PDF "helper application" issue

[Herb]

When I click on links to PDF files I'm prone to getting Download Error
messages saying the "associated helper application does not exist", I
think usually after switching from my main Windows 7 PC with Acrobat
Reader X to my secondary Windows XP PC with Acrobat Reader 9 and vice versa.

I never really understood this "helper application" business, not least
because the corresponding Options window only shows me truncated entries
(see screenshot at <https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15973585/Helper.png>).

Why are there so many Acrobat-related entries in the first place?

Can anyone help me sort out this irritating recurring issue once and for
all?

Thank you.

--
Herbert Eppel
www.HETranslation.co.uk

[Herb]

Any offers?

--
Herbert Eppel
www.HETranslation.co.uk

[Was Greywolf]

On 31/08/2012 12:34 PM, Herb wrote:
> On 30.08.2012 10:39 UK Time, Herb wrote:
>> When I click on links to PDF files I'm prone to getting Download Error
>> messages saying the "associated helper application does not exist", I
>> think usually after switching from my main Windows 7 PC with Acrobat
>> Reader X to my secondary Windows XP PC with Acrobat Reader 9 and vice
>> versa.

????

>> I never really understood this "helper application" business, not least
>> because the corresponding Options window only shows me truncated entries
>> (see screenshot at <https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15973585/Helper.png>).

These are programs and plug-ins that enable Tbird to display or Open
attachments of different types. The plugins generally enable TB to show
images (for example) in the body of the message. The programs enable you
to open attachments that TB cannot display. You can also choose to open
attachments using those programs.

>> Why are there so many Acrobat-related entries in the first place?

Because you receive these types of attachments (among others).

>> Can anyone help me sort out this irritating recurring issue once and for
>> all?
>
> Any offers?

You can specify/change the plugins/programs by highlight + Left-click on
the plugin/program name. You will get a menu showing all possible
_installed_ plugins and helper programs for that attachment type. If you
don't see any others, that's all you have installed. You could (maybe
should) look for alternatives.

Sometimes a checked option doesn't "stick. It occasionally to change the
helper application/plugin to Always ask, shut down TB, resat restart and
select the correct application, shut down and restart TB. Do this on
both machines. I have the impression this "non stickiness' happens more
often after allowing a series of updates.

HTH

--
Best,
Wolf K.

[goodwin]

On 08/31/2012 09:34 AM, Herb wrote:
> On 30.08.2012 10:39 UK Time, Herb wrote:
>> When I click on links to PDF files I'm prone to getting Download Error
>> messages saying the "associated helper application does not exist", I
>> think usually after switching from my main Windows 7 PC with Acrobat
>> Reader X to my secondary Windows XP PC with Acrobat Reader 9 and vice
>> versa.

How does this work?
What difference would one box make to another?
What does "...prone to" mean - all the time, once in a while, on Sunday
only?

>>
>> I never really understood this "helper application" business, not least
>> because the corresponding Options window only shows me truncated entries
>> (see screenshot at <https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15973585/Helper.png>).
>>

You could locaye and delete the file "mimeTypes.rdf" and let it
regenerate. I don't know why you can't see the entire file description
- should be a way. I don't use windows, though.
The apps you showed are old - maybe Adobe reader doesn't handle them
anymore - I'd check the Adobe web site on this - I doubt this is a FF
problem, per se.

[Was Greywolf]

On 31/08/2012 12:34 PM, Herb wrote:

My post I referred to Tbird. Instead of "attachments" think "Content
Type" (such as PDF documents). To change the plugin/application,
highlight and click on teh down arrow.

Sorry about my inattention.

--
Best,
Wolf K.

[WaltS]

You no longer need the Acrobat Plugin to open PDF files in Firefox.

For Firefox 15.0, just go to
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/pdfjs/ and install the
PDF viewer extension. This will be normal feature in a future version of
Firefox.

Have you tried Maximizing your preferences window to see the truncated
entries?

--
Fedora 17 (64-bit)
Gnome or KDE Desktop
Thunderbird Beta

[goodwin]

On 08/31/2012 10:25 AM, WaltS wrote:

> You no longer need the Acrobat Plugin to open PDF files in Firefox.

the plugin he wants is probably Adobe Reader now, not acrobat - and he
has it already, looks like. Why would one need another extension with
the Reader freely available?

[WaltS]

Because the reader is a plugin prone to security vulnerability, and the
extension is a test of a feature that is going to be built into Firefox,
eliminating the need for a plugin.

--
Fedora 17 (64-bit)
Gnome or KDE Desktop

Thunderbird Release

[Ed Mullen]

On my FF 15 the Helper Applications window is NOT sizeable. Horrible
deisgn choice and no good reason for it.

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net/
The hilarious thing about self-important self-righteous people is that
they are so easily baited.

[WaltS]

You can't maximize windows on your system? Is this all Windows users?

Type about:preferences in the address bar, then click Applications, and
see if that helps.

[Ed Mullen]

I get a window that is totally unpopulated.

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net/

"Great art is as irrational as great music. It is mad with its own
loveliness." - George Jean Nathan

[Ed Mullen]

BTW, not a Windows issue, it's a Firefox issue. TheFF program spawns
the window and it is NOT sizeaable.

>
> Type about:preferences in the address bar, then click Applications, and
> see if that helps.
>
>


--

[WaltS]

Sizable here. Want screenshots?

[Ron Hunter]

Not sizable on windows.

[WaltS]

Thank you for that clarification. You can't even drag a corner, or side
to enlarge the window?

