Toggle for ActiveX controls

Welshjim · 11th March 2005

According to last section of this MSKB article, if your settings in IE Tools|Security tab|Custom level block the running of Active X controls, you should get an Information Bar message which when clicked will provide several options.
http://support.microsoft.com/default...t=windowsxpsp2
One option is supposedly "Allow this site to run ActiveX controls". Sounds like just what I want.
But in fact when I (right or left) click on the Information Bar all I get is a box saying Information Bar Help. (See image below.) And right or left clicking on that opens the "Understanding the Internet Explorer Information Bar" Help window which explains how the Information Bar works works.
Of course I can change the Security tab setting manually, but that is a drag, and then I have to change it back.
(My normal setting is Disable for "Run ActiveX controls and plugins". And I do have the Custom Level setting "Automatic Prompting for ActiveX controls" set to Enable.))
What I want is the option to toggle. Does anyone know how I can get it?

P.S. Just out of curiosity, does anyone else experience what I show in the Thumbnail, or do you get the promised options?

**PeteC** · 12th March 2005

Jim

I see what you see on certain sites and it puzzled me too - the only solution I have found is to put the site into the Trusted Zone - generally on a temporary basis.

I use the MS tool Add to trusted Zone/Add to Restricted Zone as mentioned in Arie's Surf Safely article

Welshjim · 13th March 2005

PeteC--Thanks!! Your response makes me feel better--to learn that I am not alone.
However, your suggested fix is not what I want. I have put sites I trust into Trusted Sites. It is the sites I am not sure if I should trust for which I would like the toggle option.
I suspect there is a setting somewhere that I (you?) have overlooked.
I wonder if BenMcDonald could help us?

BenMcDonald[MS] · 14th March 2005

i tried using the website from your screenshot, but its not loading properly. got another example site (work safe please)

**PeteC** · 14th March 2005

Ben - thanks for dropping in

This is one site in which the Information Bar pops up and the only option I have is as Jim posted - Information Bar Help. Adding it to the Trusted Zone removes the Information Bar ....

http://www.windowsmedia.com/MediaGuide/gbHome

Another site was the Windows Validaton Site - even putting this into the Trusted Zone would not allow the ActiveX to download. Eventually I had to set IE to default (temporarily) to enable the Validation (rather than keep on using the manual method). Can't post the URL as I am 'validated'. Daft thing is that I had no trouble on my laptop - same OS Win XP Pro SP2 fully patched, IE 6 fully patched and IE security settings the same as on the Desktop - as set out in http://www.helpwithwindows.com/Windo...surf-safe.html

Welshjim · 14th March 2005

BenMcDonald[MS]--This problem occurs on most any website that requires (or would like to run) ActiveX controls. (And which I have not put into Trusted Sites.)
The Information Bar is not unique to www.sirius.com. Though I have no problems reaching that site, it is one of the sites that requires ActiveX to permit seeing meaningful information. Many other sites display the same Information Bar, but I can just ignore it (or click on the X) and see the site just fine.

Here, however, are a bunch of sites I have picked at random which display the Information Bar, and when I click on it show the Information Bar Help box rather than give me any option to run ActiveX.
http://quicken.intuit.com/?src=www.quicken.com
http://home.hccnet.nl/h.edskes/finalbuilds.htm
http://www.bluemountain.com/index_homec.pd
http://ww12.e-tractions.com/snowglobe/globe.htm
http://www.mwebinc.com/radio/index.htm
http://www.datadoctors.com/
(the snowglobe site, like sirius, will not display anything until I permit ActiveX.)
Thanks for any help.
P.S. I attach a thumbnail of my Active X settings in IE Tools|Internet Options|Security tab|Custom Level
The last setting (Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting) is at Enable.

**PeteC** · 14th March 2005

The sites Jim posted behave in the same way on my desktop.

**PeteC** · 14th March 2005

For the sake of completeness - my settings (as per Arie's Surf Safely) for the Internet Zone. Very different from Jim's, but the same result on those sites ....

**JoeHobart** · 15th March 2005

two different things on the table

issue #1: INSTALLATION of new activex components not installed

Issue #2: INVOCATION of already installed controls

Using that security template you are disabling activex completely for that zone. are you wanting to selectivly allow sites to run activex controls youve already trusted and installed (closing the barn door after the horse is out)?

