Opening Microsoft Applications or Plugins via browser

[techskool]

Hi there

Ive noticed whn you click on a file view / download via the web, some Microsoft apps open in Internet Explorer (like word or excel) and some fire up their respective application like access databases.

Is there a way to ensure all applications open in their native format, so if i click on a web link to a word document, it actually opens in word and not internet explorer; and the same for Adobe PDF's and other files.

Many Thanks

Dave

 

[DreXor]

well it's dependant upon the client's settings, if they have the browser plugins it should open in the browser, if they have the application but not hte plug in, it should open externally with the prompt of save/open.

DreX
aKa - Robert
if all else fails, light it on fire and do the happy dance!

 

[techskool]

Hi DreXor

Thanx for the response.

I know all of our domain machines have the full office suite, so i was unsure why some microsoft ones would open in the browser but not others. So whats this hte plugin then?

Many thanks for the speedy reply

dave

 

[ggriffit]

on each machine there is a series of MIME TYPE settings for each document type, the settings here tell IE - and other apps - what to do when a document of that type is processed, see

http://blogs.msdn.com/gusperez/archive/2004/04/28/122768.aspx

for a start.

 

[DreXor]

if you binary stream the file you can force a download/open causing it to open externally in it's native application.
see thread "binary stream issues" for source code on how to make it work.

DreX
aKa - Robert
if all else fails, light it on fire and do the happy dance!

 

[techskool]

Thanx for all the help guys!