Popup Window Now Appears

[johnnymk]

Every time I visit a website., I am getting a popup which shows a gold shield stating: To help protect your security, Internet Explorer has restricted this file from showing active content that could access your computer. Click here for options..

What is this?

[DarkFury]

spyware/adware perhaps? :shrug:

[Grubbie]

Grab a screenshot of it and host it up.

[mechmike0034]

If you right-click on the popup window and select Properties, does it give a URL or file location?

[johnnymk]

If you right-click on the popup window and select Properties, does it give a URL or file location?
Properties isn't one of the options when right clicking. I will see if I can get a screen shot.

[johnnymk]

http://www.raymondkwan.com/uploader2/files/johnnymk/GA%20Page.JPG

[DarkFury]

Oh yeah.. that one.

That is a Windows Firewall feature that protects you from Active X controls.

If you see that on a "trusted site" then go ahead and click it to see what the site was trying to tell you.

If the site isn't trusted... don't click it of course. :D

[johnnymk]

How do I disable Windows Firewall? Thinking about it, I think I did activate Windows Firewall the other day, but I forget where.

[mechmike0034]

You are also running two pop-up blockers, unless you have the one that's built into XPSP2 turned off. It is configured from the Tools menu.


How do I disable Windows Firewall? Thinking about it, I think I did activate Windows Firewall the other day, but I forget where.

Windows Firewall is accessed from Control Panel.

[johnnymk]

I deleted everything under Search: Firewall. I went to Contol Panel and not very much there. I still get the popup. Any other tricks?

[DarkFury]

Ummm... it's a "safety feature". Why does it have you bothered?

The only way I'd think to get rid of it would be to:

a) Change your security level in IE to allow this content to come in unblocked

or

b) Disable Windows Firewall

[cheapie]

use firefox. that will get rid of it. :heh:

[mechmike0034]

Johnny, from this post plus your other one (about OE links), I would say that you've done something somewhere along the way to raise your security settings. This can be a good thing, but also a PITA when browsing.

I generally leave mine at the Windows XPSP2 defaults. Under Tools/Internet Options (in IE) I go to the privacy tab, click "Advanced" and override the cookie handling to accept first party cookies and block all third party ones (which are generally ads anyway).

Other folks and websites will tell you to crank the security settings up higher, but I have never had a problem. I keep Windows Updates current, use a SPI/NAT hardware firewall (router), and am careful about what I click on. I also run MS Antispyware and Spyware Blaster as a safety margin.

Most of the Internet Options settings have buttons which return settings to their defaults. You may wish to try doing that to get rid of your warnings.

Here's a settings recommendations page:
http://cybercoyote.org/security/browsers.shtml

And another:
http://surfthenetsafely.com/ieseczone6.htm

If you are uncomfortable with lowering your security settings, you can also add frequently visited (and trusted) sites to the IE "Trusted Sites" zone. More on this here: http://cybercoyote.org/security/bypass.shtml

[johnnymk]

Solved. I went to the Advanced Settings under Tools:Internet Options. I checked "Allow active content to run in Files in my computer". Thanks for the help.

Now to solve the OE link problem.

[Markel]

Solved. I went to the Advanced Settings under Tools:Internet Options. I checked "Allow active content to run in Files in my computer".
:eek: That's a setting I would probably leave unchecked....

[DarkFury]

Pretty much Johnny... I think you are asking for trouble now.

But hey... it's your computer. (I hope you've backed it up just in case...) :eek:

[Markel]

Somewhat relevant article I noticed today:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5226273.html?tag=nl