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Links to html pages open in specified target_frame, but links to PDF pages don't (IE works.) How to fix?

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  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by cor-el

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Links on a HTML page (within a frame) that link to a PDF page open the PDF in a new window even though target is set to _self. Similar links on the same HTML page which link to HTML pages correctly open within the same frame. Only links to PDF pages "misbehave." The same HTML code works okay in IE for both HTML and PDF pages. Examples can be seen at www.tetonsands.com

Links on a HTML page (within a frame) that link to a PDF page open the PDF in a new window even though target is set to _self. Similar links on the same HTML page which link to HTML pages correctly open within the same frame. Only links to PDF pages "misbehave." The same HTML code works okay in IE for both HTML and PDF pages. Examples can be seen at www.tetonsands.com

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Works for me.

If I click a PDF link in the menu bar at the left or a PDF on one of the pages that open in the frame then the PDF file opens in the same tab and not in a new tab or window.

Reload web page(s) and bypass the cache to refresh possibly outdated or corrupted files.

  • Press and hold Shift and left-click the Reload button.
  • Press "Ctrl + F5" or press "Ctrl + Shift + R" (Windows,Linux)
  • Press "Command + Shift + R" (MAC)

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions (Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance).

  • Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window or otherwise make changes.

I do get a notice that the PDF file may not be displayed correctly.

Current Firefox versions have enabled a built-in PDF Viewer that doesn't have all features that other PDF readers like the Adobe Reader have or may not function properly otherwise.

You can change the action for Portable Document Format (PDF) from Preview in Firefox to use the Adobe Reader or set to Always Ask in "Firefox > Options/Preferences > Applications".

You can set the pdfjs.disabled pref to true on the about:config page to disable the build-in PDF viewer.

You can check the value of the plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types pref on the about:config page and remove the application/pdf part if present or reset the pref to the default via the right-click context menu.

See also: