IE6 - What determines how a text file will be opened?

superjess · 03-02-2007, 02:10 PM

When a user clicks on a link to a text-based file, what determines whether it opens in the browser window or prompts to open or save the file?

I have a web page that has links to many text files. All of the text files have the same extension (.cid) which is associated with TextPad on my PC. When I click on the link for some of the files, it opens the file directly in my browser window. When I click on the link for other files, it prompts to open or save the file. I can't figure out what is different about the files. They have the same extension and are both text files.

Is there some algorithm IE does to determine if the file can be opened in the browser? Is there some way to force one behavior or the other?

**nickster_uk** · 03-02-2007, 03:21 PM

Hi superjess...welcome to TSF...

you should be able to change the behaviour by doing the following:

- In Explorer (not IE), click Tools then Folder Options then File Types
- Scroll down to 'TXT Text Document' and then click the advanced button
- Check the box titled 'Confirm open after download'
- Click OK then OK again
- Clear out your IE cache and try again..you should get the download box prompt

If it doesn't work, then the only thing I can suggest is to delete the file type entry and the corresponding registry entries and recreate it from scratch and that will fix it.

Post back if you need any more help :)

superjess · 03-05-2007, 07:35 AM

The problem is not with TXT files, the files have an extension of .cid, but they are text files.

I tried this solution on the .cid extension, but I do not see any advanced button on the file types tab.

Even if I did, I'm not sure this would solve my issue. Some of the .cid files prompt to open or save and some open in the browser window. It's not that they're opening in their selected program without prompting, they're opening in the browser window. It's like IE is interpretting the file as a html file and is opening it like a link rather than like a file. But it only does this for some of the files, not all of them.

**nickster_uk** · 03-05-2007, 03:19 PM

Ok...any chance you can PM me a link to the website where these .cid files come from please? I don't have that particular file extension on my PC so i'm unable to test it...I may be able to put together a registry tweak for you so that the files always show the download prompt.

superjess · 03-06-2007, 07:31 AM

I can't give you the link because it is at work and on our local intranet.

I need to find a way to solve this problem for our users, so I'm not sure a registry hack will help anyway. Unfortunately, I can't go around applying that to our work PCs. Thanks for trying to help though.

I just wish I understood what IE is doing to determine whether a file is opened using the program that extension is associated with or opened within the browser. Why wouldn't it always open with TextPad? I don't care if it prompts to open or not, I just want it to open with TextPad every time.

It seems to do different things dependent on the contents of the file, not the extension. They all have the same extension, yet some open with TextPad, others open within the browser window.

Oh well. Thanks for your help. I'll figure something out.

**nickster_uk** · 03-06-2007, 10:30 PM

Ok...I hope you manage to get it resolved. Feel free to come back anytime for any other help.

03-02-2007, 02:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
superjess Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP	IE6 - What determines how a text file will be opened? When a user clicks on a link to a text-based file, what determines whether it opens in the browser window or prompts to open or save the file? I have a web page that has links to many text files. All of the text files have the same extension (.cid) which is associated with TextPad on my PC. When I click on the link for some of the files, it opens the file directly in my browser window. When I click on the link for other files, it prompts to open or save the file. I can't figure out what is different about the files. They have the same extension and are both text files. Is there some algorithm IE does to determine if the file can be opened in the browser? Is there some way to force one behavior or the other?

03-02-2007, 03:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
nickster_uk Moderator, Microsoft Support, Happy to support TSF! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,043 OS: XP Pro SP3, Windows 7 Ultimate, Ubuntu v8.04 My System	Hi superjess...welcome to TSF... you should be able to change the behaviour by doing the following: - In Explorer (not IE), click Tools then Folder Options then File Types - Scroll down to 'TXT Text Document' and then click the advanced button - Check the box titled 'Confirm open after download' - Click OK then OK again - Clear out your IE cache and try again..you should get the download box prompt If it doesn't work, then the only thing I can suggest is to delete the file type entry and the corresponding registry entries and recreate it from scratch and that will fix it. Post back if you need any more help :) __________________ My system: ASUS P5K-E WiFi \| Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz (OC 3.60GHz) \| 4GB Corsair DDR2 XMS2-6400C4 RAM (4-4-4-12) \| PowerColor ATI Radeon HD 3850 Pro Xtreme 512MB GDDR3 GPU \| Maxtor DiamondMax 22 500GB, Maxtor DiamondMax 23 500GB & 2xMaxtor DiamondMax 21 250GB SATA HDDs \| Thermaltake CL-P0114 Heatsink + 6 LED Case Fans \| Corsair HX620W Modular PSU \| Enermax Black Knight (CS-527) Case \| Pioneer DVR-216 SATA 20x20 DVD±RW In a world without walls or fences - who needs Windows and Gates?

