Disable information bar

User avatar
agibsonsw
SilverLounger
Posts: 2403
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 22:21
Location: London ENGLAND

Disable information bar

Post by agibsonsw »

Hello. IE 8.

When opening my local file I constantly have to enable my scripts from the information bar: 'To protect your security, IE has restricted .. scripts or ActiveX ..'.

Is there a single setting I can choose to enable my scripts? I can view the options from Tools, Internet Options, Security, Custom Level but I'm not sure what option is relevant.

Thanks, Andy.
"I'm here to save your life. But if I'm going to do that, I'll need total uninanonynymity." Me Myself & Irene.

User avatar
Hey Jude
5StarLounger
Posts: 1015
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:45
Location: Ohio, U.S.A.

Re: Disable information bar

Post by Hey Jude »

Edited to add:

I'm in IE8 now and checked my settings which I believe are set to how Argus' explained. I was just showing you
the settings for the Security options you requested. Thanks Argus for clearing up the mystery. I rarely use IE8 so it really doesn't matter to me anyways.
Last edited by Hey Jude on 21 Jan 2011, 22:56, edited 2 times in total.
♫...Take a sad song and make it better . . .♫ Image

User avatar
agibsonsw
SilverLounger
Posts: 2403
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 22:21
Location: London ENGLAND

Re: Disable information bar

Post by agibsonsw »

Thank you. Looks like I have an interesting task ahead :(
"I'm here to save your life. But if I'm going to do that, I'll need total uninanonynymity." Me Myself & Irene.

User avatar
Argus
GoldLounger
Posts: 3081
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 19:07

Re: Disable information bar

Post by Argus »

agibsonsw wrote:When opening my local file I constantly have to enable my scripts from the information bar ...
As you may know since quite some time (Windows XP SP2 era, 2004) the Local Machine Zone (LMZ) is locked down, previously it was trusted. Also, info for the general public.

I interpret your question that you would like to stop the information bar for active content in the Local Zone, not completely disable the Information bar.

You can change a setting for the Local Zone, though it will lower the security level for LMZ, obviously:
Tools > Internet Options... > Advanced tab > Under "Security" > Put a check in the box "Allow Active content to run in files on My computer".

It has nothing to do with the usual zone settings, mentioned by Hey Jude, I think, since we are talking local files.

For general information about IE Information bar see this FAQ.

As a developer you might be interested in MOTW, "Mark of the Web". Since post XP SP2 there are increased security restrictions in the Local Machine zone, and I quote from one article above: "In fact, LMZ is more restrictive to Internet Explorer than the normal Internet Zone."

I have answered a similar question at Windows Secrets Lounge, some years ago.
Byelingual    When you speak two languages but start losing vocabulary in both of them.

User avatar
agibsonsw
SilverLounger
Posts: 2403
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 22:21
Location: London ENGLAND

Re: Disable information bar

Post by agibsonsw »

Thank you very much. This has saved me a lot of time. "Allow Active content to run in files on My computer" is what I needed for the moment.

You've also provided a number of useful links. Andy.
"I'm here to save your life. But if I'm going to do that, I'll need total uninanonynymity." Me Myself & Irene.

User avatar
Argus
GoldLounger
Posts: 3081
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 19:07

Re: Disable information bar

Post by Argus »

You're welcome.

It works since it disables the built-in restriction for this type in the LMZ, but as I said it will lower the security level in the LMZ, thus I wouldn't recommend it for a longer time!

And I see no reason why Hey Jude or I as an ordinary user should have it checked. This isn't like "hiding the info bar"; things will run! And apparently other people do not recommend it either. But I can understand, if you are testing web pages, you have created, locally; but still there are some workarounds.

The Mark Of The Web is perhaps a better workaround; but I've also found other; one should be able to rename .HTM files to .HTA (HTML Applications), at least for tests. Less restrictions for .HTA, it seems (from the MSFT page: "... run as trusted applications, HTAs are not subject to the same security constraints as Web pages").

See this page at MVP Ramesh Srinivasan, about another workaround, also not using the check box (i.e. change back to default before any workarounds): http://windowsxp.mvps.org/ie/ielocalpdf.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Apparently there is registry tweak for URLACTION_ACTIVEX_RUN in the Zones & Lockdown_Zones keys. (Zone 0 = My computer, local machine)

I don't know, but it seems to be a setting such as the usual "ActiveX controls and plugins" settings for the Internet and Trusted zones, that can be changed via the GUI, but in this case for the LMZ, since it is a locked down zone, and also not visible in the GUI. Perhaps one can tweak for scripts, there are other values for the keys.

