PDF Files Not Downloading

[baumgrenze]

The applies to a Win7/Pro X64 machine running the latest SM.

Since the end of September I've not been able to download PDF files using SM. It works fine if I put the same URL into Chrome (ugh!) In Download Manager they are shown as 'Failed.' MS documents still download and open.

Is there a switch I might have inadvertently tripped that would block PDFs?

Thanks
baumgrenze

[Anonymosity]

I use a helper application to load PDF files. It works. Do you have "PDF document" listed in Helper Applications in Preferences?

[therube]

I've not been able to download PDF files using SM

And of course you're unable to provide links to any of these PDFs.

[9fingers]

Hijack alert!
On a related query, I can download pdfs but have to manually go find them in the download manager to open them.
One time I used to a dialog box giving options to download to a specific location or open and to set that choice as default but I don't seem to see that box anymore.

sm 2.53.9.1/win10

Bob

[therube]

Dowload Manger shows a .pdf.
Double click, & it opens.
Right click, Open containing folder, & that directory with that file highlighted opens in (cough) Window Explorer.

Works here.

[baumgrenze]

Looks like I'm missing the 64 bit Irfanview PDF Plugin.
More research.
What helped was trying the RightClick and then OpenContainingFolder. It shows a Part file. For example I read this:


Can't load Ghostscript or Ghostscript decode error.
If Ghostscript is not installed, please install 64-bit version from:

https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware?ghos ... /releases/
e.g. gs922w74.exe)

(or for PDFs: try the new PDF plugin in IrfanView:
Properties>Plugins>PDF)

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
baumgrenze

[v_v]

questions for both baumgrenze and 9fingers,

(If you have already resolved your problem you may ignore the following.)

baumgrenze, while maybe the "64 bit Irfanview PDF Plugin" will help or has helped you, you should not need Irfanview for what you are trying to do. That plugin will simply allow Irfanview to open your pdf files with Irfanview, if that is what you choose to do.

So first question, what is your default pdf reader? (Go to Windows Start---Settings---Apps---Default Apps---Choose Default Apps by file type, and scroll down until you find ".pdf".)

Second question, when you go to SeaMonkey Preferences---Helper Applications, do you find "PDF Document" listed amongst the content types? If so, what do you have listed in the "Action" column? (There are choices there: "Always Ask", "Save File", and "Use other".)

Third question, when you go to SeaMonkey Preferences---Downloads, what have you chosen under "When saving a file".

Your answers to these questions should tell us what the solution(s) may need to be.

v_v

[baumgrenze]

questions for both baumgrenze and 9fingers,

(If you have already resolved your problem you may ignore the following.)

baumgrenze, while maybe the "64 bit Irfanview PDF Plugin" will help or has helped you, you should not need Irfanview for what you are trying to do. That plugin will simply allow Irfanview to open your pdf files with Irfanview, if that is what you choose to do.

So first question, what is your default pdf reader? (Go to Windows Start---Settings---Apps---Default Apps---Choose Default Apps by file type, and scroll down until you find ".pdf".)

Second question, when you go to SeaMonkey Preferences---Helper Applications, do you find "PDF Document" listed amongst the content types? If so, what do you have listed in the "Action" column? (There are choices there: "Always Ask", "Save File", and "Use other".)

Third question, when you go to SeaMonkey Preferences---Downloads, what have you chosen under "When saving a file".

Your answers to these questions should tell us what the solution(s) may need to be.

v_v

The OS on this computer is Win7/Pro x64 with all the patches supplied by MS including one more this week.

The Windows default program (Question 1) is Adobe Acrobat 8.1

The SM Preferences--Helper Applications lists three items:

PDF file (application/octetstream Use Adobe Acrobat 8.1
PDF file (application/pdf) Save File
PDF file (application/x-download Use default

SeaMonkey Preferences---Downloads lists:
Open the Download Manager
Save the file to (and a download path is specified.) The path works for other files.

