px" name="I1" marginWidth="0" marginHeight="0" frameBorder="no" width="100%" height="500"></iframe> </code></pre> <p>And javascript that looks like this:</p> <pre><code>document.getElementById('I1').src = Request.QueryString("p").Item(1); </code></pre> <p>That code is launched with a URL that looks like this:</p> <pre><code>https://example.com/DisplayPDF.aspx?p=../Images/TMP_1234.pdf&l=673&ver=3.1.1.33 </code></pre> <p>The intention of that code is to display the .pdf file in the iframe.</p> <p>It has worked that way for years.</p> <p>This morning for some users it is popping up the "View Downloads" dialog and asking to Save or Open the file. One can Save or Open, but this change in behavior is confusing our less technically savvy users.</p> <p>The obvious suspect is a windows/browser update; the system administrator tells me he backed out the updates.</p> <p>To me it is irrelevant if it was caused by an update I need to figure out a solution for those users that will update and do not have the means to back it out.</p> <p>I ran in F12 mode with the browser to see any issues. there was nothing unusual. The website works fine in Chrome.</p> <p>Here is the behaviors we are seeing:</p> <ol> <li>Chrome - Consistently opens quickly in the browser popup window.</li> <li>IE 11 - HTML popup window opens but it stay blank. A "View Downloads" window opens where I can view the .pdf.</li> <li>IE 11 - HTML popup window opens and stays blank. No "view downloads" windows opens.</li> <li>IE 11 - HTML popup window opens and takes quite some time to populate with the .pdf file.</li> </ol> <p>I posted this on stack because I'm hoping for a code solution to make this work on all browsers. I'm guessing I got the downvote because this might have been viewed as a inappropriate for stack.</p></div> <div class="mt24 mb12"> <div class="post-taglist grid gs4 gsy fd-column"> <div class="grid ps-relative"> <a href="../../questions/tagged/javascript" class="post-tag js-gps-track" title="show questions tagged 'javascript'" rel="tag">javascript</a> <a href="../../questions/tagged/html" class="post-tag js-gps-track" title="show questions tagged 'html'" rel="tag">html</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mb0"> <div class="mt16 grid gs8 gsy fw-wrap jc-end ai-start pt4 mb16"> <div class="grid--cell mr16 fl1 w96"></div> <div class="post-signature grid--cell"> <div class="s-user-card s-user-card"> <time class="s-user-card--time" datetime="edited Dec 18 '20 at 08:14">edited Dec 18 '20 at 08:14</time> <a href="../../users/4442606/or-assayag" class="s-avatar s-avatar32 s-user-card--avatar"> <img class="s-avatar--image" src="../../users/profiles/4442606.webp" data-jdenticon-width="32" data-jdenticon-height="32" data-jdenticon-value="Or Assayag" /> </a> <div class="s-user-card--info"> <a href="../../users/4442606/or-assayag" class="s-user-card--link">Or Assayag</a> <ul class="s-user-card--awards"> <li class="s-user-card--rep" title="reputation score">5,662</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blinggold" title="13 gold badges">13</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blingsilver" title="57 silver badges">57</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blingbronze" title="93 bronze badges">93</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-signature owner grid--cell"> <div class="s-user-card s-user-card"> <time class="s-user-card--time" datetime="asked Dec 29 '17 at 20:21">asked Dec 29 '17 at 20:21</time> <a href="../../users/192044/be-kind-to-new-users" class="s-avatar s-avatar32 s-user-card--avatar"> <img class="s-avatar--image" src="../../users/profiles/192044.webp" data-jdenticon-width="32" data-jdenticon-height="32" data-jdenticon-value="Be Kind To New Users" /> </a> <div class="s-user-card--info"> <a href="../../users/192044/be-kind-to-new-users" class="s-user-card--link">Be Kind To New Users</a> <ul class="s-user-card--awards"> <li class="s-user-card--rep" title="reputation score">9,672</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blinggold" title="13 gold badges">13</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blingsilver" title="78 silver badges">78</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blingbronze" title="125 bronze badges">125</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-layout--right js-post-comments-component"> <div id="comments-48028036" class="comments js-comments-container bt bc-black-075 mt12 " data-post-id="48028036" data-min-length="15"> <ul class="comments-list js-comments-list" data-remaining-comments-count="0" data-canpost="false" data-cansee="true" data-comments-unavailable="false" data-addlink-disabled="true"> <li id="comment-83025966" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="83025966" data-comment-owner-id="5595389" data-comment-score="1"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> <span title="number of 'useful comment' votes