Adobe Reader not loading form content
- by wullxz
We have an FDL file which is used to offer an online application possibility. The FDL is filled out and sent to a mailbox.
When I open the received file, Adobe Reader starts, loads the document in Internet Explorer (had to change my default browser because it doesn't work in chrome - the customer uses IE as default) and displays a warning that Adobe Reader has blocked the connection to the server where the initial document is saved:
I can then click on "Trust this document once" (translated by me!) or "Add this host to trusted hosts" (also translated by me!).
The second option doesn't work at all. The first option works but is a little bit annoying.
I looked into Adobe Readers options (Edit - "Voreinstellungen" in german / the last option - Security (advanced)) and found the possibility to add hosts, files and directories or allow Adobe Reader to use the "Trusted Websites" list from Internetoptions. When I add the website either to Trusted Websites or the trusted list in Adobe Readers options, the warning doesn't pop up but the content in the prefilled (by the applicant) input boxes of the document doesn't show up on Windows 7 but it does show up on Windows XP.
This Screenshot shows the settings window described in the last paragraph.
The big input box at the bottom normally holds the trusted files/directories/hosts list.
System Information:
Windows 7 Enterprise x64
Adobe Reader X
multiple IE versions (mine is latest but there's also IE 7 or 8)
How do I get Adobe Reader to load the content of the form?
This behaviour can be reproduced on a PC. When opening an fdf from a command line the form fields are blank even though there is data in the fdf and the pdf is located in a mnaully entered trsuted folder.
Steps to reproduce:
Clean install a Windows 7 PC (or use a virtual box)
Map a network drive to a shared folder with a subfolder e.g. c:\test\docs becomes m:\docs
Set security permissions to allow full control to everyone
Add an fdf and a matching pdf file in the subfolder
Manually add m:\docs to each of the trusted folders in the trust manager registry settings
Ensure that Enhanced Security is on
Run a command line to open the fdf file
Expected result:
pdf is opened in Adobe Reader with form fields filled out with data
Actual results:
pdf is opened with blank fields
'Yellow bar' appears asking to add document to trusted locations
It appears that Adobe Reader XI is ignoring the privileged locations entries in the registry. Adding the document via the 'yellow bar' adds the individual document, with the same folder, to the privileged locations but means that the process has to be repeated for every document that needs to be opened from the folder.
