Big problem with Internet explorer and downloading docs

[fintan]

I've recently done a switch from asp to php and apache to apache2. Everything is running fine barely anyone noticed but now I've a major problem with IE.

On some pc's it won't download some documents.

The error I get is.

Internet Explorer cannot download docname from intranet
Internet Explorer was not able to open this Internet site. The requested site is either unavalible or cannot be found. Please try again later.

Has anyone come across this before? Is this a php problem, apache or just IE making a dogs dinner of it. Thanks

fintan.

[coopster]

Let me count the times ... oh wait, I can't count that high. IE chokes on so much it is unnerving. I honestly believe it is the developers' lack of understanding pertaining to RFC2616 that is primarily the cause.

What does your code do? I'm assuming this is not just a hyperlinked document, but one that you are reading and pushing to the browser? Are you running any form of content negotiation on your server?

[fintan]

Thanks for the reply coopster.

I was all happy with my shinny new Intranet till this happened. There is only two includes on the page. Nothing fancy.

It's a plain install of apache2. No fancy config.

As for content negotiation software we use
redline for compression. Whatever way redline and ie are handling the headers there making a balls of it.

I was thinking first it was php untill I tried all the solutions on the php.net site then tried a plain html file.

Anyway the moral of the story is when ie isn't patched properly or has certain patches applied, it doesn't like redline. Have you come accross this before?

[coopster]

I have never used (or had to use) 3rd party compression tools.

I'll often print out the HTTP headers during a request when I've been baffled by about every other possible solution I can throw at the issue. Try that. And if you can, test the application/script on a server without those headers to see if it makes a difference. If so, you start on the headers, one-by-one, until you nail down the issue.

As I said, every time I've run into this type of situation before it has been a MSIE standard issue, or lack thereof. The Apache developers recognized this and added Special Purpose Environment Variables [httpd.apache.org] and other tools for us to try and resolve the interoperability problems.

[fintan]

Thanks coopster I'll give it a go and tell you how it goes in the morning. Thanks

[coopster]

Good luck, and hang in there! From my experience I can tell you that it is not an easy hill to climb (usually).