received" class="warm">1</span> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment83025966_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">I think this has to do with the version of the browser! I know that chrome does something with the PDF viewer/download in the last 3 versions :-/</span> – <a href="../../users/5595389/marouen-mhiri" title="1,640 reputation" class="comment-user ">Marouen Mhiri</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment83025966_48028036"><span title="2017-12-29T20:23:29.230 License: CC BY-SA 3.0" class="relativetime-clean">Dec 29 '17 at 20:23</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="comment-83026084" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="83026084" data-comment-owner-id="1023618" data-comment-score="0"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment83026084_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">Add `console.log(Request.QueryString("p").Item(1));` and see what is output.</span> – <a href="../../users/1023618/reinstate-monica-cellio" title="25,975 reputation" class="comment-user ">Reinstate Monica Cellio</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment83026084_48028036"><span title="2017-12-29T20:28:20.630 License: CC BY-SA 3.0" class="relativetime-clean">Dec 29 '17 at 20:28</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="comment-83026090" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="83026090" data-comment-owner-id="209591" data-comment-score="2"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> <span title="number of 'useful comment' votes received" class="warm">2</span> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment83026090_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">The browser may have changed it's default when the returned pdf doesn't have a response-header `Content-Disposition`.Explicitly setting a response header of the pdf to `Content-Disposition:inline` will probably fix it. Furthermore check that response header `Content-Type: application/pdf` is set instead of the deprecated (and perhaps due to a browser update unsupported) `Content-Type: application/x-pdf`</span> – <a href="../../users/209591/geert-jan" title="18,623 reputation" class="comment-user ">Geert-Jan</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment83026090_48028036"><span title="2017-12-29T20:28:36.787 License: CC BY-SA 3.0" class="relativetime-clean">Dec 29 '17 at 20:28</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="comment-83026140" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="83026140" data-comment-owner-id="1592845" data-comment-score="0"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment83026140_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">You said "some users" this means only one thing, those users has no pdf reader plugin in there web browsers.</span> – <a href="../../users/1592845/saidbakr" title="13,303 reputation" class="comment-user ">SaidbakR</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment83026140_48028036"><span title="2017-12-29T20:30:42.700 License: CC BY-SA 3.0" class="relativetime-clean">Dec 29 '17 at 20:30</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="comment-83026159" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="83026159" data-comment-owner-id="192044" data-comment-score="0"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment83026159_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">@Geert-Jan That sounds like a good guess. is there a way for me to do that in the .js or .html file? The reason I ask is I have control of those. I will have to involve others if I change the server config.</span> – <a href="../../users/192044/be-kind-to-new-users" title="9,672 reputation" class="comment-user owner">Be Kind To New Users</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment83026159_48028036"><span title="2017-12-29T20:31:27.983 License: CC BY-SA 3.0" class="relativetime-clean">Dec 29 '17 at 20:31</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="comment-83026193" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="83026193" data-comment-owner-id="5885018" data-comment-score="0"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment83026193_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">As @SaidbakR wrote, or those users browsers are configured to download pdf (or open externally) instead of showing inline.