Problems with DjVu

I should say at the outset that I cannot promise to help you individually, and that I have no association with LizardTech and their DjVu product. I am simply a user offering a little help.

I have broken this down according to common issues people have with DjVu, just skip to the section that is appropriate.

| Security Concerns | ActiveX | Installing DjVu |

Security Concerns

This seems to be top of everyone’s list. Microsoft have tightened up security recently. Actually, what this means is that they are letting YOU choose what to do, by warning you that there are nasty people out there. By letting you choose what to do, it is your fault, not theirs, if something goes wrong! They don’t want to get into a legal position of offering advice that might go wrong.

Before installing ANY software, I recommend three things:

• Keep Windows up-to-date. In Internet Explorer, select Tools -> Windows Update
• Get Anti-Virus Software and do a virus check on the download
• Get Anti-Spyware Software, this will identify the programs that behave suspiciously

When you download software, don’t run it off the internet directly, save it to disk, then virus check it.

Regarding DjVu … Windows and Internet Explorer don’t know DjVu. It doesn’t warn you because it thinks
it IS a virus, but because it doesn’t know.

Anti-Virus software WILL tell you if it is a virus. If DjVu passes your anti-virus software, then it is ok.

| Security Concerns | ActiveX | Installing DjVu |

ActiveX

Do you get the following messages when you try to open a DjVu file?  You get this because you are trying to open a DjVu file from your computer rather than through the internet.

This can be worrying if you don’t know. You’d prefer someone else to decide for you! Trouble is only YOU can decide!  All I can say is that I press Yes.

Perhaps you already do press Yes, but find that the messages are really annoying. I agree.

If you want to get rid of the warning you can switch it off.  But you will be switching off the warning for every ActiveX that might try to activate – it’s not the safest thing to do, but here’s how to do it:

• Switch off the warning
  • Start Internet Explorer
  • Select Tools -> Internet Options
  • Select Advanced
  • Put a tick next to “Allow active content to run in files on My Computer”
  • Select OK

| Security Concerns | ActiveX | Installing DjVu |

Installing DjVu

LizardTech have written a program called a “plugin”. A plugin allows software creators, like LizardTech, to add extra functionality to programs like Internet Explorer. It’s not always very clear if they are actually installed or not, so I’ll go through the installation process, and highlight things to look for.

• Getting the DjVu Plugin
  • Go to LizardTech.com
  • In the middle of the screen (under Downloads) select DjVu Plug-in (If you clicked on ExpressView before, that doesn’t seem to work)
  • By default you are taken to the Windows version of the plugin download page^{nb. If you are using Mac OS X or Unix go to the appropriate page. If you don’t know you are probably using Windows.}
  • Note the Requirements: are you using Internet Explorer 5.0 or later?^{To check, click on Help -> About Internet Explorer. Look for “Version:” followed by a long number starting with 5 or 6.}
  • You have two options here:
    • DjVu Browser Plugin AutoInstaller [ 900 Kb ]
    • DjVu Browser Plugin Manual Installer [ 8.5 Mb ]The simplest is the first one, but they both install the same thing. I am assuming you choose the first option.
  • Select the language you want, and click on “Auto Install Now”
  • Wait while it installs, do not click anything until the progress bar at the bottom of the screen disappears.
  • Success? If the red cross on the left-hand side has gone and you are looking at a DjVu document, you have succeeded. There’s no more to do.
  • Failure? What went wrong? Perhaps you got impatient and clicked on something, or perhaps your internet connection stopped. Try again, and if it still doesn’t work go to Fault Finding
• Fault Finding
  • First things, first – try to view this DjVu Example (Note ActiveX comments above)
    • If you can see its contents, you don’t have any problems.
  • I’m sure I installed DjVu! How can I check?
    • Click on My Computer
    • Go to C:\Program Files\LizardTech
      • If you can’t find this folder, DjVu is not installed.
      • If you can find this folder, can you find this file:C:\Program Files\LizardTech\DjVuControl\DjVuCntl.dll
        • If you can’t find this file, DjVu is not installed properly, try installing it again.
        • if you can find this file, you need to check that it is ‘enabled’
  • Is DjVu Enabled?
    • In Internet Explorer, click on Tools -> Internet Options…
    • In the window that appears, click on Programs
    • Click on Manage Add-ons…
    • In the window that appears, you should see an entry for DjVuCtl Class, and its status
      should read ‘Enabled’.
    • If the status is ‘Disabled’, click on DjVuCtl Class, then Enable in the Settings box
    • DjVu should now be working.
  • I want to Uninstall DjVu and start again
    • Open the Control Panel
    • Select Add or Remove Programs
    • From the list, select LizardTech and delete
    • If LizardTech is not in the list, and you are sure it is installed, it is best just to re-install over what you have done already.