This file is set to be launched by the PDF File. This is currently disallowed by you system administ

[elisaw]

After an adobe update I'm having this problem suddenly:

This file is set to be launched by the PDF File. This is currently disallowed by you system administrator.

How do I fix this? Can someone help ?????

[Write_U_R]

I would venture to guess - having discovered last week that our help document's once-working links to some departmental folders no longer seem to work - that you are running Reader 9.3.3 or newer.

Apparently a change was made to Reader to prevent a link to an executable and who knows what else.

But my links merely take internal users to an internal folder, and not to executables or other specific files.

So why they stopped working is a mystery to me. 

I also don't understand why I can't seem to use Enhanced Security --> Privileged Locations to get around this by setting trusted sites, but so far, no luck.

Maybe someone else can elaborate on this.

[Ankit_Jain · Accepted solution]

Hi,

This is a deliberate fix by Adobe to prevent your system from being vulnerable to security attacks. Hence, any link that tries opening any executable file has been blocked with the error message you just mentioned.

The following links have more details on the same:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Adobe-Finally-Fixes-Launch-Bug-145757.shtml

http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb10-15.html

Ankit

[Guest]

So what can we do about this?  I work at an international school where there are PDF "books" that include examples that are launched by clicking a link.  These links now fail, and I do not know how to enable the launch feature. The message states that "This is currently disallowed by your system administrator", who happens to be me.  Teachers are blaming me for the loss of functionality, and I need to know how to re-enable it.

[AbhigyanModi]

What kind of files does the PDF point to?

[Guest]

It was a .exe file.

~ Frank

Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:37:28 -0700

From: forums@adobe.com

To: [email address deleted by host]

Subject: Adobe Reader This file is set to be launched by the PDF File. This is currently disallowed by you system administ

What kind of files does the PDF point to?

>

[AbhigyanModi]

thanks. That will not be allowed because it was blocked to prevent attacks as described in Ankit Jain above. sorry.

[Guest]

Great. So Adobe has done two bad things:

(1) Removed functionality that people used to build and sell products.  Admittedly the functionality was a security hole, but people were using it (the PDF textbooks for the International Baccalaureate program being one example) and there is no option to override the "fix".

(2) Put in an error message that blames the system administrator for the loss of functionality.  People have been chasing me to tell me to undo whatever I did to make their textbooks stop working, but I didn't do anything and I can't easily help them.

The solution will be to install Adobe Reader 8.2 on all the computers and block updates.

~ Frank Fernandez

  [signature deleted by host]

Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:45:17 -0700

From: forums@adobe.com

To: [email address deleted by host]

Subject: Adobe Reader This file is set to be launched by the PDF File. This is currently disallowed by you system administ

thanks. That will not be allowed because it was blocked to prevent attacks as described in Ankit Jain above. sorry.

>

[TacticalDragon]

Hey Abhigyanmodi

I've noticed that this change was implemented, i realize that this was done to avoid issues with hackers, script kiddies, social engeneering etc. But Adobe should have a way for corporations using their product to allow vbs, exe, etc run from within their companies, and dissallow running those types of files if they are external to their companies domain. This does still open a social engineering security vector, but that should not be governed by Adobe, that should be a risk that the business should be allowed to take if they would like to take that risk.

From what i can see there are a bunch of different registry keys that can be used to customize adobe, but i cannot see any that would allow for the above comment. Does this functionality come with the newest version of Adobe acrobat? The only workaround that systems administrators can now give their users are either

A) use another product
B) use the registry hack, which ends up opening up a seriously large attack vector, that is above most users heads.
C) don't use vbs scripts to open different files, and just link directly to a certain file

Adobe knows that users have been using vbs files to open lets say excel files to certain sheets, on certain cells in that sheet, and by fixing their security hole ended up creating alot of problems for their users. I am wondering if they will be comming out with an alternate way that is Adobe approved to allow users to open specific files, again lets say excel files to certain sheets and certain cells in those sheets

Cheers,

Tac

[AbhigyanModi]

Hello Tac -

The key is documented in the enterprise admin guide -  http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/837/cpsid_83709/attachments/Acrobat_Enterprise_Administration.pdf and isn't a hack.

I do see your point about having the ability to tune this so that it is enforced only for "untrusted" documents/domains. The attack vector/impact for such attachments is large and hence they are just locked down in an absolute manner. I'll pass your feedback along to the team.

-abhigyan

[spalos]

Hello,

I am having a similar issue as everyone above. I created .vbs script files in Notepad that outputs various message boxes when certain bookmarks in the PDF are clicked on. As everyone else has described, I get the message "This file is set to be launched by the PDF File. This is currently disallowed by you system administrator." I used the Adobe Help search to get to this page: Adobe Acrobat X Standard * Attachments, which mentioned a whitelist and a blacklist for file formats that can and cannot be opened, respectively. I followed the instructions on that help page to place file formats that are not on either list onto the whitelist, so that Adobe can open it, and instead got the error message below.

I'm assuming this means that .vbs files are on the blacklist, correct? If so, can you please provide those two lists (black and white) so that I may see which script files are accepted? I do not want to do the registry hack mentioned above, and would like to know if I can use a different script file that will be acceptable.

If you have any other solutions, please let me know.

Thanks!

[Test Screen Name]

I think it's fair to say that if it's an executable or script file, it will be blocked by default. (Or if you find any others Adobe will move to block it).

[pwillener]

Are you talking about Acrobat or Adobe Reader?

[tmkilani]

Guys, the solution is as that simple.. Trash this stupid ass Adobe Reader and download a respected pdf software.. Foxit Reader, Believe me this is the best solution

[~graffiti]

Foxit is fine as long as you don't want the ability to use static and dynamic forms, reflow, read-out-loud, digital signatures,  strong encryption, rights management, redaction, geo-spatial tagging, 3D  rendering, Flash, collaboration, reviews, and portfolios.

There's more but I'm tired of typing...

[elisaw]

I've been using Foxit instead of adobe reader since I started having

problems and I am happy with it..

[Guest]

I'm not interested in the ability to use static and dynamic forms, reflow, read-out-loud, digital signatures,  strong encryption, rights management, redaction, geo-spatial tagging, 3D  rendering, Flash, collaboration, reviews, and portfolios.

Call me primitive, but having the basic functionality be reliable is much more important than bells and whistles that I don't use.

[tomhix]

I, too, depended on this functionality and have not been able to disable it.  I'm trying to launch a web URL to an ASPX page.  Does anyone have a way to defeat this so-called feature?  Something that worked well now is a liability.

Any help is appreciated.

[elisaw]

I simply started using Foxit instead.

[tomhix]

You cannot access Geopdf capabilities with Foxit.

[Ankit_Jain]

As far as I know, web URLs should not be blocked. Can you please state what is the exact error message that you are receiving and if possible the URL that you are trying to access

Thanks

Ankit

[tomhix]

The Message is:

This file is set to be launched by this PDF file.  This is currently disallowed by your system administrator.

https:\\www.rmoj.com\membersonly\ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=3758&IssueId=582

[tomhix]

I have found no way around this very poor choice by Adobe.  I've begun the tasks of letting clients know that this feature is no longer available.   I still cannot believe that Adobe could be so stupid as not to give users a work around solution.  But alas, I must accept the reality of it.

[Ankit_Jain]

Hi,

I tried creating a PDF with the said link i.e.https:\\www.rmoj.com\membersonly\ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=3758&Issue Id=582

I was successfully able to access the said site without any issues.

Also, it would be great if you could post an enlarged screenshot of the error message since, the last image was too blurry to read.

Ankit

[tomhix]

Attached is image.