</span> – <a href="../../users/5885018/statosdotcom" title="3,109 reputation" class="comment-user ">statosdotcom</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment83026193_48028036"><span title="2017-12-29T20:32:55.367 License: CC BY-SA 3.0" class="relativetime-clean">Dec 29 '17 at 20:32</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="comment-83026213" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="83026213" data-comment-owner-id="209591" data-comment-score="0"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment83026213_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">@michaelPotter: no. You need to change the server config. However, you can inspect the response-headers of the pdf in something like chrome inspector, to see if they're okay</span> – <a href="../../users/209591/geert-jan" title="18,623 reputation" class="comment-user ">Geert-Jan</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment83026213_48028036"><span title="2017-12-29T20:33:42.033 License: CC BY-SA 3.0" class="relativetime-clean">Dec 29 '17 at 20:33</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="comment-83029474" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="83029474" data-comment-owner-id="4209136" data-comment-score="0"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment83029474_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">[Here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6293893/how-to-force-files-to-open-in-browser-instead-of-download-pdf) is related question to header settings..</span> – <a href="../../users/4209136/bigless" title="2,849 reputation" class="comment-user ">bigless</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment83029474_48028036"><span title="2017-12-29T23:58:44.620 License: CC BY-SA 3.0" class="relativetime-clean">Dec 29 '17 at 23:58</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="comment-128974070" class="comment js-comment " data-comment-id="128974070" data-comment-owner-id="194717" data-comment-score="0"> <div class="js-comment-actions comment-actions"> <div class="comment-score js-comment-edit-hide"> </div> </div> <div class="comment-text js-comment-text-and-form"> <a name="comment128974070_48028036"></a> <div class="comment-body js-comment-edit-hide"> <span class="comment-copy">Check if the header `Content-Type: application/pdf` is being sent from your file server.</span> – <a href="../../users/194717/tony" title="16,527 reputation" class="comment-user ">Tony</a> <span class="comment-date" dir="ltr"><a class="comment-link" href="../../questions/48028036/iframe-src-file-pdf-now-downloading-rather-than-displaying#comment128974070_48028036"><span title="2022-07-18T14:19:41.043 License: CC BY-SA 4.0" class="relativetime-clean">Jul 18 '22 at 14:19</span></a></span> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="answers"> <a name="tab-top"></a> <div id="answers-header"> <div class="answers-subheader grid ai-center mb8"> <div class="grid--cell fl1"> <h2 class="mb0" data-answercount="9">1 Answers<span style="display:none;" itemprop="answerCount">1</span></h2> </div> </div> </div> <a name="65353646"></a> <div id="answer-65353646" class="answer " data-answerid="65353646" data-ownerid="1838886" data-score="-1" itemprop="suggestedAnswer" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer"> <div class="post-layout"> <div class="votecell post-layout--left"> <div class="js-voting-container grid jc-center fd-column ai-stretch gs4 fc-black-200" data-post-id="65353646"> <button class="js-vote-up-btn grid--cell s-btn s-btnunset c-pointer"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="m0 svg-icon iconArrowUpLg" width="36" height="36" viewBox="0 0 36 36"><path d="M2 26h32L18 10 2 26z"></path></svg></button> <div class="js-vote-count grid--cell fc-black-500 fs-title grid fd-column ai-center" itemprop="upvoteCount" data-value="-1">-1</div> </div> </div> <div class="postcell post-layout--right"> <div class="s-prose js-post-body" itemprop="text"><p>Had the same problem and <strong>geert-jan</strong>'s comment with setting a response header of the pdf to</p> <pre><code>Content-Disposition:inline </code></pre> <p>really fixed it.</p></div> <div class="mb0"> <div class="mt16 grid gs8 gsy fw-wrap jc-end ai-start pt4 mb16"> <div class="grid--cell mr16 fl1 w96"></div> <div class="post-signature grid--cell"> <div class="s-user-card s-user-card"> <time class="s-user-card--time" datetime="answered Dec 18 '20 at 08:13">answered Dec 18 '20 at 08:13</time> <a href="../../users/1838886/g-goncharov" class="s-avatar s-avatar32 s-user-card--avatar"> <img class="s-avatar--image" src="../../users/profiles/1838886.webp" data-jdenticon-width="32" data-jdenticon-height="32" data-jdenticon-value="G. Goncharov" /> </a> <div class="s-user-card--info"> <a href="../../users/1838886/g-goncharov" class="s-user-card--link">G. Goncharov</a> <ul class="s-user-card--awards"> <li class="s-user-card--rep" title="reputation score">172</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blingsilver" title="1 silver badges">1</li> <li class="s-award-bling s-award-blingbronze" title="14 bronze badges">14</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-layout--right js-post-comments-component"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script src="../../static/js/stack-icons.js"></script> <script src="../../static/js/fromnow.js"></script> </body> </html>