PDF's do not open with IE8

[Vasyl - PDF-XChange]

Hi, laopa.

After reboot, if problem remained, please check some places in your registry. For this:

1. Run regedit application(Start->Run->enter regedit word and press OK).

2. Check value by path: "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type\application/pdf".
The value "CLSID" should be equals to "{C5D07EB6-BBCE-4DAE-ACBB-D13A8D28CB1F}"

3. Please export the key "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{C5D07EB6-BBCE-4DAE-ACBB-D13A8D28CB1F}" to *.reg file and send to me for verify.
Please archive this file before upload.

Thanks.

[John - Tracker Supp]

Thanks for the report laopa

We are looking into with the additonal info you have provided.

Thanks for your patience.

[laopa]

Hi,

I have set up PDF XChange Viewer as the default viewer and to appear in the browser plus unchecked Foxit Reader to not appear in the browser and rebooted, yet again.

What is in the reg location you indicated is now in fact what you detailed as shown here in this quote.

2. Check value by path: "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type\application/pdf"...........

The value "CLSID" now at that location is equal to "{C5D07EB6-BBCE-4DAE-ACBB-D13A8D28CB1F}" Tick!

Please also find attached, what I think is, what you asked for in the quote here.

Please export the key "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{C5D07EB6-BBCE-4DAE-ACBB-D13A8D28CB1F}" to *.reg file and send to me for verify.
Please archive this file before upload.

[/quote] Tick - maybe?

I have zipped (archived?) the file with IZarc, and can only hope again, that this, it what you wanted.

Any failings in the attached, are the outcome of a lack of ability to follow "techi" instructions, and they are the direct result of my own lack of computer geek/nerdiness and related abilities and skills.

Such is life.

Looking forward to the final solution

Kind regards and good luck.

laopa

[Vasyl - PDF-XChange]

Hi, laopa.

Unfortunately, but you were mistaken here.
The your archive contains the our file(which we have sent to you earlier).

Please export the key "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{C5D07EB6-BBCE-4DAE-ACBB-D13A8D28CB1F}" to *.reg file and send to us for verify.
For this:
1. Run the regedit standard windows application, for this: press the 'Start' button, select the 'Run...' item from menu, enter regedit string into the text-box and press 'enter' key.
2. In the keys tree(on the left) expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ and select the key with name {C5D07EB6-BBCE-4DAE-ACBB-D13A8D28CB1F}.
3. Right-click on this selected key and choose 'Export' item.
4. In the 'Export Registry File' dialog please specify the name and location for new file which will be created.
5. Please place this file into archive and send this archive to us.

Thanks.

[laopa]

Hi Vasyl,

Strike two. Here we go again ..... I think? Nope!

Strike three. OK, how about this ....? Nope!

Strike four. Yeah ........? Maybe?

I know that you don't really get four strikes but what the heck .... this is the "cyber" world!

After this, there is only pigeons, notes tied to large rocks, or floating bottles!

Good luck.

laopa

[Corwin - Tracker Sup]

Hello laopa,

There is nothing wrong with that registry files that you sent to us.
Its looks like some third-party software is disabling Viewer plugin. So for now all I can suggest you is to compare your registry settings before reboot (when Viewer ActiveX control works normal in IE) and after reboot (when PDF is not opened in IE). To do this you may use "Advanced Registry Tracer" which can be downloaded here:
http://www.elcomsoft.com/art.html
With this program you can analyze all changes that have been done with registry and send us log file, so we can investigate it here. Please let me know if you are interested in it, or you need more instructions.

[laopa]

Hi Guys,

OK I have downloaded ART and taken a look at it. Don't see any "training wheels" yet but I will see if I can drive the thing before I cry out for more instructions.

and send us log file

This bit I have not figured out yet. You mean the log file from ART? Create a document? then Copy/Paste then Archive?

Trying.

How about this? No idea what it can tell you?

I have also taken two Registry SnapShots with Registry First Aid (RFA). One with PDF-XChange Viewer working after a reinstall and the second after a reboot - PDF-XChange Viewer not working. I have not archived or sent these.

You can also run a comparison of these two files in RFA but I have no idea how to interpret the outcome.

Thanks and regards.

laopa

[Corwin - Tracker Sup]

Hi laopa,

No, that file doesn't have useful information for us.
For now in "Advanced Registry Tracer" you should have two snapshots (with working Viewer and after reboot). All you need to do is to compare these snapshots and send results to us. To do this just select first snapshot, click "Registry->Compare". In first node field should be "16.12.2009 8:54:17" in second node: "16.12.2009 2:11:38". After clicking "Ok" you will get "Comparison" dialog. In this dialog click on "Save To Redo" - this will generate *.reg file. Send this ".reg" file to us, so we can investigate it.
Thanks.

[laopa]

Hi Guys,

Didn't look interesting to me either.

How about this. I think this is the correct ART Compare Reg file.

