When using FileUp's TransferFile method, some Internet Explorer for Windows* (IE 5.5 SP 2, IE 6 SP 1) users will report that the name of the ASP download script populates the Save As dialog box instead of the name of the file to be downloaded.

This is because Internet Explorer is interpreting the response headers incorrectly. The download is successful, but the browser is giving the file the wrong name. This understandably, may make the end-user suspect that the download has failed, and they may not know that they can save and rename the file**.

Microsoft has reported this problem in their online Knowledge Base at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;303750. Their recommended solution is to apply the latest service pack for your browser. Please refer to the article for more information on how this is done.

When designing for an Internet application, you will not be able to control the version of browser being used by the end-users. You might considers these work-arounds in your application:

• You may provide instructions on your website for IE users informing them that if they see that the filename ends with "asp", they will need to rename the file before saving it. Reassure the user that the download is functioning correctly; it is merely being named incorrectly.
  
  
• Depending on the type of file, you may prefer to provide an alternate download script or link for users experiencing difficulty:
  
  
  • You may choose to change the type of download to an "inline" download. This allows some file types, such as jpg files, to open directly in the browser. The user can then choose to save the file from the browser window.
    
    You will need to change your FileUp download code from:
    
    Response.AddHeader "Content-Disposition", "attachment;filename=""" &_
        strFileName & """"
    
    to:
    
    Response.AddHeader "Content-Disposition", "inline;filename=""" &_
         strFileName & """"
    
    
  • You might also provide a direct link to the file's URL, so that the browser makes a simple GET request. (Note: this requires that the file be placed in a virtual directory. You may presently be using FileUp to avoid storing content in a virtual directory, since the TransferFile method can retrieve the file from the file system directly.
    
    

* Internet Explorer for Mac users experiencing this behavior should see the following article: http://support.softartisans.com/kbview.aspx?ID=949

** Users that obtain the actual ASP code in the Response contents should see the following article instead: http://support.softartisans.com/kbview.aspx?ID=117