Internet Explorer - Auto Open download with specific extension

[Sypher]

Well, the title may be a bit vague

I hope this is in the right forum, if not I hope it can be moved to a more suitable location.

I am developing a special webpage that is using client communication using special "shortcut" files (my own format).

When a user clicks on the special link, a file download is initiated.

What I am trying to do is that the Internet Explorer automaticly opens the file, without asking if the user wants to open or save it.

The file is using the extension ".shortcut".

My client application is bound to that specific extension. When a user clicks "open", the program executes the specific data in the file.

I tried a lot, but the registry is a hell to find what you are looking for. I know it is possible, seeing the .asx extension is Auto-opening in my Windows Media Player.

I hope my story is clear (enough) to understand it and I hope someone can help me to archieve this.

Thanks in advance.

Edited February 11, 2008 by Sypher

[TheFlash428]

Well, the title may be a bit vague

I hope this is in the right forum, if not I hope it can be moved to a more suitable location.

I am developing a special webpage that is using client communication using special "shortcut" files (my own format).

When a user clicks on the special link, a file download is initiated.

What I am trying to do is that the Internet Explorer automaticly opens the file, without asking if the user wants to open or save it.

The file is using the extension ".shortcut".

My client application is bound to that specific extension. When a user clicks "open", the program executes the specific data in the file.

I tried a lot, but the registry is a hell to find what you are looking for. I know it is possible, seeing the .asx extension is Auto-opening in my Windows Media Player.

I hope my story is clear (enough) to understand it and I hope someone can help me to archieve this.

Thanks in advance.

Not sure that this is an "XP" issue, but...

This is probably more of a security setting issue than a file extension issue, and to be honest, I'm not sure if there is a way do this. (I'm not sure you would want to, either). The first place I would look would be under the Group Policy settings for IE.

[Sypher]

Thanks for your reply.

You're right: this is not XP specific but more IE specific. Didn't really know where to put it.

Extensions like .asx (and I guess also the .gadget's from Vista) are directly opened, no choice whatsoever. I've seen it done before, but I have no clue how they did it.

I tried fiddling around with lots of registry entries, but I couldn't get it to work.

I don't really think its security related, so probably the GP wouldn't change a thing.

[Sypher]

Aww nobody who knows how to achieve this?