Browser wants to download -- not display -- HTML files from my server

mangled · #1 (**permalink**) 01-20-07, 08:31 AM

Hi, all,

I hope this is the right forum for this. Sorry if I am posting this in the wrong place.

When I create a normal *.html web page and link to another *.html file on a remote server, the link works fine and the desired web page simply displays in my browser (IE, Firefox and Opera). The same thing happens if I simply browse to a web page on any server but my own.

When I upload a file to my own server, though (well, rented space on a shared server), the browser wants to save it to my local computer. I looked at the MIME types in my control panel, and as far as I can tell, that's not the problem, because this is what it says:

text/html .shtml html htm

I do have Wordpress installed on the server, so maybe it is related to mod rewrite, I guess, but I do not know how to figure that out.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance!

#2 (**permalink**) 01-20-07, 09:04 AM

this sounds like a configuration error on the server, but typicaly on a shared server you do not have access to the necessary settings to change this. I would send an email to your host explaining that the server is not displaying .html files on it, it is trying to download them.

I have not worked with mod rewrite but I would not rule it out. If you can create a directory that does not use it and see if the problem still occurs.

mangled · #3 (**permalink**) 01-20-07, 09:09 AM

Thanks, Rich. I have been in touch with the hosts (really good people, by the way) and they are looking at it. I have probably done something to cause this, but I will be darned if I know what.

It does still happen, by the way, when I create a new directory and upload files to it.

Sigh...

#4 (**permalink**) 01-20-07, 09:20 AM

does that new directory have mod rewrite enabled?

mangled · #5 (**permalink**) 01-20-07, 09:40 AM

I have sent you a private messge.

#6 (**permalink**) 01-20-07, 01:39 PM

no offense, but i typicaly do not respond to pm's asking for help. I make exceptions when it has to do with security related issues. i feel it is best to discuss issues in the forum to allow other users to benefit from the discussion.

but judging from what you sent it looks like a bug in mod rewrite (again i have not worked with it so im not sure...)