PDF in Internet Explorer - no toolbar is shown

[vrunyon]

When opening a pdf in Internet Explorer, the pdf opens in IE but the PDF XChange toolbars are not showing. I know that it is opening with PDF XChange because I can right-click the document & get to the PDF XChange context menu and properties dialog boxes. The document opens in a new tab in IE with a grey background and the standard IE toolbar.

I do not have any other PDF viewer installed. If I uncheck the "Display PDF in Browser" box, then the pdf opens in PDF XChange Viewer rather than IE.

I have uninstalled PDF XChange Pro completely, rebooted, and then re-installed (after downloading the latest version).

The environment is: Windows Server 2008 R2, Internet Explorer 8, PDF XChange Viewer 2.0 (build 57.0)

The problem happens on three identical servers. Using my Windows XP, IE8 laptop, with the same version of PDF XChange (except 32-bit rather than 64-bit) the toolbars show in IE when I open a PDF.

[alor]

I had same error on Windows 7 x64 clients too.
It seems to be error when user first starts the plugin before run main application.

My fix was to delete the user settings and start main program one time afterwards.

Run command line window
--> reg delete "HKCU\Software\Tracker Software" /F
--> Start PDF-XChangeViewer
--> Close PDF-XChangeViewer
--> Retry BrowserPlugin

[vrunyon]

That worked for me. The only problem I see is that these servers will be serving up applications via Citrix XenApp (including IE with PDF XChange add-in) so each user will have their own version of the registry settings. If it is happening for all users, I'll have to hack the registry via GP or somehow.

Anyway, it's now showing the toolbar inside the IE window when I open a pdf.

Thanks for the assistance!!

[vrunyon]

As I suspected, it now works via a XenApp Published Application (IE) for the user I was logged in as on the server (via RDP) when I deleted the registry key. However it doesn't work for other users when they launch the same published IE app.

I have compared the registry settings that get rebuilt after deleting the key for the working user and the non-working user and they are identical. So, it seems to be something more than just the registry settings that are allowing this to work.

I deleted the other user's roaming profile (along with ntuser.dat registry file) and recreated a new one by opening PDF Viewer first (published through XenApp) and then opening IE (also published) and still don't get any toolbars.

Anyone else have any experience with XenApp on 64-bit servers and trying to use PDF XChange? I really want to stay away from Adobe Reader due to the huge number of security issues and the non-stop patching required but if my users can't get toolbars in IE to be able to easily work with the pdf, then I'll have to revert to using Reader.

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

HI vrunyon,

it's not as simple as the Toolbars being toggled off is it?
http://www.docu-track.com/knowledgebase ... ssapearing

[vrunyon]

Using F11 inside IE with a pdf file open doesn't do anything initially. However, after using F8, F9 and F10 to turn on the File Toolbar, the Properties toolbar and the Menu, I was able to use the View menu to turn on all the other toolbars. After they are turned on, then F11 removes them all and puts them back as a unit.

These options are only available to a new user after they have launched PDF XChange Viewer once. If PDF XChange has not been started once, the function keys don't do anything.

So, the question remains as to why the toolbars are not turned on by default for a new user profile on these servers? All other installs in our environment (Windows XP 32-bit, Windows 2003 Server 32-bit, etc.) have the toolbars available in IE by default.

I'm hoping that I don't need to instruct all our users to first open PDF XChange Viewer and then press these keys and turn the toolbars on manually.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Rather strange vrunyon,

but you should be able to copy all the settings from an account that already has the toolbars visible, and distribute them to all users.
The settings are stored in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tracker Software\PDFViewer.IBrowser

Best,
Stefan