Thanks again for your offer to help.
baumgrenze

[TPR75]

The Windows default program (Question 1) is Adobe Acrobat 8.1

The SM Preferences--Helper Applications lists three items:

PDF file (application/octetstream Use Adobe Acrobat 8.1
PDF file (application/pdf) Save File
PDF file (application/x-download Use default

Plugins are not supported anymore (including PDF). In preferences choose "Save File" for all PDFs settings (including "Adobe Acrobat Document").

Try this link:
https://download.virtualbox.org/virtual ... Manual.pdf
It should be downloaded and saved as PDF file somewhere on your PC when:
1) click LMB,
2) click RMB and choose "Save Link Target As",
3) hold Shift and click LMB.

If you want to open PDF in a window/tab then you'll need this extension:
https://github.com/IsaacSchemm/pdf.js-s ... /releases/
You don't need to change any settings (keep/leave "Save File").
Open in SeaMonkey will be then default option. If you'll need to save file then choose above option 2 or 3.

It was discussed here:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=3080682

[baumgrenze]

Thanks TPR75

Unfortunately, I cannot download a pdf file. That is why I created my post.

thanks
baumgrenze

[frg]

Close SeaMonkey and remove the handlers.json file from your profile. Maybe downloads.json too but if your problem only affects pdf files unlikely that corruption in it causes it. If it still doesn't work afterwards try new test profile and if this still does not work then take a deep look at your antivirus program.

[Peter Creasey]

What should we assume when an app or site won't launch a PDF file and says something like "It appears that your browser won't show PDF files"?

[Anonymosity]

You should be able to use a helper application. You need to have a helper application associated with the extension .pdf.

[v_v]

baumgrenze,

If the suggestions by tpr75 and frg have not worked then here is another perspective/suggestion.

1. First of all you are using a greatly outdated version of Adobe Acrobat (or Reader). Version 8.1 dates from around the 2006--2008 era. While it may still be functional for a lots of other purposes (I myself have a full version of 7.0 installed), it may not work as nicely with the more modern browsers since the browsers have greatly evolved (some might even say 'devolved' {smile}) over the last 15 years or so. Thus the first issue would be choose another program as the default pdf reader in Windows. (Keep in mind here that we are focusing only on the "reader" aspect of pdf file; if you need another program for pdf editing purposes, that would be a different topic.)

There are many choices here. You could choose to stick with Adobe and therefore download and install the latest free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC from here: " https://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/ ". Be sure to choose the version for Windows 7 and to UNCHECK all of the McAfee special offices (unless you want those special offers).

One concern with Adobe Reader at this point is that it is now a very large and bloated program, at 213.15 MB for your Windows 7. Thus many of us have chosen other programs from a multitude of free readers available. So if you wish to choose a different reader program simply do a search on "best free pdf readers" and you will find a large variety of choices. For strictly reading/viewing purposes I use Sumatra 3.3.3 availabe at " https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/downlo ... pdf-viewer ". This download is only 7.0 MB as opposed to 213.15 MB for Adobe, and it is very fast and light on resources. But there are other good choices too and I have several of them for backup purposes!

Once you have installed your new reader choice set it as the default pdf program in Windows.

2. Now go to SeaMonkey Preferences--Browser--Helper Applications. For the Content Type PDF column make sure that your new pdf reader choice is the default for all of the pdf items you have listed. In addition as tpr75 suggested also make sure that in the Action column that you have chosen "Save File" (if that is what you want, although I think that "Always Ask" will work just as well) for all of your pdf items.

3. Your choices at SeaMonkey Preferences--Browser--Downloads look okay.

4. Let us know how these changes work out.


[My pure guess is that the root of the problem is that the old version of Adobe 8.1 no longer works with the modernized/updated SeaMonkey and that because the Adobe plug-in is no longer functional the browser has no idea of what to do with a pdf file because you have Adobe set as the default. I could be wrong! {Smile}]


v_v

[v_v]

Peter,

Didn't you write in "Posted October 11th, 2021, 12:39 pm" at " http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=3080682 " that "Adobe Acrobat Reader works fine for me with 2.53.9.1?"

If you are saying that you can no longer view pdf pages in your SeaMonkey browser then the solutions posted by hardys, and summarized by bob fam1, tpr75, and myself in the above thread should address your issue. (In other words you will need an extension to view pdf pages in SeaMonkey.)

v_v