How to display PDF in web browser control instead of opening Acrobat Reader

Question

i am using Acrobat Reader 11.0.3 and window 7, Visual studio 2012 and already enabled Acrobat Reader in Manage Addon

and follow WPF webbrowser opens PDF file in Adobe reader window

still have error after trying two methods

Navigation to the webpage was canceled even if using administrator account to open WPF program

private void CheckAndFixWebBrowserRenderingEngine()
        {
            RegistryKey baseRegistryKey = Registry.LocalMachine;
            string renderingEngineSubKeyString = @"SOFTWARE";

            // 64bit operationg systems have another registry path
            if (Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem)
            {
                renderingEngineSubKeyString += @"\Wow6432Node";
            }

            renderingEngineSubKeyString += @"\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MAIN\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION";

            //var assemblyValueKey = System.IO.Path.GetFileName(App.ResourceAssembly.Location);
            var assemblyValueKey = System.IO.Path.GetFileName(System.Windows.Application.ResourceAssembly.Location);

            var renderingEngingeValue = 9999; // check other values below

            try
            {
                RegistryKey sk1 = baseRegistryKey.CreateSubKey(renderingEngineSubKeyString);

                var value = sk1.GetValue(assemblyValueKey);
                if (value == null || value.ToString() != renderingEngingeValue.ToString())
                {
                    sk1.SetValue(assemblyValueKey, renderingEngingeValue);

                    //LogHandler.Instance.Add(string.Format("Did update webbrowser rendering engine from {0} to 9000.", value == null ? "[missing]" : value));
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                //LogHandler.Instance.Add("Could not check webbrowser rendering engine in registry.");
                //LogHandler.Instance.Add(ex.ToString(), Logging.LoggingPriorities.Exception);
            }

            /*
            9999 (0x270F) 
            Internet Explorer 9. Webpages are displayed in IE9 Standards mode, regardless of the !DOCTYPE directive.

            9000 (0x2328) 
            Internet Explorer 9. Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE9 mode.

            8888 (0x22B8) 
            Webpages are displayed in IE8 Standards mode, regardless of the !DOCTYPE directive.

            8000 (0x1F40) 
            Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE8 mode.

            7000 (0x1B58) 
            Webpages containing standards-based !DOCTYPE directives are displayed in IE7 Standards mode.
            */
        }

        public ReportForm()
        {
            this.formID = "Test Report";
            //base.Initialization();
            InitializeComponent();
            CheckAndFixWebBrowserRenderingEngine();

            String PDFPath = @"C:\Users\LAB-User2\Downloads\Elimination_Methods_in_Polynomial_Computer_Alge(Bookos.org).pdf";
            WebBro1.Navigate("file:///" + PDFPath);

Method 2

i have also tried another method which add reference windowformintegration and use UserControl of winform and it only work in an independent WPF small project when integrate this in my big project, it got above error

String PDFPath = @"C:\Users\LAB-User2\Downloads\Elimination_Methods_in_Polynomial_Computer_Alge(Bookos.org).pdf";
            //WebBro1.Navigate("file:///" + PDFPath);
            webBrowser1.Navigate("file:///" + PDFPath);

private System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser webBrowser1;
<WindowsFormsHost Margin="1" x:Name="windowsFormsHost1" Height="600" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Width="1000"/>

var uc = new UserControl1();
            this.windowsFormsHost1.Child = uc;


application.UI.CreateNewForm("Test Report", new Client.Reporting.Pages2.ClientStatement.ReportForm());

public partial class ReportForm : BaseForm

public void CreateNewForm(string title, BaseForm form)
    mw.CreateNewForm(title, form);


public class BaseMainWindow : MetroWindow
    {
        public virtual void CreateNewForm(string title, BaseForm form)
        {

        }

update: it ask to allow block content and grey screen in internet explorer in html file before integrate into big project

<html>
<body>

<object
  classid="clsid:ca8a9780-280d-11cf-a24d-444553540000" id="pdf1" 
  type="application/pdf"
  data="C:\Users\LAB-User2\Downloads\Elimination_Methods_in_Polynomial_Computer_Alge(Bookos.org).pdf"
  style="width: 100%; height: 100%">

<param name="src" "value="C:\Users\LAB-User2\Downloads\Elimination_Methods_in_Polynomial_Computer_Alge(Bookos.org).pdf"></param>

</object>

</body>
</html>

update: when run your code in big WPF project, it show a red cross

update : after updated html it works in independent html file, however integrated in WPF big project, it failed to show and only show a red cross

