Background:
We are a document imaging company that scans companies' paper files
into .pdf format. We then give clients CDs of all their information.
Each one of their original files is split into several PDF files.
For example if the company has one large folder called "Credit Card
Receipts," we make separate PDF documents for MasterCard receipts,
Visa receipts, American Express receipts, etc.
Then we use an html format which links to these .PDF files. So we
would create an html document named "Credit Card Receipts.htm" and
then have links to "Visa.PDF," "MasterCard.PDF," "American
Express.PDF," etc.. We do this so we have all the PDF files organized
as 1 file, as they were originally, but still separated for easy
navigation. This HTML page also gives the client a nice layout to
look at, rather than a few .pdf files in a windows folder. Again this
is an HTML page which references files that are coming off the CD and
not the internet. Please reference
http://www.paperdrop.com/forms/samplefile/sample_file.htm to see an
example of our sample file. This is the html page that would autorun
from the CD. This page is fully functional and all the links work, so
you can see what the user would get.
The Problem:
The problem we are having is when we open the html page we created,
either from my local hard disk or from a compact disc, we get a window
informing me that the PDF file is a pop up and it has been blocked
because it may contain a security threat. I then have to click the
"Information Bar" to retrieve my document and say okay to a number of
additional security alerts. Even worse, when we bring the documents
to other offices, sometimes it simply says pop up blocked and does not
let me open the document at all. Even after I turn off the pop up
preferences, some corporate office settings still have me unable to
open the links.
Exceptions:
1) For some reason, however, when we open these files from the web, it
does not give us these problems (as you can see from the sample file I
linked above). The .pdfs open up in a separate window with no
security alerts. I believe this is because when we open the PDF?s
from the web, it is not acting like a pop up but rather a new page.
2) Another exception we noticed relates to .PDF files that we receive
in emails. We saved a .pdf we received in an email to our local hard
drive, and then tried placing that .pdf in the same HTML document. We
noticed that although the other .PDF files gave us security alerts,
the one saved from our email account opens without giving us any
security warning.
We then examined the properties of the emailed pdfs (right click the
file and go to properties) and found it was different in one way. It
had an extra security warning. It says "Security: This file came from
another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer."
(there is then an option to unblock, which if you do removes the
warning). All the other pdfs that we have problems with, do not have
this ?Security:? under ?Attributes:?
We then burned an HTML document referencing the emailed PDF files
(with the extra security feature) and the tested the CD on another
computer. On the new computer, we DID receive the security alerts,
which we were NOT receiving before we burned the CD on our local
computer. Then we examined the CD contents and found that the
Security feature was no longer part of the PDF properties on the
burned CD (although they were on the machine that burned them.) So
basically that security feature had to do with the way our computer
recognized the pdfs and not the pdfs themselves. If we could get
every machine to recognize the PDFs the way our computer did (with the
extra security feature) we would not have any problems.
Possible Solutions:
We are trying to find a way to make this HTML page open up the pdfs
located on the CD without any security warning and pop ups being
blocked. We never want it to act as a pop up when running from the cd.
We want it to act like it does when it runs from that web link above.
We need these files to be viewed from any location, regardless of the
platform, browser, and user settings. We are looking for a consistent
user experience across the board.
I are currently using Internet Explorer running Service Pack 2. I
understand the issues we are having are because of settings related to
Internet Explorer, and third party pop up blocker software, etc. But
again, we are looking for a consistent user experience and would like
them to open the files easily regardless of their settings and without
having them change their settings. |
Request for Question Clarification by
lazerfx-ga
on
12 May 2005 01:42 PDT
I can't offer a solution to the problem, since it is client-specific.
However, I can offer an explanation for the problem.
Windows XP SP2 has increased the Internet Explorer Security for 'local
machine' zone, to a very high level. In the past, if it was run
locally, you could do almost anything with a file. This was exploited
by several loopholes and security breaches, which would either plant a
file locally and run it, or would pretend to be local, thereby causing
the computer to run malicious programs, worms, viruses, etc.
The only solution to this that I can see is to actually create a
'presentation' system that would autorun, that is able to run a
faux-HTML page outside of IE - for instance, using Macromedia Flash
(http://www.flash.com and http://www.macromedia.com) to create the
system. The disadvantages of this are that you would need to convert
the page over into this, and the Flash package is very expensive for
just this one use.
While I haven't tried it, there is an package that looks like it might
do what you require, for a nominal cost. This is available at
http://www.cdemnu.de/ (For the main page) and
http://www.cdmenu.de/cdmenu_editions.htm (For information on the
different versions of CDMenu). The price ranges from 19.95 EU for the
Personal Edition, to 89.95 for the Professional Edition. It also
includes a free-trial version, if you should wish to test it before
you purchase it.
I'm sorry that I can't answer the queston, and so I don't presume to
take your money, however I hope that these alternative solutions have
given you something to work with.
LazerFX-ga
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