Have you tried typing about:preferences in the address bar? What happens
on Windows?

This is similar to what I see in my Firefox, and it is supposed to be
another upcoming feature, probably because the preferences window is not
sizable.

http://www.ghacks.net/2012/05/11/firefox-in-content-preferences/

[Ron Hunter]

Nope, the size if fixed on windows, which causes problems for those on
netbooks, and for those who use larger fonts.

[WaltS]

That answers the first question, but not both, and since they always
write the news articles about Windows Firefox, you are saying typing
about:preferences in the address bar doesn't give you this result?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/692/incontentpreferences.png/

[Peter Holsberg]

Ed Mullen has written on 8/31/2012 9:22 PM:

>>
>> Have you tried Maximizing your preferences window to see the truncated
>> entries?
>>
>
> On my FF 15 the Helper Applications window is NOT sizeable. Horrible
> deisgn choice and no good reason for it.
>

Agreed!

[Peter Holsberg]

WaltS has written on 8/31/2012 9:31 PM:

> Type about:preferences in the address bar, then click Applications, and
> see if that helps.

Wow! Where did that come from? It's terrific!!

[Ed Mullen]

FF 15 Windows 7 Professional, yes, about:preferences brings up that
display. However, Applications does not populate. All the others work.

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net/

All generalizations are false.

[WaltS]

Firefox 15.0 was the original target release, but it is still in
development.

https://wiki.mozilla.org/In-content_preferences

Guess they like the way Chrome did it. :)

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=718011#c1

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=754344

What it may look like when finished.

https://bug754344.bugzilla.mozilla.org/attachment.cgi?id=627147

[WaltS]

Sounds like you are experiencing.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=718011#c10

My Applications populates.

[Peter Holsberg]

WaltS has written on 9/1/2012 2:14 PM:

> On 09/01/2012 01:57 PM, Peter Holsberg wrote:
>> WaltS has written on 8/31/2012 9:31 PM:
>>
>>> Type about:preferences in the address bar, then click Applications, and
>>> see if that helps.
>>
>> Wow! Where did that come from? It's terrific!!
>>
>
> Firefox 15.0 was the original target release, but it is still in
> development.
>
> https://wiki.mozilla.org/In-content_preferences
>
> Guess they like the way Chrome did it. :)

Where does Chrome display the helper applications?

[Ed Mullen]

Yeah, and no update or comment or action about that since the original
note on April 1, 2012. I guess the rapid release plan doesn't include
something simple like fixing clear issues like this. If one of the
buttons doesn't work of what use is the feature to me?

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net/

"I don't think I handle the notes much differently from other pianists.
But the pauses between the notes - ah, there is where the artistry
lies!" - Artur Schnabel

[WaltS]

It is in development, and not enabled by default.

When/if completed it should look like your Add-ons Manager tab.

Here is a blog post about with a list of bugs that still need to be
addressed.

> There’s still more work to do before we enable these new preferences by default. We need to make navigating them a little easier as well as make them a little prettier, but progress is being made.

http://msujaws.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/in-content-preferences-are-now-available-in-firefox-nightly/

Firefox 15.0 was the Nightly then, and it still isn't enabled by default
in the Current Nightly which is Firefox 18.0.

[Ed Mullen]

Thanks. So, in the rapid release cycle, I have, oh, like, what, about
forty seconds until it works? ;-)

God bless them, the devs. Still, I find it all pretty funny. What an
instant-gratification society we live in. If I can't get it yesterday
I'm POed. Silly. Isn't there something to be said for eagerly awaiting
the newest stuff? And actually having to wait for it?

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net/

What do you do when you see an endangered animal that eats only
endangered plants?

[Herb]

Thanks for all the replies.

I use 125% font size on my main computer, and the lack of sizeability of
the Options window is indeed a little irritating.

Anyway, about:preferences works alright - thanks to WaltS for pointing
this out.

I still don't quite understand why there are so many entries under
"Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Document" and where the number 7.0 comes from (after
all, Adobe Acrobat 7.0 is history) - see screenshot at
<https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15973585/Helper2.png>, but in any case, I
re-selected Use Adobe Reader under "Action" for all of them, and it
works OK now.

I have a feeling that the explanation for my problem is that FF gets
confused by the fact that I use the same FF profile for my main Windows
7 PC with Acrobat Reader X and my secondary Windows XP PC with Acrobat
Reader 9, i.e. when I switch machines FF probably looks for the wrong
Acrobat Reader version and/or under the wrong path.

Is there a solution for this, so that I don't have to keep re-selecting
the Acrobat Reader under "Action" when I switch computers?

Thank you.

--
Herbert Eppel
www.HETranslation.co.uk

[Ron K.]

Herb on 9/2/2012 3:44 AM, keyboarded a reply:

I use CCleaner to help maintain my Win Vista system. It was listing two
versions of Acrobat Reader, 8 & 10 for temp file cleanup. What I found
were traces still in the registry of the upgrade from Reader 8. After
manually cleaning the registry, CCleaner no longer lists Reader 8.

Moz Gecko does scan the registry for helper app info, so traces of old
versions could be getting picked up.

--
Ron K.
Who is General Failure, and why is he searching my HDD?
Kernel Restore reported Major Error used BSOD to msg the enemy!

[Ron Hunter]

Bring both computers up to the current level of Reader!

[Herb]

I forgot to mention that I already tried to install Acrobat Reader X
several times on my XP PC, but for some reason it refuses to work
properly for me under XP.

--
Herbert Eppel
www.HETranslation.co.uk