Trouble Downloading Files

Hi, I'm not certain this is the right place to ask, but here goes. For security reasons I have placed certain document files in a directory outside my web root. There are many types of files included (e.g. jpg, gif, txt, pdf, xls, doc, mdb, ppt, and dwg). Clicking links on my web page will download the files through a php script (getdocfile.php) into a new pop-up window. The following is how I have coded the link: <a href='#' target="_blank" onclick="window.open('../getdocfile.php?file=<?php echo $DrawingGroups->Value("filename")?>', '_blank','resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,width=700,height=500');return false"><?php echo $DrawingGroups->Value("is_viewable")?></a> Problem: The download fails with IE5.5 when trying to retrieve files other than jpg, gif, txt, and pdf. One of the following happens depending on whether or not I force the download dialog box for the file to appear: (Note: I force the download dialog by commenting out the appropriate mime types in the code below) If I do not force the dialog box to appear 1. The applications (i.e. xls and doc) open in new window but with a blank screen, i.e. no data. For example, Excel will open with a new sheet but with nothing in it. If IE could open Excel, what did it do with the data. 2. A new blank window opens and then hangs and locks up. (This for ppt, mpp, and mdb) 3. The file open-or-save dialog appears, and then the system hangs If I force the dialog box to appear 1. The file open-or-save dialog appears, and then error msg: IE cannot download file … The following code works without problems in NN4.7 and NN6.2. Also, when putting the files in a directory inside the web root, I have no problem downloading them with IE5.5; however, I am then not using getdocfile.php to download the files. Does anyone have any idea as to why this might be happening or where else I might look for a solution? I am also trying an IE5.5 newsgroup and have been searching the php archives, but so far no luck. Any help is much appreciated. Roger Lewis **********************START CODE*********************************** <?php // getdocfile.php include("accesscontrol_gen.php"); define('FILEDIR', '/home/sites/home/users/demodocs/docs/ProjDocs/'); $path = FILEDIR . $file; //check that this file exists and that it doesn't include //any special characters $filename = substr($file, strrpos($file,"/")+1); if(!is_file($path) OR !eregi('^[A-Z_0-9][A-Z_0-9.]*$', $filename)) { header("Location: error.php"); exit(); } $mimetype = array( 'doc'=>'application/msword', 'htm'=>'text/html', 'html'=>'text/html', 'jpg'=>'image/jpeg', 'gif'=>'image/gif', 'pdf'=>'application/pdf', 'txt'=>'text/plain', 'xls'=>'application/vnd.ms-excel', 'ppt'=>'application/vnd.ms-powerpoint', 'mdb'=>'application/vnd.ms-access', 'mpp'=>'application/vnd.ms-project', 'dwf'=>'drawing/x-dwf', 'dxf'=>'image/vnd.dxf', 'dwg' => 'image/vnd.dwg', 'zip'=>'application/x-zip-compressed', 'wav'=>'audio/wav' ); $p = explode('.', $file); $pc = count($p); //send headers if(($pc > 1) AND isset($mimetype[$p[$pc - 1]])) { //display file inside browser header("Content-type: " . $mimetype[$p[$pc - 1]] . "\n"); } else { //force download dialog to appear header("Content-type: application/octet-stream\n"); header("Content-disposition: attachment; filename=\"$file\"\n"); } header("Content-transfer-encoding: binary\n"); header("Content-length: " . filesize($path) . "\n"); //send file contents $fp=fopen($path, "r"); fpassthru($fp); ?> ***********************END CODE ***************************