Popup blocker message

Report · Sep 18, 2017

Hi

Since moving to Captivate 2017 we have started getting this message come up when a learner selects a link to a pdf (that is either on our website or in our online knowledge repository. I have checked using IE11 and Chrome - made sure the pop up blocker is off - but still get this warning. I'm certain the popup blocker is off because our LMS uses popups and I wouldn't be able to see the module at all if they were still on

The pdf tab opens ok but this message is making our learners a little unsettled. Anyone else experience this? Anyone know if there is a setting in Captivate that needs to be ticked/unticked?

Report · Jan 16, 2018

We are also experiencing it in IE11

Report · Jan 16, 2018

Hey Rod,

Sorry for the late reply and thanks for yours. We need the SCORM quiz reporting unfortunately so I have to leave it turned on and we have it on our own LMS which is SAP based.

Report · Jan 16, 2018

I just read through this forum and have some suggestions.

This is coming from Captivate. I searched through the cpm.js file and there is a function called openURL() that alerts the variable rtPopupBlkr which is "Please goto your settings and disable popup blocker"

- Thank goodness for bad Adobe spellers.

I haven't had a chance to look through and see how or why that function triggers, but my guess is if you just delete it from the cpm.js file it will just trigger an error and not the actual alert message.

Report · Jan 16, 2018

Sorry - just to clarify. Don't delete the function openURL - just the part about the alert.

Report · Jan 16, 2018

Hey JeremyS, thanks for that. However will the pop up box still come up? I'm trying to prevent that from happening for a streamlined user experience 🙂

Thanks for the speedy reply though.

Report · Jan 16, 2018

If this is about having a more streamlined user experience, perhaps leaving the popup blocker warning message there is a good idea.

Web browsers are introducing increasingly tightened security measures. Popup blocking is a standard procedure to guard against hackers hijacking your browser session.

If the message does not appear as a warning to the user, they may NOT realise why their course is not working as expected. And when that happens, they will blame the course, not their web browser settings.

Report · Jan 17, 2018

Yes, as Rod said it's probably best to leave it in there to safeguard yourself if anything ever were to go wrong.

I think what is happening is that your browser (possibly due to an update) is changing the format of the link to something that is triggering Captivate's alert. Here is the Captivate function that is triggering the alert.

a.openURL = function(d, b) {
var c = d;
a.MSIE != a.browser && (c = encodeURI(d));
if (a.m_isPreview) c = a.parentWindow.open(c, b);
else {
var e;
if (e = a.IsRunningInACAP)
if (e = "_self" == b || "_parent" == b) e = c, e = -1 != e.search("http:") || -1 != e.search("https:") || -1 != e.search("www.") ? !0 : !1;
c = e ? a.parentWindow.open(c, "_blank") : a.currentWindow.open(c, b)
}(!c || c.closed || "undefined" == typeof c.closed) &&
alert(a.D.rtDialog.rtPopupBlkr)
};

I think that if you ran this modified script at the start of the project it might work. But again I'd take Rod's advice on this and perhaps leave the warning.

cp.openURL = function(d, b) {
var c = d;
a.MSIE != a.browser && (c = encodeURI(d));
if (a.m_isPreview) c = a.parentWindow.open(c, b);
else {
var e;
if (e = a.IsRunningInACAP)
if (e = "_self" == b || "_parent" == b) e = c, e = -1 != e.search("http:") || -1 != e.search("https:") || -1 != e.search("www.") ? !0 : !1;
c = e ? a.parentWindow.open(c, "_blank") : a.currentWindow.open(c, b)
}(!c || c.closed || "undefined" == typeof c.closed)
};

Report · Feb 27, 2018

I upgraded to Captivate 2017 in January. I built our first course that had links and I'm experiencing the same error message. It doesn't appear from reading quickly that there's a solution - or am I missing it? The script above - is that to remove the error message, or did that actually work for someone?

Report · Feb 28, 2018

I received this error message this evening.I think I may have stumbled upon a clue. I have an advanced action that pauses the program and opens an internet URL.

When the advanced action is assigned to a smart shape button on the Captivate state, it works perfectly.
I accidentally assigned it to the advanced action to the slide "on enter" action - and received the pop up error message (see the screenshot below).
When I removed the advanced action from the slide "on enter" action (the advanced action was still assigned to the smart shape button), every thing worked fine again.

I think the pop-up error message may be occurring when a URL link is called while the slide is loading. Please check your files and post your responses here.

Kind Regards,

Sara

Report · Mar 01, 2018

I opened URL from text buttons, but I still had the spurious pop-up warning.

I've now cancelled my Captivate subscription as the quality of the generated HTML just isn't acceptable and it appears reported bugs are consistently not being fixed.

Kevin

Report · Apr 16, 2018

For the record, I get the same issue with 2017 when using links to Internet sites. When using links to our local intranet it is ok.

Thanks

B

Report · Apr 16, 2018

Check your web browser popup blocking settings. You may find that in your organisation the IT department has set up the local domain to be allowed to use popups whereas all other domains are blocked from doing the same.

Report · Apr 16, 2018

Thanks Rod

I don't even have the "Privacy" tab in my Internet Settings on my IE

The IT Security must have removed it. Anyway, we need to live with that.

Report · Jun 15, 2018

We are having the same issue: Clicking on Captivate links that open a new window cause - in some cases - the popup to show up. Our customers want a soltion to get this fixed. Please let us know how this popup can be deactivated.

