Can't open PDF files in SharePoint 2010 with Internet Explorer

Question

So we couldn't open .pdf in the browser in our SP2010 site. I set the setting to permissive browser file handling in central admin. I then found out that there's a bug that if a site is created from a custom template the pdf files uploaded to that site will still prompt for either Save or Cancel. I ran a hotfix on the server http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2459108

Consider the following scenario:

• You set Browser File Handling to Permissive for a web application in the General settings page in SharePoint 2010 Central Administration.
• You create a document library, and then upload an html document.
• You open the html document in the browser.
  Note You are not prompted to download the html document and it is rendered in the browser.
• You select to include the content when you save the SharePoint site as a template.
• You use the template to create a new SharePoint site in the same web application.

In this scenario, the Browser File Handling list setting for the document library in the new site is set to Strict. Additionally, when you open the html document, you are prompted to download the file.

Now when I click on a pdf with firefox I can open it directly but with internet explorer (8 and 9, default settings) I still can't do it, what's the solution here?

Edit: Maybe it always worked in firefox, anyway, when I create a new library it works as expected. How can I run this setting on all libraries?

Answer 1

There's a different, more subtle, but simpler root cause of this problem.

After much web searching and many hours with MSFT support, as hard as this may be to believe, it turns out that the root cause of my "SharePoint won't open PDF documents" problem was actually an Adobe extension/add-on. The symptom was an Adobe error msg "failed to open" after clicking the PDF list item in a document library. The culprit, an Adobe extension/add-on: "Adobe Acrobat SharePoint OpenDocuments Component".

I do not know how this got installed. What I do (finally) know is that this component actually does the exact opposite of what its name implies, i.e., it apparently prevents PDF documents from opening up when clicked in a SharePoint 2010 document library.

After various failed attempts to solve this problem (including changing "Browser File Handler" settings on the web app server from "Strict" to "Permissive" and other fixes suggested below and elsewhere on various blogs and web sites), nothing fixed the problem until we disabled this Adobe extension/add-on. Then, problem solved.

Note that you may not see this component in the "Tools > Manage Add-Ons" list until after attempting to open a PDF document from the library: apparently the add-on isn't activated (won't appear in that list) until an 'open' attempt is made. SO - if at first you don't see the component listed, try to open a PDF file and check the list again. If this component appears, disable it, and your problem is likely to go away.

Baffling, at best; or worse, actually nefarious on Adobe's part ...?

I'd still like to know how to get the PDF to open in a separate browser tab in IE vs. displacing the active tab. If anyone can help with that, please let me know! No custom coding solutions, PLEASE!

Answer 2

There is a better way to handle "Browser File Handle" issue. Take a look at my blog here: http://www.pdfsharepoint.com/sharepoint-2010-and-pdf-integration-series-part-1/

Solution #2 addresses Pdf extension without exposing entire Web Application to "Permissive" browsing. Setting "Browsing File Handle" to "permissive" opens too many vulnerabilities with other file extensions.

Thanks,

Dmitry

Answer 3

I have the same problem - originally installed Office Web apps, then turned that off, turned on the open in client application, then changed the setting on each doc library to open in browser .. Still have a problem with PDFs though.

If somebody includes a link to them in an announcement, then that person can open, other not. But only in IE - in FF there is no problme

Answer 4

Just change the Browser File Handling for the Web Application from the central admin as:

1. Central Administration > Application Management > Manage Web Applications
2. go to your Web Application example "http://sharepoint:80, just select it
3. from the top ribbon click "General Settings"
4. go down to "Browser File Handling" and change it to "Permissive"

If am not clear go to http://www.pdfsharepoint.com/sharepoint-2010-and-pdf-integration-series-part-1/

Answer 5

try this:

Make sure you're the site collection admin. Go into the site (not the central admin) and then go to site settings then go to site collection features. In there you will find the setting for " Open Documents in Client Applications by Default " it will probably be deactivated. Active it and you're good to go. users will then open attachments in their windows assigned applications, not the sharepoint web apps.

Also, try going into adobe reader and in the settings there is an option to open with the browser. check or uncheck it based on what you want it to do.

Answer 6

Encryption and SharePoint don't play well together

Right click My Documents or source folder Select Properties > Advanced (button) Uncheck "Encrypt contents to secure data"

This should solve many SharePoint problems you might have, including files not opening properly.

Answer 7

Appreciate this is an old post but still very relevant today. I spent a while trying to get this to work - just thought I'd share my findings.

This is specific to Adobe Acrobat. If you use a different PDF viewer, such as SumatraPDF the issue does not occur.

1. To prevent the 'Open, Save, Save As' dialog box in Internet Explorer:
This is specific to the versions of Acrobat. Set the following key/value:
Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\*acrobat_version_number*\FeatureLockDown\cSharePoint
Value Name: bDisableSharePointFeatures
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x1 (hex)

e.g.
For Acrobat X:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\11.0\FeatureLockDown\cSharePoint

2. To disable PDFs opening in the browser
This is specific to the versions of Acrobat. Set the following key/value:
Key: HKCU\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\acrobat_version_number\Originals
Value Name: bBrowserIntegration
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0x0 (hex)

e.g.
For Acrobat X:

HKCU\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\11.0\Originals

Thanks,

References:

Adobe Acrobat - Lockable Settings
Adobe Acrobat - General Application Settings