Monday, January 31, 2005

More on Authorware and XP SP2

More on Authorware and XP SP2


Get rid of the block on running local Authorware and other ActiveX controls

By now you should have read my other tips about running Authorware 7 web-packaged files locally. This one shouild help get rid of any lingering blocks on running files locally.

By default Internet Explorer in XP SP2 blocks all locally stored ActiveX controls and maybe some other stuff I don;t know about. This effects developers because we often need to test our work locally, and it kills things like Flash and Authorware. Actually it does not block them, but you do have to mess about with the little drop-down panel that appears at the top of the Explorer window as shown here.

Picture of IE security dialogue

If you don't want to see this any more, go to Tools > Internet Options and select the Advanced tab. Scroll down the dialogue until you see the option "Allow active content to run in files on My Computer". Make sure it is checked.

Picture of IE Advanced options

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually SP2 also blocks things like javascript. If you are using a frames based layout and you decide to put a 'mark of the web' on the frameset page thinking that will work, it won't. The marked page is now part of the internet zone but the linked pages are still part of the (blocked) local zone.

The simplest thing, rather than compromising your security, might be to create the base HTML file as a HTA. Though doing so means that it will only run in IE under Windows.

Anonymous said...

Another way to use the mark of the web (MOTW) is to code all your pages with the motw of a domain that you trust (preferrably one of your own). Then put that domain in your "trusted sites".

Now your local pages will display on your comp without you dumbing down your local security settings.