Solved Accdb: "WebBrowser" and "AcroPDF" (PDF viewer)

[theDBguy]

Not sure I'm following 100%. I am able to open PDFs in Web Browser control. It just gives me a silly prompt to open/save every time. I click on open and it works fine. But the prompt is annoying.

Maybe what you're not geting is @isladogs and I (and also @ironfelix717 now) are saying you can view/open a PDF in a web browser control without getting those prompts.

 

[CedarTree]

Here's another idea. Is there a way to grab the prompt window and force it to choose "open" automatically?

 

[CedarTree]

Maybe what you're not geting is @isladogs and I (and also @ironfelix717 now) are saying you can view/open a PDF in a web browser control without getting those prompts.

See discussion above - I tried it with my tool, and isladogs sample tool... still getting a prompt with PDFs.

 

[isladogs]

So, it seems you haven't tried running the .reg file.

I have been opening PDFs in Access for many years without any issues with prompts.
In fact I use a similar form in several of my commercial apps to open PDF help files.
None of my clients have ever reported having the issue you are describing when opening the help files.

 

[CedarTree]

Again, I'd have to get IT okay to update the REG keys. That's why I opened the file as a text file and I don't see any reference to PDF files. So I'm not against the idea... it would just take me time to get approval, etc.

 

[isladogs]

So why not test on your own 'home' pc? The .reg file may or may not be the solution you need ...but it is solvable.

 

[CedarTree]

Thanks - good idea. I happened to find this which did the trick... for future reference if it helps:


Remove Open\Save Dialog
------------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroPDF.FDF.1]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroPDF.PDF.1]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,01,00
------------------------------------------------------
Add Open\Save Dialog
------------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroPDF.FDF.1]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroPDF.PDF.1]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00
------------------------------------------------------

 

[theDBguy]

See discussion above - I tried it with my tool, and isladogs sample tool... still getting a prompt with PDFs.

Hi. As I said earlier, it's a matter of system configuration. I can see now that you were able to finally configure your system to make it work. Cheers!

 

[vhung]

With apologies to @vhung, it can often be difficult to understand what he is saying due to language issues.

Anyway. I'm saying I can open PDFs in a web browser control in Access without any prompts - it works fine in both 32-bit & 64-bit Access
Try the attached example app which includes a .reg file if needed together with several screenshots of it being used with different file types t

Good day...

It is not about "language issues"
But you need to do is focus on the problem

Let me clear it to you that what problem I have before is about “WebBrowser“
In addition, the problem is on the syntax when command executed, then later I found it corrected.
Meaning PDF could be open to “WebBrowser“

On the other way the ActiveX control “AcroPDF” is also, applicable that if you have installed the most fitted “Adobe Reader” on computer.
Again, PDF could be open to “AcroPDF”

However, the problem of “Cedar” he said: “I am able to open PDFs on WebBrowser control. It just gives me a silly prompt to open/save every time. I click on open and it works fine. But the prompt is annoying.”

Now Can you see the problem here its’ not on "language issues" that “isladogs” is referring to me.
The problem: “prompt to open/save every time”

Somewhat the “WebBrowser” needs a kill command to exit the prompt message ”open/save”, and that is to be solved

I hope you will find the reality of it both of you people

Please see the attachments of sample pdf on “WebBrowser” and "AcroPDF"
Only I never encountered that problem on “prompt to open/save every time”

 

[arnelgp]

i added the "registry" value that cedarTree shared to my "officeViewer" accdb.
also i found out that excel and ppt also is also having same issue (open/save dialog),
but not with ms word. that lead my searching to this:
Internet Explorer: Disable "Do you want to open or save this file?" download prompt | 9to5IT

 

[vhung]

also i found out that excel and ppt also is also having same issue (open/save dialog),
but not with ms word. that lead my searching to this:

That is true “arnel”; it is a mode of “excel and ppt” that if have to open in some instances need to save
or proceed to open and may not be on “msword”.
However, on pdf is another thing to discuss where else nothing to save when it has to be open.

Your office viewer sample is nice “arnel”,
Glad you add this “WebBrowserControl.Reg”, it controls for “pdf, excel and ppt”
Thanks much...

