# Docx Problem



## thoron (Feb 16, 2011)

I'm trying to download a docx file from FA, but for some reason, its being turned into a zip file. I'm using IE8, Microsoft Word 2010, and Windows 7. Is there something in the setting of anyone of these that could be causing a docx file to downloaded as a zip or is there something going on on FA thats causing docx file to be turned to zip files? It can be bypassed if I right click and choose save target as..... and change the file type from there, but I'd rather not have to save a story to my computer just to read it.


----------



## Ames (Feb 17, 2011)

What's wrong with zip files?


----------



## theLight (Feb 17, 2011)

Edit for personal security.


----------



## thoron (Feb 17, 2011)

JamesB said:


> What's wrong with zip files?


 
There's nothing wrong with zip files, I love zip files. I guess I shpuld have been clearer, if I download a doc or rtf file it opens microsoft work and I read the file from that. When I opened the zip file that had replaced the docx, there was no document in it, just a bunch xml files.


----------



## theLight (Feb 17, 2011)

Edit for personal security.


----------



## thoron (Feb 17, 2011)

theLight said:


> I think it's saving it because IE can't handle the .docx format, so it's exporting it so you can view it on another program. Following this path, it means that if you use IE or just try to read a .docx story on FA, it's going to force you to save it.



I know that IE can't open doc, docx, or rtf files, I guess I should have been clearer, when I open a doc or rtf file it automaticaly opens microsoft office. Its not doing that with docx files, instead its just turning up a zip file. Instead of downloading file.docx, its coming up as file.zip, when I open one of these zip files, there's no document, just a bunch of xml files.


----------



## theLight (Feb 17, 2011)

Edit for personal security.


----------



## thoron (Feb 17, 2011)

theLight said:


> Can you point to a submission that this problem occurs for you? This is really peculiar. (Just worth a try: use the "ren" command in cmd to rename the .zip to .docx)



Here's one but its NSFW: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4684708/, I already know that the problem can be bypassed by right-clicking and choosing to save target as.... and then changing the file extension from that, but its impractical to have to save the file to my computer just to be able to read it.


----------



## theLight (Feb 17, 2011)

Edit for personal security.


----------



## thoron (Feb 17, 2011)

theLight said:


> (See above post)
> 
> Also, screenshots and maybe upload this zip file somewhere so we can grab it? (mediafire is free and fast)



If you want the zip file, try right-clicking the download link, then choose save target as, from there change the extension to zip, just do it from the link that I put up.


----------



## theLight (Feb 17, 2011)

Edit for personal security.


----------



## thoron (Feb 17, 2011)

theLight said:


> Yup, those are some XML files alright. Still, I really can't think of anything that would cause this besides IE just being the usual level of retarded.


 
My old computer had a motherboard failure, and that one was running IE7, as well as microsoft word 2007, but this new one is using IE8 and word 2010.


----------



## theLight (Feb 17, 2011)

Edit for personal security.


----------



## Runefox (Feb 17, 2011)

Docx files are actually just zip files; Those XML files are what make up the .docx file proper. Since the FA server doesn't seem to recognize .docx (note that it says the filetype is unknown), IE must be looking at the file header (which says zip) to determine the type. Rename to .docx and enjoy.


----------



## thoron (Feb 17, 2011)

Runefox said:


> Docx files are actually just zip files; Those XML files are what make up the .docx file proper. Since the FA server doesn't seem to recognize .docx (note that it says the filetype is unknown), IE must be looking at the file header (which says zip) to determine the type. Rename to .docx and enjoy.


 
Talk about wierd, when I used IE7 it had no problem opening docx from FA.


----------



## Aden (Feb 17, 2011)

you do know that the X in docx stands for "XML", right? It would make sense that it's a container for XML files.


----------



## ArielMT (Feb 17, 2011)

Heh, I got the same thing.  Explorer and Firefox both opened it in OOo Writer, and IE8 opened it in Explorer.  Been forever since I did anything with IE.

I had a look at the headers being served, and its Content-Type is application/octet-stream, a common mimetype for compressed files.  This is a failing on IE's part, relying on the server to magically know and give the mimetype, instead of handling it in a system-standard way like everything else.

OP, if you can, switch to Firefox, Opera, Chrome, or any browser except IE.


----------



## thoron (Feb 17, 2011)

It opens to word just fine in Firefox, I know IE has its problems, but I can't believe microsoft would regress on something like this. IE8 was supposed to be better then IE7 and yet it can't even open a docx file proporely where IE7 could.


----------



## theLight (Feb 17, 2011)

Edit for personal security.


----------



## Aden (Feb 17, 2011)

IE9's supposedly going to be pretty not terrible


----------

