When using SSL/HTTPS, an end user using Internet Explorer 6 SP1 cannot download files. They receive the following error message: "Internet Explorer cannot download FileName from WebServer." Mozilla users can download the same file without a problem. It appears to be an IE Bug that is caused by the content headers Pragma = no-cache and Cache-Content=no-cache. Tomcat is setting these automatically, even if the HTML page explicitly specifies otherwise. You can easily replicate the problem by setting up a simple HTML file with a link to a file for download. Access the page using SSL/HTTPS and click on the link. Here's a debug dump from IE: sending data: 225 (0xe1) bytes @ 0x1d31768 01d31768 43 4f 4e 4e 45 43 54 20-6a 6d 73 2e 63 68 61 72 CONNECT www.myte 01d31778 74 64 79 6e 61 6d 69 63-73 2e 63 6f 6d 3a 34 34 stsite222.com:44 01d31788 33 20 48 54 54 50 2f 31-2e 30 0d 0a 55 73 65 72 3 HTTP/1.0..User 01d31798 2d 41 67 65 6e 74 3a 20-4d 6f 7a 69 6c 6c 61 2f -Agent: Mozilla/ 01d317a8 34 2e 30 20 28 63 6f 6d-70 61 74 69 62 6c 65 3b 4.0 (compatible; 01d317b8 20 4d 53 49 45 20 36 2e-30 3b 20 57 69 6e 64 6f MSIE 6.0; Windo 01d317c8 77 73 20 4e 54 20 35 2e-31 3b 20 2e 4e 45 54 20 ws NT 5.1; .NET 01d317d8 43 4c 52 20 31 2e 31 2e-34 33 32 32 29 0d 0a 48 CLR 1.1.4322)..H 01d317e8 6f 73 74 3a 20 6a 6d 73-2e 63 68 61 72 74 64 79 ost: www.mytests 01d317f8 6e 61 6d 69 63 73 2e 63-6f 6d 0d 0a 43 6f 6e 74 ite222.com..Cont 01d31808 65 6e 74 2d 4c 65 6e 67-74 68 3a 20 30 0d 0a 50 ent-Length: 0..P 01d31818 72 6f 78 79 2d 43 6f 6e-6e 65 63 74 69 6f 6e 3a roxy-Connection: 01d31828 20 4b 65 65 70 2d 41 6c-69 76 65 0d 0a 50 72 61 Keep-Alive..Pra 01d31838 67 6d 61 3a 20 6e 6f 2d-63 61 63 68 65 0d 0a 0d gma: no-cache... 01d31848 0a . While this is really an IE issue, there should be a way to prevent these headers from being set in Tomcat. Users can download the file withouth a problem using Caucho Resin instead of Tomcat as the servlet container. For additional info, see the following Microsoft Knowledgebase Article: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=815313
This crop of MSIE bugs has caused no end of pain. [There are related issues with Vary, etc, etc -- i.e. anything that causes MSIE not to cache the downloaded data.] I just wish it was clear to the user that it was MSIE that was broken -- then I could just tell them to use Mozilla, which is now superior overall (surprisingly enough).
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 27122 ***