String temphtml = "<!-- saved from url=(0016)http://localhost --><body style=\"border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0\"><object classid=\"clsid:ca8a9780-280d-11cf-a24d-444553540000\" id=\"pdf1\"  type=\"application/pdf\" data=\"02_LAB_LeaveApplication.pdf\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0\"></object><script>window.onload = function(){ window.focus();pdf1.setActive(); }</script></body>";
            System.IO.File.WriteAllText(@"C:\Users\LAB-User2\Desktop\vpfs-ivpfs-client\iVPFS_Client\Application\bin\Debug\a.html", temphtml);            
            this.WebBro1.Navigate(System.IO.Path.Combine(AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "a.html"));

update though running the project downloaded from the codeproject, it show an error and then can show pdf and have a few times blank when open, then i copy codes and library to a a small WPF project and run, it also have error come out and only show white blank https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bxs_ao6uuBDUeV8yREVBOExSbW8/edit?usp=sharing

Solution

You could generate a temp HTML file to embed the desired PDF:

<body>

<object
  classid="clsid:ca8a9780-280d-11cf-a24d-444553540000" id="pdf1" 
  type="application/pdf"
  data="test.pdf"
  style="width: 100%; height: 100%">

<param name="src" "value"="test.pdf"></param>

</object>

</body>

What's interesting, to make it work with a local (file://) PDF document, I had to specify both data attribute and src param. When it was served via http from localhost, the data alone was just enough.

UPDATE: I could not tell why this doesn't work for the OP, so I've cooked up a very basic C# WebBrowser project demo'ing this. It works quite reliably in my environment (Win8, IE10, Acrobat Reader 11.0.3).

UPDATE: I think I understand why this is happening. Your project uses WPF, while my sample uses Winforms. Sorry, I did not notice this in the first place. WPF WebBrowser has a different security model, it runs in IE Protected Mode by default.

With WPF WebBrowser, I've managed to get rid of the prompt (note <!-- saved from url=(0016)http://localhost -->), but I do confirm the Acrobat Reader control just hangs loading the file every now and then:

<!-- saved from url=(0016)http://localhost -->

<body style="border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0">

<object
  classid="clsid:ca8a9780-280d-11cf-a24d-444553540000" id="pdf1" 
  style="width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0">

  <param name="src" "value"="test.pdf"></param>

</object>

<script>
window.onload = function()
{
  window.focus();
  pdf1.setActive(); 
}
</script>

</body>

Acrobat Reader control is known to have issues with Protected Mode. Rather than trying to find a workaround for this, it may be easier to host Acrobat Reader ActiveX control directly in your WPF project. Here's how it can be done:

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/380019/Using-Adobe-Reader-in-a-WPF-app http://hugeonion.com/2009/04/06/displaying-a-pdf-file-within-a-wpf-application/

Comments

[ControlPoly]

it become grey screen after try in a html file, where is wrong?

[noseratio]

Could you confirm the .PDF and .HTML are in the same folder? The above is tested to work for me under Win8, IE10 and Acrobat Reader 11.0.3.

[ControlPoly]

i confirm that pdf and html are in the same folder

[ControlPoly]

this file has only one page

[ControlPoly]

sometimes it do not have initializing, and only grey, even if it has initializing diagram, it just stopped

[noseratio]

I've updated my answer with a working C# project, try compiling and running it.

[ControlPoly]

the link i run said can not find goo.gl

[ControlPoly]

i can run your project and success to show pdf, however can not show our big project, it show a red cross at left hand corner

[ControlPoly]

still the same red cross, it do not ask for yes or no for security after integrated to big project, it only ask when i test in a separated html file

[noseratio]

Unlike with WinForms, using Acrobat Reader ActiveX inside WPF WebBrowser appears to be unreliable. As I've suggested above, consider hosting Acrobat Reader ActiveX directly in your WPF form, using the links provided. It really is not a lot of work. I can't help any further, sorry.

[ControlPoly]

i find no acrobat reader in com component, what should do next?

[noseratio]

Is the following key present in your registry: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroPDF.PDF.1\CLSID? If it is, you have the required component. What to do next: visit the links I mentioned and watch this helpful screencast by Christopher Hujanen, from the second link. It really has everything you need.

[ControlPoly]

after install reader 8 and find it in common file, got error After install Arocbat reader 8 and find the com component in Common file, Cannot use Adobe Reader to view PDF in your web browser. Reader will now exit

[ControlPoly]

i uploaded the project, it only show blank page docs.google.com/file/d/0Bxs_ao6uuBDUeV8yREVBOExSbW8/…

[anthoLB29]

@Noseratio It seems that your app does not display big PDF (27 Mo in my case)

[noseratio]

@anthoLB29, this is not my app. It's Acrobat Reader ActiveX control.

[anthoLB29]

I found my issue, when the app is run as administrative, the pdf file won't be displayed in anyway ...

[Vojtěch Dohnal]

The problem with displaying ActiveX PDF in WPF is, that when Adobe Reader add-on is disabled in IE, it does not work.

[reckface]

the change from <embed /> to <object /> did it for me. It revealed a certificate error that was easy to fix. <embed /> didn't show any errors, it just hung.