A problem arises in Citrix when Internet Explorer (iexplore.exe) is specified as a launch method for a file type in OpenText eDOCS DM and the full path to the executable is not specified.
For example, assume that Microsoft Visio Viewer 2010 or Visio Viewer 2013 is installed on a Citrix server and Internet Explorer is set as the launch method in Library Maintenance for opening Visio VSD files. In this scenario, when a user double-clicks a Visio document in DM Extensions Explorer, Internet Explorer is launched to open the document, but the user receives a “file not found” message and the document does not open. The problem only occurs when the launch method’s location field in Library Maintenance contains only the “iexplore.exe” value and not the full path to “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe” (for 64-bit IE 10+).
The problem appears to be due to the presence of another “iexplore.exe” executable that is part of Citrix XenApp 6.5 and is located in “C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\system32\iexplore.exe”. The Citrix “iexplore.exe” executable is necessary for content redirection. The resolution is to modify the launch method in Library Maintenance for the file type in question (ex. the application handling VSD files) by browsing to the 64-bit version of iexplore.exe at “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe”.
My best technical explanation for this problem, based solely on observing the behavior, is that in the absence of a full path in the launch method location field, eDOCS DM will search the system folders for an executable with a name that matches that in the location field. In the case of a system with Citrix XenApp 6.5 installed, the iexplore.exe executable that DM finds and chooses to use is “C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\system32\iexplore.exe”. When a user double-clicks on a file that is to be opened using iexplore.exe, DM launches “C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\system32\iexplore.exe” and passes the file path as an argument, which is a legitimate way of opening a VSD file in IE. When the Citrix iexplore.exe process starts up, it realizes that it is not needed, so it calls the Windows version of iexplore.exe and passes along the argument, and then the Citrix iexplore.exe process quits. In order to clean up files from the Temp directory, DM watches the processes that it starts. DM watches for the Citrix iexplore.exe process to end, and when it does, DM deletes the document from the DM Temp location. By the time that the Windows version of iexplore.exe is ready to open the file, the file no longer exists. So, the user gets a “file not found” message instead of the document.
Using Process Explorer, it’s possible to observe the dm.exe process deleting the document from the DM Temp location moments after it is created.
Unfortunately, OpenText itself provides the bad advice that causes this problem. See Knowledge Center article number 32382552 (free registration necessary):
In Document Management, eDOCS Edition (eDOCS DM), how can you set up the Microsoft Visio 2010 Viewer application to work within DM?
The Visio 2010 Viewer application included with Microsoft Office 2010 uses Microsoft Internet Explorer to open Visio documents. To allow the Viewer application to function within DM, create a launch method as follows:
Location = IEXPLORE.EXE
Command Line Parameters = -nohome %FULLPATH
Integration = No IntegrationThere are no DDE Settings intended.
Please note this configuration only allows viewing Visio documents.
Note that if the launch method’s location value is not configured correctly, such that the executable handling the file type cannot be located at the path specified, then the “No valid launch method” message is displayed when the user double-clicks a file in DM Extensions Explorer. When configuring the launch method to use the full path, our systems administrators received this “No valid launch method” message when they copied and pasted the path into the location field, but successfully resolved the problem by browsing to the executable at “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe”.
While we have chosen to use the 64-bit version of iexplore.exe in our launch method, either of the IE executables can be used to open a VSD file when launched from a command line:
“C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe” -nohome “C:\DM\test_601\DMS\SAN_FRANCISCO-#17907-v1-Test_Visio.VSD”
or
“C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe” -nohome “C:\DM\test_601\DMS\SAN_FRANCISCO-#17907-v1-Test_Visio.VSD”
However, I have not tested whether the 32-bit version of iexplore.exe works as a launch method for systems with Internet Explorer 10+.