How can i authenticate users to view documents (Word and PDF) ...As an example, when a user enters www.test.com/documentation/IT/Default.aspx in a browser, he goes to the log in page. However when a user enters www.test.com/documentation/IT/Portals/0/test.pdf , he can view the document without entering the credentials. How can i make the user to log in before they can view the document? I believe that the first URL www.test.com/documentation/IT/Default.aspx is going through the Default.aspx and hence a check is made if a user is registered or not...However the second URL does not hit the default.aspx page and hence they can view the document (I might be wrong..That is just my guess) . How can i force the users to log in before viewing a PDF document? Thanks in advance!!

I've never tried locking down a file in DNN except through page roles so I'm taking a WAG here but I don't think the first way will make a difference Will as the user is bypassing the website and going straight to the document itself (the website isn't even loaded). That's been the bane of putting files out on the internet since, well, forever. The second idea sounds like it has merit as the file is actually stored in the database instead of on the server as an actual file.

Another option would be to use something like the Repository. When a file is uploaded through the Repository it gets a hash code added to it specifically so that a user has to go through the module to see the file. Then you could set roles on the module that can view it.

I tried the second option - Creating a database folder... The question i had was, how do i give reference to those documents? If it is a file system I can edit the page to point to whatever location i want to (Ex - Portals/0/documentation/IT.PDF)...but since it is a database folder, the file system reference is not going to work...how will i reference those database files then? Thanks in advance