He also links to this page: http://www.winxptutor.com/lmzunlock.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Byelingual    When you speak two languages but start losing vocabulary in both of them.

User avatar
jscher2000
2StarLounger
Posts: 148
Joined: 26 Dec 2010, 18:17

Re: Disable information bar

Post by jscher2000 »

In the long run, accessing local pages using http://localhost/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; -- with your choice of web server -- probably offers the best balance of security and inconvenience. :grin:

User avatar
agibsonsw
SilverLounger
Posts: 2403
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 22:21
Location: London ENGLAND

Re: Disable information bar

Post by agibsonsw »

I have lots of reading to do! Thank you..

I am not a developer and have never previously built or published a web site, apart from a few (local) pages when studying books. I would consider myself a programmer though - I occasionally teach VBA, HTML, SQL, (and have taught VB6(!)) and have a good understanding of CSS, PHP, MySql, JavaScript and (recently) C++ and C-Sharp - I've even studied PowerShell..

Anyway, this is all beside the point..

Would you recommed a site where I might publish some pages which include scripts? I'm too mean to pay anything and most free hosts seem aimed at the non-programmer, with siily templates and formatting.

Could you recommend a good editor for JavaScript? I know FireBug has great debugging tools but an editor with intelli-sense and context help would be good. I've got about ten editors on my computer at the moment and possibly the one you recommend might be one of these.

This might be the wrong board to post in, but you seem to be the man in the know :thankyou:
"I'm here to save your life. But if I'm going to do that, I'll need total uninanonynymity." Me Myself & Irene.

User avatar
Argus
GoldLounger
Posts: 3081
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 19:07

Re: Disable information bar

Post by Argus »

agibsonsw wrote:I have lots of reading to do! Thank you..
[...]
Could you recommend a good editor for JavaScript? I know FireBug has great debugging tools but an editor with intelli-sense and context help would be good. I've got about ten editors on my computer at the moment and possibly the one you recommend might be one of these.

This might be the wrong board to post in, but you seem to be the man in the know :thankyou:
I don't know who you are asking; I do not know anything. Just a little about the OS. :grin:

Jefferson without doubt knows more in this area; I just answered some IE-related questions that have connections to web page building. :smile: Sorry.
Byelingual    When you speak two languages but start losing vocabulary in both of them.

User avatar
agibsonsw
SilverLounger
Posts: 2403
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 22:21
Location: London ENGLAND

Re: Disable information bar

Post by agibsonsw »

Hi. I was asking you but another post arrived before I finished. I don't mind who might answer my post :grin: (the more the merrier..)
"I'm here to save your life. But if I'm going to do that, I'll need total uninanonynymity." Me Myself & Irene.

User avatar
jscher2000
2StarLounger
Posts: 148
Joined: 26 Dec 2010, 18:17

Re: Disable information bar

Post by jscher2000 »

agibsonsw wrote:Would you recommed a site where I might publish some pages which include scripts? I'm too mean to pay anything and most free hosts seem aimed at the non-programmer, with siily templates and formatting.
I wonder whether Google Sites would work for your needs? According to the help page, "You can start a site from scratch or from a template." I haven't tried it myself. Since it's from Google, I suspect ads might be involved somehow. :smile: More Info: http://www.google.com/sites/help/intl/en/overview.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
agibsonsw wrote:Could you recommend a good editor for JavaScript? I know FireBug has great debugging tools but an editor with intelli-sense and context help would be good. I've got about ten editors on my computer at the moment and possibly the one you recommend might be one of these.
I use an editor with syntax coloring (PSPad) but it doesn't have Intellisense, or should I say, if I accidentally press Ctrl+Space some kind of autocomplete list pops up and I haven't figured out how it works. :grin: With respect to the potential for context-sensitive help, the editor does have some user-created extensions (http://www.pspad.com/en/pspad-extensions.php) which I have never adequately explored -- I'm just usually in too much of a hurry to start typing...

User avatar
agibsonsw
SilverLounger
Posts: 2403
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 22:21
Location: London ENGLAND

Re: Disable information bar

Post by agibsonsw »

Thank you. I'll have a look at these. Andy.
"I'm here to save your life. But if I'm going to do that, I'll need total uninanonynymity." Me Myself & Irene.