title: Is it possible to open a file from a shared folder outside the browser
body: <p>We have a file handling ASP.Net web control used in intranet web applications, that currently uses ActiveX to handle file check-outs, and check-ins. Works fine, in IE&amp;Win. 
  But now we are trying to get rid of ActiveX &amp; IE only behavior...</p>
  
  <p>If a file is checked out, it is copied to file share, with access right limited to the checking-out user.
  Using a hidden iframe, and setting the src of the iframe to something like "file:////file_share/dictionary/users_stuff/someDoc.doc", an open/download dialog is shown, so the user can open and edit the shared file in Word, Excel, etc directly from the file share.</p>
  
  <p>Works fine for file types browsers can't handle themselves.</p>
  
  <p>But for file types like txt, images, html the browser simply loads the file to the iframe, or opens the file, if the user is given a link. And the user can't edit the file without manually launching the appropriate application and copying the url. Showing the users a "Copy this url to your preferred application, and try to edit it" would not be really user friendly...</p>
  
  <p>My question is: is it possible to get the browser (without ActiveX, IE...) to pass the link to the OS, or show a "What do you want to do with this file" dialog of some sort? </p>
  
  <p>If not, what and how could be achieved?</p>