Correct IE5 header()s for file downloads

Anon

Hi folks,

I'm hoping you can bring your collective wisdom to bear on this annoying problem in a project I'm doing. This PHP-4.0.1pl2 site contains an image archive, from which a script - download.php - can be called to gather a number of images from the archive, zip-compress them together, then upload them to the browser.

This all works prefectly on any browser I've tried it on except for IE5, which (wouldn't you know it) is the platform the client is insisting on using.

On Win98se/IE5.0a the browser starts downloading the file, displays the progress meter, but dies at around 75% with the error "the server returned an invalid or unrecognised response".

On Win98se/IE5.0 the browser appears to download the zip file successfully (and the files it contains can be unzipped and viewed) however once transfer is complete IE retains it's hourglass+arrow pointer, and unless the user presses 'Stop' the browser eventually dies.

Essentially, what I've got is this:
<pre>
<?php
...
...
$zipfile=shell_exec("zip -j -q -r - $tmppth/");
$zipsize=strlen($zipfile);

header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream; name=Skinvision.zip");
header("Content-Length: $zipsize");
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
header("Accept-Ranges: none");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=Skinvision.zip\n");

echo $zipfile;
?>
</pre>
There's no other output, blank lines, or anything like that to screw with the headers as far as I can see.

This one's stumped me for a couple of days... anyone got any ideas?

Thanks,

-=Sam=-

Anon

Ahem. I guess all those HTML tags in my previous post are somewhat redundant, eh? <cheezy grin>

-=Sam=-

Anon

I know that it sucks, but the content-type "application/x-ms-download" is supposed to work if you want to force a download-dialog in IE. And of course, it also works in Netscape.

Anon

I have had similar problems with IE5. How do I terminate the script or tell the browser, that the download is ready and the file is complete. Is there some specific header to send? I've tried die() and exit() -functions with no results.

Anon

btw: I recommend you, that you call your script file with these args:
"bleble.php3?base64%3ASkivision.zip"
because IE still shows script name (i.e. "bleble.php3") in 'Select dialogbox' ("Open" "Save" file) before 'SaveFile dialogbox'

Anon

Sam,

I am getting virtually the same problem. The IE5.5 hourglass stays but IE does not die. Downloaded file is intact and complete.

Did you find a solution at the end? These are the headers I use:

//$mime_extension is one of .tgz, .zip, .zip.hqx
//$mime_type is the accompanying extension
//$tp is the temp filename
//$tf is the temp file

header("Content-disposition: attachment; filename=iccbundle".$mime_extension);
header("Content-type: ".$mime_type);
header("Content-length: " . ftell($tf));
header("Content-description: ICC profiles from Serendipity Software");
header("Pragma: no-cache");
header("Expires: 0");
rewind($tf);
fpassthru($tf);//also closes the file
unlink($tp);

Anon

These don't appear to work for IE 5.5, I spent about 2 hours on this and came up with the following: Works for IE 4.x / Netscape 4.x, haven't tested any others:

$fp = fopen($path.$file,"rb");
$fsize = filesize($path.$file);
header("Content-type: application/download\r\n");
header("Content-length: $fsize\r\n");
header("Content-disposition-type: attachment\r\n");
header("Content-disposition: filename=$file");
$result = fpassthru($fp);
exit;

Anon

Since I last tested, I found that it actually works on other installs of IE5.5 installations! It might be that they have different minor versions or it might be a registry thing.

I suggest you guys also try on other people's computers. You can test my page here if you wish:

http://www.riponce.com/support/download/icc/

blanco

I\'m sure you meant that your code does indeed work with 5.5; I just verified that your code snippet works in 5.50.4134.0600

🙂

John Andrichak IV wrote:

These don\'t appear to work for IE 5.5, I spent about 2 hours on this and came up with the following: Works for IE 4.x / Netscape 4.x, haven\'t tested any others:

$fp = fopen($path.$file,\"rb\");
$fsize = filesize($path.$file);
header(\"Content-type: application/download\r\n\");
header(\"Content-length: $fsize\r\n\");
header(\"Content-disposition-type: attachment\r\n\");
header(\"Content-disposition: filename=$file\");
$result = fpassthru($fp);
exit;

Anon

John, you saved me weeks of aggro!

I've tried various combinations of headers to get downloads to work properly with IE5.5.

Whenever I've tried to set Content-Length to let IE know the file size (so that we get the nice progress indication), IE5.5 has terminated the download after 0 bytes!

Your combination of headers does the trick. I still haven't worked out exactly what made it work / not work, but the main differences are your use of "Content-disposition-type" seperately to "Content-disposition" and \r\n at the end of each header statement.

avaupel

Hi!

Had the same problem...the save dialog
says as filename i.e.
Save to file getdata.php ?
But normally there is a .doc :-)

The discussion here gave me the answer:

header("Content-disposition:filename=$filename2");

Now it shows me the right name!

Thanks to all!!!

andre

Anon

I have the same problem, when downloading a dynamic generated file the browser keeps on loading the originating page until timeout occours... Does someone know the answer to this?