PDF imported to Robohelp 2020 and linked in a topic doesn't open when viewed from the server

[DawnPAmkai]

Hello,

I’m using Robohelp 2020.6.76. I’ve imported a PDF into the contents panel (using Import > file) and linked to it from a topic. After generating Responsive HTML5 output, in the preview, the PDF opens as a PDF (as expected).

However, after I upload the generated project to our server and click the link to the PDF from the help topic, I get an error message stating the resource has been removed or is temporarily unavailable.

Other PDFs that exist in the same folder in the contents panel and are also linked in topics work just fine when viewed from the server. (These PDFs were all added in RH 2019 before the project was upgraded: don’t know if that’s significant.)

I tried importing the PDF as a baggage file, adding it to the TOC and linking to the baggage file from the topic: that didn’t work either. Tried moving the PDF to a different folder: didn’t work. Tried linking the PDF to a different topic: that didn’t work.

I imported a different (“dummy”) PDF and linked that one to a “dummy” topic for testing purposes: and had the same issue.

Help? Thank you!

Dawn

[LinSims]

Let me move this to the Robohelp forum for you, which is the appropriate forum for your question.

The Using the Community forum is for help in using the Adobe Support Community forums, not for help with specific programs, installation issues, or account issues such as subscription questions or billing problems, or generalized questions about Creative Cloud services.

* Product questions should be posted in the associated product community.
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[DawnPAmkai]

Sorry for the mistake! Thank you!

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Check that the PDF link works on your local generated location - not the server - to determine if it's working correctly before uploading it all. If it does work locally, then something got messed up in the uploading to the server; if it fails locally (ps don't trust the Preview - it's not 100% real-life) then that gives you an avenue to dig deeper. Look at the HTML code of the link to see what's messed up in that case.

[DawnPAmkai]

Thanks for your reply, Jeff! I verified that the PDF link works when I view the output locally. The HTML code looks just the same as all the other PDFs that work. And i don't see anything amiss on the server side: the PDF is linked from assets > docs to the topic: same as all the other PDFs that work and I verified the file is shown in assets > docs on the server side (see circled doc in screenshot below). It's weird that it fails every single time (i've uploaded at least 10 times). And that i had the same issue with another PDF I imported. It makes me suspicious that i'm importing the PDF to the project the wrong way. Again: i'm right-clicking the assets > docs folder and select Import > file from the menu. 

Any other ideas? thanks, again!

Dawn

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Ok, so if it works when you fire it up in your browser from your C:\ drive & doesn't work when it's up on the webserver, then something's messed up on the web server.
Simple fix is to delete all the help files on the web server & recopy them all from that C:\Output folder up again. Then clear your cache & test it again. 

[DawnPAmkai]

thanks, Jeff. I've deleted all the files from the server and copied the new output over and cleared my cache many times: still the same file that always errors out.

We have had a random issue with files throwing that same error with another help project (same server), and we've had the IT people who manage the server look at it, and they don't have an answer.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Bizarre - I wonder if you rename the PDF to something else (maybe sub all the spaces with underscores or something) and manually change the link on the server in the HTML and see if it behaves. That might give you an indication of what's not right with either the filename or the link.

[Peter Grainge]

I hope @Jeff_Coatsworth won't mind me coming in with another approach. Create a new project and import a PDF that does work and a PDF that does not. Generate that and upload it to the server. Do both PDFs work as before, one works, one does not?

________________________________________________________

My site www.grainge.org includes many free Authoring and RoboHelp resources that may be of help.

[DawnPAmkai]

Thanks, Peter! I can try that later on today, but will have ot use another subdirectory on the server, as we're getting ready to push a build to clients and drive them to the help site.

@Jeff_Coatsworth , i tried renaming the PDF and editing the link in the HTML on the server side to point to it, but that didn't work, either. thank you!

[Amebr · Accepted solution]

I noticed that most of the pdfs in your screenshot don't have any spaces in the name, but the file highlighted does. Do any of the links that work correct have spaces? If not, the spaces might be causing the error, so you could try replacing the spaces with a dash or underscore and relinking to see if it works.

[Amebr]

Oh nuts, I just saw Jeff's suggestion and that you tried it. (Although editing the RH output on the server is not my recommended way of testing, as it's not always clear what changes might be needed in the background files RH also creates during generation.)

 Hopefully Peter's suggestion can help narrow things down.

[DawnPAmkai]

Thanks, @Amebr! I had renamed the file per @Jeff_Coatsworth 's suggestion, but didn't replace the spaces with underscores. Per your suggestion, Amebr, I replaced all the spaces with underscores and it worked! Bravo!

Also, thanks to @Peter Grainge , i created a new project for testing purposes, which enabled me to quickly upload and then delete the test files to minimize downtime for clients, since we don't have a "test"site that isn't live. Many thanks to all three of you! Have a great weekend!

Dawn