Report · Jun 15, 2018

If it's the Popup Blocker in the browser, Captivate doesn't control that functionality. Your end users either have to change their settings to allow popups or else your IT department has to allow it.

Report · Jun 15, 2018

Hi Rod, thanks for the info. The warning/window that is displayed is the one you can see in the screenshots discussed in the forum. The window definitely is created and controlled by Captivate - it has a Cpativate look. We are asking for a way to get rid of this window. Do you know which alert/window I am talking of?

Report · Jun 15, 2018

If you read back over the posts in this particular thread you will see lots of references to this popup message and screenshots of it.

It seems that a recent Captivate version added code that detects when a link to open a file or page is being blocked because the browser popup blocker functionality is turned on. This code triggers Captivate to spit up this dialog that alerts the elearning user to the fact that they will need to adjust their browser settings or otherwise they won't be allowed to see whatever the link was pointing to.

Captivate cannot change or override end-user browser popup blocker settings. It can only tell the end user there's a problem they need to fix at their end. That's what this message box is doing.

Report · Jun 18, 2018

Thanks Rod for your quick reply. I am summarizing after re-reading the entire post that the suggested reasons of the issue are "popup blocker on browser on", "issue in setup", "created by an actin" - NONE OF THIS is true.

Here is exactly what happens.

Using Captivate 2017 (10.0.1.285),

Playing back on IE11 or Edge. (on our site, on customer site)

NO popup blocker activated.

This is what happens:

When clicking on a link (captivate action: open URL in new window):

- a) the new window OPENS (it is not blocked by browser)

- b) on the Captivate stage the message appears recommending to turn off popup blockers (the message we know from this post)

The issue does not happen on Chrome.

So, may I assume that Captivate is incorrectly determining whether there is a popup blocker running?

Do you - or someone else - know more about this issue?

As the alert is definitely caused by the Captivate engine (on the captivate stage, not as a separate operating system alert) and as it gives false information (new window opens anyways correctly) we are desperately looking for a solution to remove this alert. How can we do this?

Report · Jun 18, 2018

OK. Well if you feel this is a bug in the Captivate code then you'll need to file a bug request with Adobe. There's a web page for that on their website.

You may also want to phone the Adobe Support number for your area. Perhaps you'll get better results with one of these methods.

Report · Jun 18, 2018

I put in an earlier post that this is the function in the CPM.js file that is executing the alert. It looks like the link is triggering the alert because the link is '_blank'.

cp.openURL = function(d, b) {
        var c = d;
        a.MSIE != a.browser && (c = encodeURI(d));
        if (a.m_isPreview) c = a.parentWindow.open(c, b);
        else {
            var e;
            if (e = a.IsRunningInACAP)
                if (e = "_self" == b || "_parent" == b) e = c, e = -1 != e.search("http:") || -1 != e.search("https:") || -1 != e.search("www.") ? !0 : !1;
            c = e ? a.parentWindow.open(c, "_blank") : a.currentWindow.open(c, b)
        }(!c || c.closed || "undefined" == typeof c.closed) &&
       alert(a.D.rtDialog.rtPopupBlkr)
    };

My solution is to execute the following javascript at the start of the project. - I'm just removing the alert notification.

cp.openURL = function(d, b) {
        var c = d;
        a.MSIE != a.browser && (c = encodeURI(d));
        if (a.m_isPreview) c = a.parentWindow.open(c, b);
        else {
            var e;
            if (e = a.IsRunningInACAP)
                if (e = "_self" == b || "_parent" == b) e = c, e = -1 != e.search("http:") || -1 != e.search("https:") || -1 != e.search("www.") ? !0 : !1;
            c = e ? a.parentWindow.open(c, "_blank") : a.currentWindow.open(c, b)
        }(!c || c.closed || "undefined" == typeof c.closed)
    };

Report · Jun 18, 2018

Just to confirm - my Captivate 9 does NOT contain the offending call to this error message. Another reason to avoid upgrading before the bugs are worked out

Report · Jun 19, 2018

Thank you all for all the time and support. Just a quick feedback ... and our solution we found.

First: Correct, CPT 9 does not to the offending call. It seems to be a "feature" of 2017, but unfortunately an erratic one.

The odd thing is, as an e-Learning for corporate users does take place in a safe environment, and the e-Learning only references to safe links (e.g. the intranet) ... so for support reasons of our customer's IT helpdesk a warning message like this is contra productive.

I was too chicken to have code modified in the generated HTML5-export, but thanks Jeremy Shimmerman for the suggestion.

Our developer now found out the following solution:

Instead of calling the action to open a new window, we now call an action to "execute java script" with option "in current window".

The code is:

window.open("here is the URL to open", "_blank“);

This way it works on our side and customer's side. At least for now... 😉

Report · Jun 25, 2018

Nice, thanks heaps STEAGalex!

Report · Jan 07, 2019

Thanks for that STEAGalax - we tried all the solutions listed in this thread and nothing worked until we started to play with your solution. For the record, I would like to reiterate that the recurring cp 'goto popup blocker' message occurs while browsers ARE set to Allow Popups. It also happens in all Browsers, though like many here, our audience uses IE/Edge.

In our case the cp popup blocker message was fired whenever a button lead to a URL or File in a New window. The fix was as follows:

Set the action of the button to Execute Javascript. In the Script Window type:

window.open("here is the URL to open");

In the Properties Inspector, tick Parent.

Thanks for leading us most of the way.

Report · Jan 08, 2019

Great work everyone. Captivate community coming together to save the eLearning world 🙂 Go team go!