scottb
05-08-2003, 01:14 AM
We would like to alert everyone to a problem caused for web browsers and other applications by certain JPEG files created with Photoshop 7.
With PS 7, Adobe decided by default to embed XML-encoded "preview" data into JPEG files, using a feature of the JPEG format that permits embedding of arbitrarily-named "profiles". In theory, these files are valid according to the JPEG specifications. However they break many applications, including various versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer on various platforms.
The symptom in Internet Explorer is that the browser becomes "stuck" in downloading an image file, and its memory utilization starts to increase at the rate of about 100K per minute. After this occurs, the browser can still navigate, but it will not display any images at all -- neither offending PS 7 JPEG images nor any other kind of images, on this site or any other site.
Once the browser is blasted by one of these JPEG image "bombs", one can recover on some platforms by closing all browser windows and restarting the browser. On some platforms, it is reported that it is necessary to reboot the entire system.
We have searched the Microsoft web site for Internet Explorer workarounds or patches for this problem, and we have not been able to find any. IE 5 and 6 on Windows 2K, and IE 6 on Windows XP are some of the version/platform combinations that are impacted, but there are likely others.
In the meanwhile, we appeal to everyone not to upload JPEG images created in PS7 unless they have been saved using Photoshop's "Save for Web" feature. This will save the image without the embedded XML data which causes the problem.
Some folks have reported that the v7.01 update for Photoshop may have fixed the problem, but nevertheless, as the images you are uploading will be seen on the web, you should go ahead and use the aforementioned "Save for Web" option in Photoshop - this will (should!) avoid the problem altogether.
Cheers.
Scott
With PS 7, Adobe decided by default to embed XML-encoded "preview" data into JPEG files, using a feature of the JPEG format that permits embedding of arbitrarily-named "profiles". In theory, these files are valid according to the JPEG specifications. However they break many applications, including various versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer on various platforms.
The symptom in Internet Explorer is that the browser becomes "stuck" in downloading an image file, and its memory utilization starts to increase at the rate of about 100K per minute. After this occurs, the browser can still navigate, but it will not display any images at all -- neither offending PS 7 JPEG images nor any other kind of images, on this site or any other site.
Once the browser is blasted by one of these JPEG image "bombs", one can recover on some platforms by closing all browser windows and restarting the browser. On some platforms, it is reported that it is necessary to reboot the entire system.
We have searched the Microsoft web site for Internet Explorer workarounds or patches for this problem, and we have not been able to find any. IE 5 and 6 on Windows 2K, and IE 6 on Windows XP are some of the version/platform combinations that are impacted, but there are likely others.
In the meanwhile, we appeal to everyone not to upload JPEG images created in PS7 unless they have been saved using Photoshop's "Save for Web" feature. This will save the image without the embedded XML data which causes the problem.
Some folks have reported that the v7.01 update for Photoshop may have fixed the problem, but nevertheless, as the images you are uploading will be seen on the web, you should go ahead and use the aforementioned "Save for Web" option in Photoshop - this will (should!) avoid the problem altogether.
Cheers.
Scott