Sharepoint Extranet: "Upload multiple files" to existing Data Library option unavailable when accessing from Extranet

Question

If anyone can help me out I would be so appreciated...

I set-up SharePoint Foundation 2010 on Windows Server 2008 R2, SharePoint site and subsites were set-up and libraries created on subsites. Everything functions great when I'm working on the server and I am able to upload files to the data libraries just fine. When I sign-on via a remote computer using windows authentication, I am able to obtain full functionality of all subsites.

Then one day on my remote computer I removed Microsoft Office 2007 trial version that was installed and replaced it with a free open office software that I downloaded. After doing this I noticed that when I signed in remotely now, that I could not use the "upload multiple files" feature anymore when I wanted to upload more than one file to a data library. This feature is not available anymore, but works fine on the server computer.

How can I fix this issue? Do I need to reload office 2007? Is there a way around this... I don't want every remote computer to be dependent on having office...? Why does it work on my server computer which doesn't have Microsoft office loaded on it.

Thanks in advance for your assistance with this...

 

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RST

Answer 1

Hi

You either need Office Web Applications on the server or Office 365 or MS Office on the client machine.

The server needs to know what program to use to open the files.

Regards

Nigel

 

Answer 2

Upload multiple documents uses an activex control which is installed with your office install

Please see this link http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms456628.aspx

 

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Microsoft Certified Master | SharePoint 2007
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Answer 3

Thanks for the very informative link....see some additional questions below....

When working directly on my Sharepoint server computer I have made the following observations:

1) On the sharepoint site, when I select the "upload multiple documents option in my data library it brings up a pop-up window asking me to drag in files/folders to upload and also in the center of the pop-up has a blue hyper link stating "browse for files instead". When I click the "browse for files instead" link it opens an internet exporer window where I can then select as many files I want and then it successfully uploads them all.

2) Now when I go to my remote computer and log-in remotely to the same Sharpoint site as done above under the same administrator username and password and try to select the "upload multiple documents option in my data library it tells me "that this control is currently disabled"

I understand what was being said about needing Office Web Applications on the server or on the client remote computer and that makes sense, but what doesn't make sense to me is how is it (as noted above in item 1) that my server which I have not loaded any office applications onto it allows me to upload multiple files, but when I try it remotely I can't do the same thing I do when working directly on the server computer, which allows me to upload multiple files as I have explained above.

Can you shed any light on this...? My main question is why is it I can upload multiple files working directly on the sharepoint site on my server computer (which has no office applications) and I cannot do this from a remote computer?

Thanks in advance for your assistance with this, it's very much appreciated.

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RST

Answer 4

Thanks for the feedback, very informative....see some additional questions below....

When working directly on my Sharepoint server computer I have made the following observations:

1) On the sharepoint site, when I select the "upload multiple documents option in my data library it brings up a pop-up window asking me to drag in files/folders to upload and also in the center of the pop-up has a blue hyper link stating "browse for files instead". When I click the "browse for files instead" link it opens an internet exporer window where I can then select as many files I want and then it successfully uploads them all.

2) Now when I go to my remote computer and log-in remotely to the same Sharpoint site as done above under the same administrator username and password and try to select the "upload multiple documents option in my data library it tells me "that this control is currently disabled"

I understand what was being said about needing Office Web Applications on the server or on the client remote computer and that makes sense, but what doesn't make sense to me is how is it (as noted above in item 1) that my server which I have not loaded any office applications onto it allows me to upload multiple files, but when I try it remotely I can't do the same thing I do when working directly on the server computer, which allows me to upload multiple files as I have explained above.

Can you shed any light on this...? My main question is why is it I can upload multiple files working directly on the sharepoint site on my server computer (which has no office applications) and I cannot do this from a remote computer?

Thanks in advance for your assistance with this, it's very much appreciated.

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RST

Answer 5

Like I said in earlier post without that activex control installed on client machine, Upload multiple files option will not be available, the only reason why I think you are able to upload multiple files when browsing to site directly from server computer where sharepoint is installed because you may have at some point installed office 2010 on the server computer where sharepoint is installed

Office web apps has no relation to this activex control, also office web apps is not required unless you want to provide the office web apps functionality to your users

 

 

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Microsoft Certified Master | SharePoint 2007
Blog

Answer 6

Thanks for your prompt reply to this confusing issue...as well as your patience in walking me thru this, it's very appreciated. Some additional questions I have are as follows:

1) So why is it I can't if signed on remotely to the Sharepoint server actually change the code in some way to have it run off the activex control located on the server computer that is functional. Isn't there a way to not have it run locally on the remote client computer?

2) I've worked on many different personal computer VPN to server scenarios in the past (in no way am I an expert), but I have opened documents and performed operations where they were being run off the server computer and displayed on my remote computer screen. So my thinking is, if I am remotely logged onto the server computer, why is it I can't get it to run the activex control to allow multiple document upload from the server computer and then display it on the remote computer. I was under the impression when one logs-in remotely to sharepoint server computer that he/she is actually running directly from the server, is this not a correct assumption?

3) What options do I have or can you suggest one as a means to an end for me to be able to provide this functionaility to extranet clients without making them have office applications as a requirement or myself having to load a particular activex code on their computer? If I have no choice but to have them load a particluar activex control code to do this, I will then do it...if so, can you suggest where I can go to get the updates I need to make to the activeX code to provide this functionality and the changes I need to make. Is it basically making changes to the upload.aspx file?

Thanks again for your assistance,

 

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RST

Answer 7

When u browsed to the site/library You should have gotten a prompt saying web site wants to run activex or something like that, did you go ahead and say run addons? also make sure you have not disabled Activex in browser security settings

 

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Microsoft Certified Master | SharePoint 2007
Blog

Answer 8

Thanks for the reply on this, it was very helpful and informative.

I do have one last question, you menitoned in your last reply that "Office web apps has no relation to this activex control, also office web apps is not required unless you want to provide the office web apps functionality to your users"

So lets say I don't want to provide the office web apps functionality to my users how do I disable this in Sharepoint?

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance with this,

Ramon

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RST

Answer 9

Thanks for the assistance with this, very appreciated.

 

Ramon

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RST

Answer 10

Hi

Easy dont install web applications.

Regards

Nigel

Answer 11

YOUR WEBSITE SHELL HACKED

FIX THE ISSUE ADMIN

THANKS

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/extranet/upload/uploaded/Shell.php