03-05-2007, 03:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
nickster_uk Moderator, Microsoft Support, Happy to support TSF! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,043 OS: XP Pro SP3, Windows 7 Ultimate, Ubuntu v8.04 My System	Ok...any chance you can PM me a link to the website where these .cid files come from please? I don't have that particular file extension on my PC so i'm unable to test it...I may be able to put together a registry tweak for you so that the files always show the download prompt. __________________ My system: ASUS P5K-E WiFi \| Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz (OC 3.60GHz) \| 4GB Corsair DDR2 XMS2-6400C4 RAM (4-4-4-12) \| PowerColor ATI Radeon HD 3850 Pro Xtreme 512MB GDDR3 GPU \| Maxtor DiamondMax 22 500GB, Maxtor DiamondMax 23 500GB & 2xMaxtor DiamondMax 21 250GB SATA HDDs \| Thermaltake CL-P0114 Heatsink + 6 LED Case Fans \| Corsair HX620W Modular PSU \| Enermax Black Knight (CS-527) Case \| Pioneer DVR-216 SATA 20x20 DVD±RW In a world without walls or fences - who needs Windows and Gates?

03-06-2007, 10:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
nickster_uk Moderator, Microsoft Support, Happy to support TSF! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,043 OS: XP Pro SP3, Windows 7 Ultimate, Ubuntu v8.04 My System	Ok...I hope you manage to get it resolved. Feel free to come back anytime for any other help. __________________ My system: ASUS P5K-E WiFi \| Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz (OC 3.60GHz) \| 4GB Corsair DDR2 XMS2-6400C4 RAM (4-4-4-12) \| PowerColor ATI Radeon HD 3850 Pro Xtreme 512MB GDDR3 GPU \| Maxtor DiamondMax 22 500GB, Maxtor DiamondMax 23 500GB & 2xMaxtor DiamondMax 21 250GB SATA HDDs \| Thermaltake CL-P0114 Heatsink + 6 LED Case Fans \| Corsair HX620W Modular PSU \| Enermax Black Knight (CS-527) Case \| Pioneer DVR-216 SATA 20x20 DVD±RW In a world without walls or fences - who needs Windows and Gates?

03-05-2007, 07:35 AM	#3 (permalink)
superjess Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP	The problem is not with TXT files, the files have an extension of .cid, but they are text files. I tried this solution on the .cid extension, but I do not see any advanced button on the file types tab. Even if I did, I'm not sure this would solve my issue. Some of the .cid files prompt to open or save and some open in the browser window. It's not that they're opening in their selected program without prompting, they're opening in the browser window. It's like IE is interpretting the file as a html file and is opening it like a link rather than like a file. But it only does this for some of the files, not all of them.

03-06-2007, 07:31 AM	#5 (permalink)
superjess Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP	I can't give you the link because it is at work and on our local intranet. I need to find a way to solve this problem for our users, so I'm not sure a registry hack will help anyway. Unfortunately, I can't go around applying that to our work PCs. Thanks for trying to help though. I just wish I understood what IE is doing to determine whether a file is opened using the program that extension is associated with or opened within the browser. Why wouldn't it always open with TextPad? I don't care if it prompts to open or not, I just want it to open with TextPad every time. It seems to do different things dependent on the contents of the file, not the extension. They all have the same extension, yet some open with TextPad, others open within the browser window. Oh well. Thanks for your help. I'll figure something out.