PDF files - download or view?

[Tom.G]

Since the move to the new servers, many (all?) PDF files have defaulted to Download or Save. Prior to this, as is standard on other sites, PDFs defaulted to View. Rather annoying. Fortunately my browser is configured to Always Ask, but it is still an extra action required. Others have also mentioned this action on occasion, particularly @jim hardy.

Can this finally be corrected?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Vanadium 50]

I don't think this is server side.

 

[Tom.G]

Perhaps not entirely, but it doesn't occur at other sites, and recently started here.

 

[jtbell]

How recently? That is, when?

 

[Tom.G]

About the time of the server switch. Most recently, shortly before this thread creation.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

We did change IP addresses, so perhaps your browser had a setting that white listed PF by IP for PDF auto open and now that setting is invalid?

 

[Tom.G]

Looking in the browser configuration, nothing associated with either 'PDF' or 'Nitro' reader has a URL, neither numeric nor Human-readable.
Is this a known feature of any browser, it's the first time (going back to before the internet) I've heard of that "feature" tied to a particular URL.

Looking in the Nitro Reader configuration, the only URL reference is to allow outgoing connections.

For instance this file https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/2N5550-D.PDF defaults to Open in the browser from the host site and also opens when posted here.

The two PDFs in this link https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/quarter-amplitude-response-method-pid-settings.959954/
default to Save when accessed from the thread.

https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/pid-pdf.233910/
https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/course-notes-pdf.233911/

EDIT: Those files default to Save when opened in this post also.

So maybe we all learned something, that it is file specific, and maybe browser specific.

Can anyone else verify this?

 

[davenn]

For instance this file https://www.onsemi.com/pub/Collateral/2N5550-D.PDF defaults to Open in the browser from the host site and also opens when posted here.

The two PDFs in this link https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/quarter-amplitude-response-method-pid-settings.959954/
default to Save when accessed from the thread.

https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/pid-pdf.233910/
https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/course-notes-pdf.233911/

EDIT: Those files default to Save when opened in this post also.

So maybe we all learned something, that it is file specific, and maybe browser specific.

Can anyone else verify this?

Interesting, I'm running IE on Win 10 and first one opens in new tab
second two give me the option to save
just tested, does the same in Microsoft Edge for Win 10Now in Chrome, the first one just opened in new tab like it did in IE and Edge
But the other 2 auto downloaded, didn't even ask me (give me a choice ) to save as

Dave

 

[Ibix]

I notice the direct URLs to those PDFs in #7 don't end in .pdf. Possibly that's relevant to browser behaviour?

 

[OCR]

Can anyone else verify this?

Yeah...

They shouldn't...

.

 

[jim hardy]

Can this finally be corrected?

i set Chrome to "Always Ask" . I won't let them self load for i think it's impolite and offensively presumptuous of files to invite themselves in. .

It needs to be fixed.

 

[jtbell]

My results for the links in post #7 are the same as Dave's, using Firefox 63.0.3 under Mac OS.

Maybe the form of the URL causes the difference. The first URL ends with the file extension '.pdf'. The other two links (the PF attachments) do not end in '.pdf', although the downloaded file does have the proper extension. Maybe Firefox acts according to the URL and not the file name.

Oops, now I see Ibix spotted this, too. I need another cup of coffee.