Open file from outside the web root folder

You will have to use streaming--here is an example:

<%
Function downloadFile( strFile, strDownloadFilename )
     Dim strFilename,objStream,objFilesystem,objFilestream
     Dim intFileLength
     ' get full path of specified file
     strFilename = FullPath
     ' clear the buffer
     Response.Buffer = True
     Response.Clear

     ' create stream
     Set objStream = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
     objStream.Open

     ' set as binary
     objStream.Type = 1

     ' check the file exists
     Set objFilesystem = Server.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
     if not objFilesystem.FileExists(strFilename) then
          Response.Write("<h1>Error</h1>: " & strFilename & " does not exist<p>")
          Response.End
     end if


     ' get length of file
     Set objFilestream = objFilesystem.GetFile( strFilename )
     intFilelength = objFilestream.size
 
     objStream.LoadFromFile( strFilename )
     if err then
          Response.Write("<h1>Error: </h1>" & err.Description & "<p>")
          Response.End
     end if
     
     'format strFileName
     if Len( Trim(strDownloadFilename) ) > 0 then
          strDownloadFilename = Trim( strDownloadFilename )
     else
          strDownloadFilename = objFilestream.name
     end if
'     Response.ContentType = "SENTREnet"

     ' send the headers to the users browser
     Response.AddHeader "Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=" & strDownloadFilename
     Response.AddHeader "Content-Length", intFilelength
     Response.Charset = "UTF-8"
     dim i
      for i = 0 to objFilestream.size
            i = i + 128000
            Response.BinaryWrite(objFilestream.Read(128000))
            Response.Flush
      next

     ' output the file to the browser
     'Response.BinaryWrite objStream.Read
     'Response.Flush

     ' tidy up
     objFilestream.Close
     Set objFilestream = Nothing
End Function
%>
</HEAD>
<%
Call downloadFile( Replace( Request("FILE") ,"/","\"), Request("FILENAME") )
'Response.Write (Request("FILE")  & "----" & Request("FILENAME") )
%>

Streaming, as FtB suggested, is your best bet.  This will ensure your security structure remains intact.

Dan

I tried with ADODB.stream method which FtB mentioned

But the files are reading from the physical path (i.e. D:\documents\test.pdf).

1) My web folder directory is D:\Inetpub\wwwroot\xxxwebsite. and I want to read the file from  D:\documents\test.pdf. I tried but it does not read.
strFilename  = " D:\documents\test.pdf"

2) I placed the test.pdf file in D:\Inetpub\wwwroot\xxxwebsite. and tried with physical path.
It didn't work.
strFilename  = " D:\Inetpub\wwwroot\xxxwebsite\test.pdf"

3) I tried with Server.Mappath("test.pdf") then it worked fine.
strFilename  = "Server.Mappath("test.pdf")

But I want to read the file only from physical path since it is out side the web folder.

Thanks,
Arun

What do you get if you do:

response.write Server.Mappath("test.pdf")


FtB

I am asking because server.MapPath() should return a physical path, and you should be able to use that here. Let's try within the web directory first. Once we get that working, we can remove to a remote directory. I have used this in a few different applications where we had the same security concerns.

FtB

<<I tried but it does not read. strFilename  = " D:\documents\test.pdf">>
Do you get an error?  
Does iusr_machine have premission to access the file?

Hi dwaldner,

Thanks for you response

I tried your code. It is not giving any error

But it displays the file download dialog box to open the file

I clicked on open button and it asked to selected from the program list

I selected open thru Adobe PDF then it opened the file

How can we open without displaying the dialog box

Thanks,