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Why do .PDFs sometimes launch Adobe Reader?

  • 5 cavab
  • 2 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by GilDawson

GilDawson
GilDawson
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Using Firefox 33.1 and Preferences -> Applications -> "Portable Document Format (PDF)" -> Preview in Firefox, clicking on a .pdf link usually opens a new tab with the .pdf file. However, on some websites clicking on a .pdf link pops up the "You have chosen to open:" dialog with "Save File" selected and "Adobe Reader (Default)" as an alternative.

What causes this difference in behavior, and can I control it?

--Gil

Using Firefox 33.1 and Preferences -> Applications -> "Portable Document Format (PDF)" -> Preview in Firefox, clicking on a .pdf link usually opens a new tab with the .pdf file. However, on some websites clicking on a .pdf link pops up the "You have chosen to open:" dialog with "Save File" selected and "Adobe Reader (Default)" as an alternative. What causes this difference in behavior, and can I control it? --Gil

All Replies (5)

philipp
philipp
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hello gil, websites can explicitly advice the browser to download a file - you'll be presented with the save file dialog in this case. you can circumvent that behaviour with an extension like this one: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/inlinedisposition/

the-edmeister
the-edmeister
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If a proper MIME type is present or not. Lacking a MIME type Firefox will default to "asking" and also if the MIME type is incorrect for the "expected" file.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/set-how-firefox-handles-different-file-types

GilDawson
GilDawson Question owner
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Well, that helps.

  • Installing InlineDisposition changed the alternative from "Adobe Reader (Default)" to a "Choose" button, which linked to my Applications folder. Interesting, but not quite what I wanted.
  • Looking at the "Page Source" I couldn't figure out what "MIME type" the server presents. Is there a way for Firefox to tell me which type the server associates with the file?

Thanks for the links. This is evidently a complicated area.

--Gil

philipp
philipp
  • Moderator
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can you provide a url to a site/pdf where this is happening?

GilDawson
GilDawson Question owner
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Unfortunately, no. The web page with the ornery pdfs is within my account on my financial advisor's website which requires my password. At least, I hope it does.

Thank you very much for the help you have given me. I see now that this question is much more complicated than I thought it would be. I'm content now to let it go, and just do what they tell me.

I really appreciate your link helping me to understand what is going on.

--Gil