First file is after update to latest version of PDF Exchange Viewer (42.9) last eveing. After update everything was fine with PDF-XChange Viewer IE8. Second file is reboot from this morning and nothing is fine between PDF-XChange Viewer and IE8.

Thanks and good luck.

laopa

[Vasyl - PDF-XChange]

Hi, laopa.

Many thanks for your great work!

We have found the reason of this issue. Please look into your ART Compare Reg file.
On the begin of this file we see some strange delete operations in the DELETE section:

; DELETE section
; ...
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\FoxitReader.Document\CLSID]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PDFXCviewAx.CoPDFXCpreview.1\Control]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PDFXCviewAx.CoPDFXCview.1\Control]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PDFXCviewIEPlugin.CoPDFXCviewIEPlugin\Control]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PDFXCviewIEPlugin.CoPDFXCviewIEPlugin\DocObject]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PDFXCviewIEPlugin.CoPDFXCviewIEPlugin.1\DocObject]
; ...

Highlighted operations are reason for issue under IE8. I am assured, on your computer there is a program or some programs which do it.
For example, in your ART Compare Reg file I see:
1. KsL Software RFA, called as 'Browser Defender', 'Registry Cleaner'(?)
2. SUPERAntiSpyware,
3. Ad-Aware,
...

Please check options for these programs (and other anti-ad-spy-ware programs, registry-cleaners which are installed on your machine) or uninstall some.
Also, you can use RegMon tool from Sysinternals Suite Tools package for detect problem software.

Thanks and good luck.

[laopa]

Hi,

Thanks for the help, information and analysis. A few more hints as to what may be the real problem and the particular program would help.

I have gone through all of the security software I have on my system and did not find anything specifically blocking PDF-XChange Viewer or its processes.

Made some modifications in Lavasoft, Ad-Aware, Ad-Watch Live settings for Registry Setting Permissions that seemed to involve PDFXCV but we will have to wait for a reboot to see. Just switching back from Foxit Reader to PDF-XChange Viewer and setting it as the default PDF reader and checking that it should appear in the browser did nothing to the problem with IE8 after changing these Ad-Aware Settings.

I will keep working, but I still have to ask, why Foxit Reader does not exhibit these problems with IE8, on the same system with the same security software???

Regmon is OK if you want to watch zillions of registry events go scrolling down your screen. Gave me a headache after five minutes so I shut it down.

Back to digging.

Regards


laopa

[Vasyl - PDF-XChange]

Hi laopa.

In regards Foxit Reader, please look to your ART Compare Reg file:

Code: Select all

; DELETE section
; ...
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\FoxitReader.Document\CLSID]

I don't know why the Foxit Reader Plugin is still working after this delete-operation.

Maybe he uses some workarounds for this case, may be deleted information is not required for him...
Maybe he checks registry info at each start of your system and restores it if necessary...

In any case it is inadmissible that any program deletes the information which is necessary for the correct working of other programs.

We uses the standard and documented method for integration with IE, with no hacks or workarounds and to be honest we dont really wish to start doing so - it will always be unreliable and is likely to require constant 'tweaking' to maintain - which is not desiable on any level.

Best
Regards.

[laopa]

Hi,

Firstly I have not been, am not now, and will not in the future be on this forum to promote "the other PDF Reader"!!!!

I have clearly stated that I much prefer to use PDF-XChange Viewer and have been making some considerable efforts, for a non computer literate newbie, to make that happen.

So remember, I am not the one trying to defend or sell anything here.

I am no computer expert but on the issue of Foxit Reader still working, seemingly via numerous tricky and sneeky workarounds, despite the so called "delete".

Code: Select all

DELETE section
; ...
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\FoxitReader.Document\CLSID]

That "Delete" or change in "Registry Key Values" might well be the result of my un-checking "Display PDF in Browser" in the FoxitReader>Tools>Preferences>Internet section of the software before I updated PDF-XChange Viewer and rebooted.

Even though PDF-XChange Viewer is set as the default PDF Viewer software, this option to "Display the PDF in the Browser", as far as I understand, still has to be checked in PDFViewer>Edit>Preferences>File Associations and it would appear to be a good idea to un-check the same option in FoxitReader.

However if I re-set Foxit Reader back to being the default PDF Viewing Software and re-check the "Display in Browser" in Foxit Reader and at the same time un-check that option in PDF-XChange Viewer I am pretty sure it will all be "hunky dory" next time I reboot and the referred to key will not appear as a deletion but will appear as an addition.

Why does my system seem to pick upon PDF-XChange Viewer, and not on Foxit Reader, I have no idea, but at least I am trying to find out and fix it, and I haven't yelled at anybody yet.

I will try reinserting the deleted PDF-XChange Viewer keys with the Snapshot and Compare Functions in Registry First Aid or even from the ART program that I downloaded and installed at your request, and see what that does ... without rebooting, and then after rebooting, to check if my changes to Ad-Aware made any difference to them being deleted again.

If it looks too threatening, I will just update or reinstall and then reboot.

At least, I am still trying.

