RH6: External Links Won't Open

[Flaven]

In the newest issue I've encountered compiling RH5 projects with RH6, none of the several hundred external file links work in IE7: the file will not open.

I ran a file compare on the published version of one RH6 topic with its RH5 equivalent -- they are exactly the same except for the meta name="generator" company name and URL and this line at the top in the RH6 version: <!-- saved from url=(0014)about:internet -->

So, it doesn't appear to be the individual file, but a goober somewhere in the output which is preventing the links from working. BTW, the RH5 version works fine.

Any ideas where to look for the culprit?

Thanks!

[Peter Grainge]

Are you viewing locally published files or files published to the server. If published to the server, you don't need the mark of the web
<!-- saved from url=(0014)about:internet -->
and I just wonder if that is involved.

I freely admit it's a wild guess but sometimes my wild guesses work!

[Flaven]

Thanks, Peter -- these are locally published (and I did try a compile without the Mark of the Beast...er...Web -- no difference). How about another wild guess? <G>

I'm game for anything -- I've already started running file compares on the .js files, but nothing is jumping out yet...

[Flaven]

...well, I inadvertently lied: I have two layouts, unchecked Mark of the Web for one, compiled and opened the other. Not smart, but in my defense, I've been distracted....

So here's the deal: the layout with Mark of the Web checkmarked [per Adobe's copious Help, "Select this option if you do not want your output (which is saved on your computer) to be blocked in Internet Explorer 6, and later."] will not open externally linked files. Period.

With Mark of the Web unchecked, those externally linked files open just as expected.

I'm confused. If I can't open externally linked files with Mark of the Web checked, isn't that "blocking" -- at least of some sort?

Anyway, Peter, good wild guess -- but I sure don't know how to deal with this "solution"...<G>

[DiMost]

Is it possible this is related to my issue about linking to external (merged) files in RH6?

Everything works in RH5 by the way.

[Flaven]

Diana, I'd give it a try. Look at the Properties dialog for your output format and uncheck "Mark of the Web" and recompile and see if the issue goes bye-bye (alternatively, if it is unchecked, markmark it and try).

Regards...

Ross

[Peter Grainge]

I suspect the logic here is that if you create the help with MOW checked, it applied the code to all topics generated so they work. However, the MOW will not be applied to the external topics so they will not open.

You could also try generating and then tweaking your IE settings in the way that worked for X5.

Test against those points and then please post back so that we can gather information.

[Flaven]

Thanks, Peter -- but the ultimate issue here, I think, is that while I could tweak IE7 settings for a friendlier environment, the end user will encounter the same issue. The external files are mostly PDFs with a few protected Word and Excel docs: since I can't trust my end-user's environment, I may need to convert everything to FlashPaper and embed them as media files (that continues to work fine). I will try tweaking IE7, though, to see if a particular setting is a major culprit.

- Ross

[Peter Grainge]

Your files are local but won't the final files be on a server where behaviour will be different?

[Flaven]

No, these are application help files that may or may not be distributed from a server (in some cases, they will be loaded onto Tablet PCs, home desktops, and so forth).

[Peter Grainge]

Assuming it all works OK on a server, then the issue is that while MOW works OK with the help itself, the external links do not work.

First, under IE6 you had to change IE settings to allow the help to run in the first place and that tweak is, I believe, what would have allowed the external links to work. So in theory whilst RH6's MOW allows the help to run, the same settings need to be tweaked in IE7 for the external links. Does that make sense and have you checked that out?

Second, I wonder if a FlashHelp output would be better? I haven't used and would appreciate others coming in but given the multiple locations your help will be used from, perhaps that would be a better format.

[Flaven]

One of my systems is FlashHelp and it experienced the same behavior with MOTW checkmarked. For the nonce, I'll leave it off and run some end-user testing to see what issues develop and also track down what settings in IE7 might be emploding this stuff. Thank you for your interest in this, Peter -- I appreciate having the feedback. If I locate any gotchas, I'll post it here.

Regards...