Can't get CSV file to download in Internet Explorer

[wige]

For managing our mailing list, I generate a CSV file using PHP. This file is password protected and can only be accessed by an authenticated user. However, although the file downloads correctly in Firefox, it will not open in Internet Explorer. The error message we get is "Internet Explorer cannot download test.csv from www.ticketwarehouse.com - Internet Explorer was not able to open this Internet site. The requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found. Please try again later."

The file is at: https://www.ticketwarehouse.com/test.csv

This file is identical to the mailing list, except it doesn't have the authentication feature enabled, and pulls public data from a generalized database. Just like the mailing list file, it works perfectly in Firefox.

Any ideas?

[Web-Design-Guy]

Could it be something to do with setting an appropriate 'helper app' in IE for that file extension? I'm on Mac so my terminology may be different.

Oddly enough I had the exact opposite problem a while back whereby only IE would DL such a file - blank screen in FF, Safari and all other browsers I tried.

[wige]

The helper app should be Microsoft Excel, which is launched correctly by Firefox. I tried changing the Content-Type header to application/vs.ms-excel but that just caused the error message to come from Excel instead of Internet Explorer. Chrome and Safari just try to open the file in the browser regardless.

[Dubbya]

Since you're running PHP, this article might help:
Making IE Accept File Downloads - Joseph Scott’s Blog


Microsoft has a workaround for IIS if that's of any use:
Err Msg: Internet Explorer Could Not Download <Filename>...

Good Luck.

[wige]

Thanks Dubbya, the solution from Joseph Scott worked perfectly! I never would have thought I had to go through so much just to get one browser to accept a file, but thanks! Seems to be working perfectly now.

[Web-Design-Guy]

Also news to me!

Anyway, glad you got it working.

[Dubbya]

Glad to help!