But if it is a security clash/conflict, between some, yet unknown and or undiscovered, security software and PDF-XChange Viewer on my questionable system, then why does it only affect IE8, Opera and Firefox still work fine with PDF-XChange Viewer on the same system, while IE8 will not???

And if I set the default to "the other PDF Reader" on the same system with the same security software it works fine with all the browsers, including IE8?????

Oh yeah .... fiddling with Ad-Aware did not work.

laopa

[Vasyl - PDF-XChange]

Hi laopa.

Please, pay attention: our product and Foxit Reader are in different conditions on your machine.
I checked it, step by step:
1. I have installed Foxit Reader, and have enabled 'Display in Browser' option in his 'Preferences' dialog.
2. I checked: Foxit Reader works well under my IE8.
3. I deleted the registry key manually(like as in your ART Compare reg file the our key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PDFXCviewIEPlugin.CoPDFXCviewIEPlugin\DocObject):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\FoxitReader.Document\DocObject
4. I checked again: Foxit Reader stop(!) working under my IE8!!!
------------
I have a possible workaround for this - you may try to protect some our reg-keys:
1. reinstall our pdf-viewer, and run standalone app., associate it with pdf, enable 'Display in Browser' option (after this: you may check our viewer under IE8).
2. download attached file and extract it to any folder.
3. run the setregperm.bat from this folder.
4. reboot and check our pdf-viewer under IE8.

Best
Regards.

[laopa]

Hi,

I will download and try your workaround shortly.

In the mean time, can I ask a couple of questions related to the deletion of the PDF-XChange Viewer keys.

It seems to me, in my non-computer expert ignorance, that they are either being deleted at boot-up or perhaps even deleted at the prior system shut down, after the software has been re-installed.

I mean every time I either update or reinstall the sucker, it works fine with IE8 until I shut down and reboot.

While I have onboard my system a couple of programs that delete "privacy data" etc. on shut down I can not find any settings in any of these that specify to delete registry keys.

The only program that routinely cleans the Registry, is Registry First Aid (RFA). I will try to log Registry First Aid's last run before I shut down to see if it is removing any PDF-XChange Viewer Keys. Don't know why it would, but I will try to check. I know that you can exclude specified registry key from its scan.

However as it appears to be specifically related to IE8 what would cause either of these "delete at shut down" or "delete at boot" things to happen?

Are there any settings in "Internet Options" that would cause either a "deletion at boot" or a "deletion at shut down"?

As I also have IE7Pro installed in IE8, as mentioned and exporerd way back in thew beginning of this thread, are there any settings in IE7Pro that could cause these "boot" or "shut down" deletions?

How about any conflicts between settings in "Internet Options" and IE7Pro?


Anyway ...downloading your file and I will give it a try.

Thanks and regards.

laopa

[laopa]

Hi,

After reinstalling PDF-XChange Viewer and then running your "setpermreg" bat file everything seems to be OK after two reboots.

The rest of the news is that Registry First Aid (7.1.1.1733) seems to have some problems, with what appear to be, some of the Registry Keys for PDF-XChange Viewer.

When I ran a scan (which I normally have scheduled for twice a day - one being set for before shutdown) RFA marked certain PDF-XChange related keys for safe removal.

Three are marked by RFA as "Invalid File Associations"?

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\PDFXCviewAx.CoPDFXCpreview.1\Control\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\PDFXCviewAx.CoPDFXCview.1\Control\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\PDFXCviewIEPlugin.CoPDFXCviewIEPlugin\Control\

There also another three marked as "Invalid Paths".

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1960408961-2052111302-1801674531-1003\Software\BillP Studios\Detected\ActiveTasks\\C:\Documents and Settings\laopa\Local Settings\Temp\is-VMS4V.tmp\PDFXVWERSE.TMP\
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1960408961-2052111302-1801674531-1003\Software\BillP Studios\Detected\ActiveTasks\\C:\Documents and Settings\laopa\Local Settings\Temp\is-GC7N1.tmp\PDFXVWERSE.TMP\
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1960408961-2052111302-1801674531-1003\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\MUICache\\C:\DOCUME~1\laopa\LOCALS~1\Temp\is-GC7N1.tmp\PDFXVwerSE.tmp\

After the scan I normally follow these "safe to remove" recommendations, without really checking in detail each item, and have not had any problems that, in my ignorance, I am aware of, up until now?

I have now moved, any such PDF-XChange Viewer related Registry Keys, indicated for removal, into the "Excluded Registry Keys Section" in RFA.

After a pre-shut down scan this evening and a reboot tomorrow we shall see if your "fix" is still in place.

Maybe RFA has been the culprit all along?

Let's see what happens tomorrow at reboot.

Regards


laopa

[laopa]

Hi,

So here we are today, after another reboot, and everything seems to still be OK with IE8 and PDF-XChange Viewer.

Yeah!

Not sure what will happen to the workaround, if and when I have to update PDF-XChange Viewer?

Anyway all is still well at this stage.

RFA may not be happy but I am getting there.

Kind Regards and Season's Greetings.

laopa