Problems with downloading files

[Anon]

When a user clicks a word document file to download from my PHP page, IE 5.5 kicks in Word to display it. Is there anyway of forcing the file just be downloaded?

Please help.

[khaine]

You could zip it. IE will just download it then.

Or if you have access to the server set up you could remove the mime type that recognises the .doc extension.

[Anon]

Could you explain more about the mime type?

[khaine]

ok.

I will explain this for an apache server. It should be relevant to others.

in the conf directory is a file called mime.types this file defines what the server will use to open each file.

In the file will be something like this.

application/msword doc
application/news-message-id
application/news-transmission
application/ocsp-request
application/ocsp-response
application/octet-stream bin dms lha lzh exe class
application/oda oda
application/pdf pdf

as you can see the line
application/msword doc

states that anything with a doc extension will be opened by msword. to make it download instead you can comment this line out or remove it. the server will not be able to recognise the format and will open a download box instead.

[Anon]

Thanks for the info Mark. I understand now.

Can I just ask. Is there not http header directive which you can use to indicate that the file should be downloaded and not opened immediately?

[khaine]

maybe but I cant find one.

I am sure if someone else knows they will speak up.

[Anon]

Hi Mark

I am using the following header directives:

header("Content-type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-type: application/force-download");
header("Content-Disposition: $Attachment filename=\"$TheFilename\"");
header("Content-Length: $TheFileSize");

I read that "application/force-download" would force the download and not load the application to view the file.

Am I correct?

[khaine]

Excellent thanks for the info.

[Anon]

The problem is, it doesn't seem to work, download the document seems to still open word.

Any ideas anyone?