Design Studio - XLSM files (Excel w/ macros)

[Jean-Pascal_Mer]

Hey guys,

We have a content repository for our Partners. All the documents are hosted in the Design Studio. We recently added an Excel file with macros (.xlsm).

When going to the repository page and clicking the download link, no problem, file downloads ans open.

But if we give direct link and customer copy it in his browser, he gets the attached screenshot.

Anyone has any idea why it would do that?

Cheers

JP

[Anonymous]

Hi Jean-Pascal,

So what did you do to solve for the situation?

[Jim_Thao7]

I'm not exactly sure about the root cause of this, but I do know that this happens when you target a new tab/window on a click link.  I usually just take away the target="_blank" and let the link open in the same tab for the download link to work properly. 

[Jean-Pascal_Mer]

Hi Jim,

In this case, it's not really opening a link through a button or a click, but pasting the URL (or clicking in an email) that opens up the URL. So the target="_blank" wouldn't be used.

It's really a weird behavior.

[SanfordWhiteman]

Your server likely isn't set up with the right MIME type for .xlsm.

If you tell me the actual URL I can tell you more.

Jim's suggestion is great but it only works in some browsers (the download attr is not universal).

[Jean-Pascal_Mer]

Hello Sanford,

This is the document URL: http://info.sherweb.com/rs/288-VQZ-957/images/PerformanceCloudCostEstimator_2017.xlsm

[SanfordWhiteman · Accepted solution]

It's being sent as Content-Type: text/plain. That's your problem. text/plain is expected to be openable in the browser, so the browser's doing the right thing with what it's got.

[Anonymous]

I am having the same problem as Jean-Paul, except that I do not appear to be as technically proficient as the two of you.  Pardon my ignorance, but how do I solve for that?  I don't really understand the server aspect of all this but I need to find a workaround.

[SanfordWhiteman]

I don't really understand the server aspect of all this but I need to find a workaround.

I'd say the nearest workaround (since the cause is on a server you can't control) is to package the file inside a ZIP.

[Jean-Pascal_Mer]

And would that be a server problem or a document problem? (I'm gonna investigate on my side to find that answer until then )

[SanfordWhiteman]

It's a server problem, or more precisely a missing line in the server config.

[Jean-Pascal_Mer]

Ok, it is the MIME Type. Thanks Sanford!

[Jim_Thao7]

Ahh, gotcha.  Try to build your link like this to force a download on click <a href="www.url.com" download="">click me</a> and see if that helps.