Forum File Attachments Broke?

It appears attachment file links using paper clip are being treated as simply hyperlinks and a page is opened with the attached file content as text displayed rather than allowing download or using the file type to open the underlying app (Matlab, Excel, whatever...)

I've had the issue for at least a week and Walter Roberson noted a similar problem with images some time back in his thread on issues/bugs.

I tested against the other user error in attaching a file to a previous question of mine and see the same result; hence must conclude it is actually a fault of the Answers forum that got broke somehow.

Here's the other thread; can you open either in Excel, say??? It's the same file content, simply tested out Walter's observation that case of file extension made a difference on the image file behavior--that doesn't seem to help here.

xlsread bug

The content of the question itself is immaterial now; I just used an existing thread to make the attachment.

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

I have to right click and save the file. Then open it separately.

As another test, I'm attaching a .BMP file so I can see if it launches Windows Explorer, or my thumbnail image browser application (ACDSee), or just shows it in Firefox.

[Image Analyst]

Follow up - the BMP image opens in the Firefox browser itself. I guess the .xls is also opening in the browser as a binary file and so that's why it looks like gibberish - because Firefox doesn't know how to present an XLS file, but it does know how to present standard image formats.

[Star Strider]

Firefox is having problems with attached files. When I attempted to download a file named something like ‘data.mat’, Firefox insisted on saving it as ‘data.mat.txt’. My attempts to rename it (to remove the ‘.txt’) with copyfile and dos were unsuccessful. I copy-pasted the URL for the Question to IE and downloaded the file correctly from IE.

I contacted TMW to see if they noticed this and if they could suggest a work-around (since I can’t figure out how to post on whatever Firefox boards may exist). TMW wrote back saying this is a recent and ongoing issue with Firefox, and other than renaming the file or using IE, they could suggest nothing. (I was able to get Firefox to download one .mat file correctly, but unfortunately, I forgot how I did it.)

Firefox appears to be having problems with even some standard image formats, most significantly .png files. Right-clicking on them to open them in a new tab produces nothing but gibberish. (I am assuming the image files actually saved and uploaded correctly, because this has occurred more than once with different files in different Questions.)

[dpb]

Hmmm....I had tried the "save as" ploy as well and also had zero success in that it was converted to text but hadn't tried again this morning presuming the same issue would arise.

However, I just did one of the two files I uploaded in the test link and Firefox did successfully download it and save it as the .xls (granted, the initial save dialog was as text, but selecting 'all files' as option did succeed.

I have, however, retained a slightly out-of-date Firefox here have resolutely refused the nag screen to update since R39 as dislike getting to far on the bleeding edge. Hence, perhaps somewhere between the prior problems and now it got better then worse.

Can you try again and see if get the selection and can get one of the afore-linked-to files and which Firefox release are you at?

I no longer have a functional IE installed and can't figure out how to get one...an install of an earlier release of Matlab to workaround some other issues regarding mex files caused the working copy of IE to be reverted to an earlier release which doesn't work and I was unable to find an installable release for XP in my searching of MS site; it appeared they removed old links when XP support was removed so I can't go back to an IE workaround.

Guess could try Chrome...

[Star Strider]

If I remember correctly, the ‘All files’ trick was likely how I got it to work, but I first had to copy the filename from the Question page, right-click on it to open the ‘Save’ GUI, be certain to clear the file name from the GUI, choose ‘All files’, paste the filename to the GUI, and then ‘Save’.

It’s still easier for me to just open a new IE tab, paste the Question URL to it, and right-click to download, especially if .png images or multiple files are involved. We just have to hope Firefox gets its act together soon.

Updates to Firefox say they’re to add security features. I keep mine updated.

[Image Analyst]

I have Firefox version 41.0 and clicking on the PNG files I just attached, or right-clicking to bring up in a new tab, brought them up in the browser with no problems.

[Star Strider]

The .png problems I had were likely with the files themselves, then.

[dpb]

Well, I just accidentally missed the 'Cancel' on the upgrade nag screen on FF last night so am now at 41x, too. With it, the 'Save As' trick doesn't work--same symptom as you describe; FF renders the link as plain text rather than actually copying the linked-to file content. BUMMER!!! (But not a TMW issue, just a pita...)

[Walter Roberson]

Firefox OS-X, Save Link As (right click) has always worked for me through this.

[dpb]

Well, pooh! :(

I tried three separate times this AM w/ variations on the above theme with no joy on XP. Wonder if there's also a variation about what the poster does, specifically, that matters that might have something to do with how the Forum inserts the link into the page...

There's another thread I've been following; I just told that poster to either paste the text content of the Excel file he attached or use the contributor link and send it directly...but no combination of incantations I could try this AM could get me to the file content at the link...