 

[arnelgp]

you're welcome Vhung

 

[vhung]

Arnel, I will make use of your office viewer
Add it to my project, because my office viewer seems on trouble.

The file loading is faster than my old one.

 

[arnelgp]

Arnel, I will make use of your office viewer

ok, goodluck

 

[vhung]

Wow, I love it,
Maybe I could still find some other mode of using it

Work fine now, editing MSWord, PPT and Excel
See the difference

 

[isladogs]

@CedarTree
Apologies. The .reg file I supplied (originally uploaded by @arnelgp) fixes a different issue whereby certain file types open outside Access instead of in the web browser. Interestingly I don't have the registry keys that you found and that I believe fixed your issue. Thanks for posting those

@arnelgp
Many thanks for the link in post #22.
Hopefully the two solutions in that article will allow me to open other file types such as XML & JSON in a web browser and without the open/save message that @CedarTree suffers with PDF files

@vhung
Your English is far better than my attempts at other languages but post #29 illustrates exactly what I meant
I fully understand the issues @CedarTree is having without needing to 'focus' on his posts.
However although I often read your posts several times, I'm often left puzzled as to what you are saying.
I'm also well aware that others also have the same problem with your posts

Do you write in your own language and then use e.g. Google translate to convert to English before posting.
If not, perhaps it would be worth trying to do that

 

[isladogs]

@CedarTree
Still trying to work out why you had the issue with PDF files
My default app for opening PDF files was Microsoft Edge and I didn't have Acrobat Reader DC installed (which explains why I didn't have the registry key you showed)

In the interests of research, I installed Acrobat Reader & the key were automatically added with the EditFlags value set at 00 00 01 00 - so the PDF files still open with no warnings. As a test, I toggled to the value 00 00 00 00 and sure enough the warnings appeared

I'm now wondering whether you would get the warnings if you changed your default PDF app to Edge or Chrome etc

 

[isladogs]

A quick update:
After adding/modifying EditFlags registry values to 00 00 01 00 for various file types, I can now open all the following file types in a web browser control in Access without the Open/Save dialog: DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, TXT, XML, ZIP & CSV (as well as PDF of course).
Image files such as PNG, ICO already open with no warnings

To help with doing this, I recommend using the assoc.xxx method outlined in the article arnelgp linked earlier today

NOTE: So far I've been unable to apply a fix for JSON files so these still give the Open/Save As dialog in the web browser control
If anyone else has done so, I'd be interested in the solution

 

[vhung]

@vhung
Your English is far better than my attempts at other languages but post #29 illustrates exactly what I meant
I fully understand the issues @CedarTree is having without needing to 'focus' on his posts.
However although I often read your posts several times, I'm often left puzzled as to what you are saying.
I'm also well aware that others also have the same problem with your posts

Do you write in your own language and then use e.g. Google translate to convert to English before posting.
If not, perhaps it would be worth trying to do that

The thing I did on post is that I often use phrases not full sentences to a paragraph. I may improve the sentence construction but it would vary as quickly needed solutions to the problems I encountered.

Isladogs said: “However although I often read your posts several times, I'm often left puzzled as to what you are saying. I'm also well aware that others also have the same problem with your posts”

See the problem is within you reading, well sorry for that, in nature that is my mode of declaring thoughts, but not known and understood to everyone, in some ways for sure I did not arrived the exact point to deal with. I admit it, writing long explanation on specific “Accb issues” is taking more time, and I hope I could cope with it.

I have respect to “isladogs”, you been also a guide to me on developing Accdb projects

 

[Minty]

The thing I did on post is that I often use phrases not full sentences to a paragraph. I may improve the sentence construction but it would vary as quickly needed solutions to the problems I encountered.

I think this is a large part of the problem.

We don't grasp your "thoughts" hastily written as posts. In a written environment such as an internet forum, a full verbose description is essential to convey your question and describe what you have tried to do to solve it. This is even more true if the language you are writing in isn't your main one.

Without this anybody reading random thoughts is just guessing as to the what, where and why of your post.