Welshjim · 15th March 2005

JoeHobart--With respect, you have lost me completely.
I have gone to all of those sites just in the course of surfing. Those sites have not offered and I have not refused downloading from those sites of any permission to run ActiveX Controls such as reside in C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files.
My only attempt to control the use of ActiveX is per the thumbnail shown--which are those for Internet sites|Custom Level in the Security tab.
Sites I trust, such as Windows Update and most microsoft.com sites, are in Trusted Sites. I view all other sites per the settings in Security tab|Internet sites as shown in the thumbnail.
So

Quote:

Using that security template you are disabling activex completely for that zone

I have no idea to which zone you are referring. (Or what security template--unless you mean my Security tab|Custom Level settings. Or what barn door.) The settings in that thumbnail are for Internet sites.
The ActiveX settings for Trusted Sites are per IE's default. I can post what they are, if desired. (They all are at Enable or Prompt.)

**Zander** · 15th March 2005

I think that's just the way it works. Why? I don't know. I only know that if I set "Run ActiveX Controls and Plugins" to disable I get the same thing you guys get (the information bar thing). If I set it to prompt, I get prompted as to whether or not to allow the ActiveX things to run. This prompt isn't in the information bar though. It'll be the small popup type window asking whether you want to allow it or not. No information bar is displayed if I set it this way. Try it and see.

It seems odd that it would be set up this way but I'm guessing it's normal. Maybe it's just something MS overlooked. Let me know if it works the same for you.

Quote:

Using that security template you are disabling activex completely for that zone.

I agree with this. I think once you set it to disabled, it's disabled. MS could have done better by displaying a message in the information bar to this effect. Try the prompt thing and see what you get.

**JoeHobart** · 15th March 2005

sorry hurt my hand typing lefty.

. I think once you set it to disabled, it's disabled <-bingo
all those sites are flash. u already have flash installed, there is no prompt, it ethier allowed to run or not. u will not be prompted to install it.

are you wanting kb behavior, even with activex disabled, u want info bar clicky option to enable anyways? why not just set activex to administrative approved and be done with it

Welshjim · 15th March 2005

JoeHobart--Thanks for your further suggestions.
1) If I change the ActiveX control setting to Prompt, I get the old fashioned "Do I want to run ActiveX?" (or words to that effect) window. (See thumbnail.)
And I get no Information Bar.
So while I now do have a toggle of sorts, it is not the one offered in the MSKB article about the Information bar.
And as you know, I will now get that window on many sites, which is a real annoyance. There are plenty of sites where I can just ignore the Information Bar, but you cannot ignore that window.
2)

Quote:

why not just set activex to administrative approved and be done with it

Can you please explain how to do that in more detail? (If you mean set "Run ActiveX controls and plugins" to Enable, I do not think I want that either.)
3) I do have Flash installed, but I believe it will not run unless ActiveX is allowed to run.

**JoeHobart** · 16th March 2005

This is all corperate IE management stuff.

Attached screenie for the setting for internet. Then you just need to gpedit.msc and add any other plugins you want to be able to run (see this link for details.

It already has shockwave flash and media player setup for you.

Welshjim · 16th March 2005

JoeHobart--I really appreciate your suggestions, especially since you are the only one trying to help. I will study your latest post.
However, I really feel this has become much more complicated than it should be. The MSKB article http://support.microsoft.com/default...t=windowsxpsp2
makes no mention of Administrator permissions or Group Policy. The ActiveX control pad in the link you provided seems not to be applicable to WinXP. I have no problem with Flash once I permit ActiveX controls to run. Actually only two of the websites I have mentioned involve Flash (sirius and snowglobe). The rest just want to run ActiveX controls, and now I must go through Security tab|Custom Level to change the setting for "Run ActiveX controls and plugins" from Disable to Enable or Prompt to permit that, and, of course, change it all back to again disable this setting.
The MSKB article seems to say that when I get an Information Bar message about ActiveX, all I have to do is click on it to get the option "Allow this site to run ActiveX controls". But I do not get that option.
For the record, when the Information Bar tells me that a popup is blocked, I do get the option to allow the popup when I click on the Bar.