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Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions



 
 
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  #21  
Old November 2nd 11, 04:15 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 27
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions

| IE MD is an HTA powered by VBScript.
|
| The doctor is ill.
|
| I guess it's that combination of IE and VB that gives me the running
heebies.

You don't like VBScript? I think it gets a bad
reputation because it's mainly used by system
administrators. Most non-tech. people don't know
about it. And it's been used to produce viruses.
As a result VBS files are often treated by AV with
even more suspicion than EXE files. (You do
realize that if you enable script in your browser
you're taking a risk with every webpage?)

Ironically, if the tool were an EXE you would have
little way of knowing what's in it.


  #22  
Old November 2nd 11, 04:29 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
Dave \Crash\ Dummy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions

Mayayana wrote:
| One option that I don't see immediately available is making Zone 0
| settings visible. Do you have any clues?

That's in there, under the misc. settings, near the bottom. But in my
experience there's a bug or change in Windows 7. It works with IE5-8
on XP. I haven't tested on Vista. When I try it with IE8 on Win7 I
find that it makes the computer icon visible for the local zone, but
it doesn't work when clicked!

Also see the "Setting Security Options" window. You probably already
know about this, but Zone 0 is normally overridden by Local Machine
Lockdown. It can also be overridden by Group Policy settings. And in
some cases it's overriden by HKLM settings. Yet in all cases, what
you see on the Security tab is only your own HKCU settings coming
from:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Internet
Settings\Zones\0

So even accessing the Security tab settings for Zone 0 is a mixed
blessing.

It's all explained in the "Setting Security Options" window. There's
also a utility there to change all 8 possible settings at once. (The
visible one plus the other 7 that could be the values actually in
effect.) IE settings have become so convoluted that I decided it was
easiest to just write my scripts to change any security zone value in
all 8 possible locations.

The 8-setting function might also be useful as template code, but
it's a bit tricky to work it out. For convenience the functions use a
simple Registry class, which itself wraps a more involved Registry
class that uses the WMI StdRegProv. (StdRegProv is so poorly designed
that I like to keep at least 1 class interface between my code and
the StdRegProv functions.

When you click the button for the 8-value setting it calls
ButSetSec_click. That calls SetIESecVal8 in the main class. That
calls SetIESecurityValue in the IERegFuncs class, which calls
Registry functions in the WMI class. SetIESecurityValue demonstrates
the basic operation.

I'm glad you asked about that. I just found a typo that would cause
the 8-value setting to fail. Where it was like this:

Public Sub SetIESecVal8(sVal, iVal, sZone, DType) SetIESecurityValue
sVal, iVal, sZone, DataType End Sub

when it should have been like this:

Public Sub SetIESecVal8(sVal, iVal, sZone, DType)
CReg.SetIESecurityValue sVal, iVal, sZone, DataType End Sub

( I've been searching for typos and bugs for days, but it's a big
code base and I missed that one. An updated version has been
uploaded.)


Yes, I should have specified. I mean for IE8 on Windows 7. The fixes
that worked with IE6 on Windows 2000 don't work here. This has been less
of a problem for me with the availability of HTA, which is like a local
HTM zone with NO restrictions!
--
Crash

Committed to the search for intraterrestrial intelligence.
  #23  
Old November 2nd 11, 05:04 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 27
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions

| One option that I don't see immediately available is making Zone 0
| settings visible. Do you have any clues?

That's in there, under the misc. settings, near the
bottom. But in my experience there's a bug or change
in Windows 7. It works with IE5-8 on XP. I haven't
tested on Vista. When I try it with IE8 on Win7 I
find that it makes the computer icon visible for the
local zone, but it doesn't work when clicked!

Also see the "Setting Security Options" window. You
probably already know about this, but Zone 0 is normally
overridden by Local Machine Lockdown. It can also
be overridden by Group Policy settings. And in some cases
it's overriden by HKLM settings. Yet in all cases, what
you see on the Security tab is only your own HKCU
settings coming from:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Internet
Settings\Zones\0

So even accessing the Security tab settings for Zone 0
is a mixed blessing.

It's all explained in the "Setting Security Options" window.
There's also a utility there to change all 8 possible settings
at once. (The visible one plus the other 7 that could be
the values actually in effect.) IE settings have become so
convoluted that I decided it was easiest to just write my
scripts to change any security zone value in all 8 possible
locations.

The 8-setting function might also be useful as template
code, but it's a bit tricky to work it out. For convenience
the functions use a simple Registry class, which itself wraps
a more involved Registry class that uses the WMI StdRegProv.
(StdRegProv is so poorly designed that I like to keep at
least 1 class interface between my code and the StdRegProv
functions.

When you click the button for the 8-value setting it calls
ButSetSec_click. That calls SetIESecVal8 in the main class.
That calls SetIESecurityValue in the IERegFuncs class, which
calls Registry functions in the WMI class. SetIESecurityValue
demonstrates the basic operation.

I'm glad you asked about that. I just found a typo that
would cause the 8-value setting to fail. Where it
was like this:

Public Sub SetIESecVal8(sVal, iVal, sZone, DType)
SetIESecurityValue sVal, iVal, sZone, DataType
End Sub

when it should have been like this:

Public Sub SetIESecVal8(sVal, iVal, sZone, DType)
CReg.SetIESecurityValue sVal, iVal, sZone, DataType
End Sub

( I've been searching for typos and bugs for days, but it's
a big code base and I missed that one. An updated version
has been uploaded.)


  #24  
Old November 2nd 11, 05:19 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
Mayayana
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 27
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions


| I also disable Java because that IS
| pretty much a sealed executable. Flash too,

Yes. I don't even have either of those installed.
I don't understand what you mean by disabling VBScript
while allowing javascript, though. In IE? They're functionally
the same thing. The only options are to enable or disable
script.


  #25  
Old November 2nd 11, 05:19 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
Lostgallifreyan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,562
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions

"Mayayana" wrote in news:j8rn1u$t8c$1@dont-
email.me:


| I also disable Java because that IS
| pretty much a sealed executable. Flash too,

Yes. I don't even have either of those installed.
I don't understand what you mean by disabling VBScript
while allowing javascript, though. In IE? They're functionally
the same thing. The only options are to enable or disable
script.




I don't use IE, but I think Opera and Firefox will let both get switched
independently. I think IE v6 might have.
  #26  
Old November 2nd 11, 08:05 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
dadiOH[_3_]
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 263
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions

thanatoid wrote:
philo wrote in
:

On 11/01/2011 10:43 PM, thanatoid wrote:


snip

And the page you provide the link to claims my browser,
about a thousand times better than IE, OffByOne, is a
download manager. This is possibly because they know OB1
is immune to their evils. AT best, even if this is not the
case, it gives me an idea about the author. WHAT could I
possibly want to DL from his site? That kind of attitude
is acceptable on sites with 10,000+ files (OK, 500 files
and monthly traffic limits).


I downloaded the utility on my Linux machine and it
contains three vbs scripts

If you want to inspect them, they are in plain text and you
can just change the extensions to .txt and inspect


I really don't care, because I haven't used IE since 2001. And
WHAT exactly did you download? There is nothing called "Internet
Explorer Doctor" anywhere to be found on the net. Or I am
getting REALLY senile?


Try "IE MD" which is the name given by Mayayana.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico



  #27  
Old November 2nd 11, 09:49 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
Gene E. Bloch
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions

On Wed, 2 Nov 2011 14:05:20 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

thanatoid wrote:
philo wrote in
:

On 11/01/2011 10:43 PM, thanatoid wrote:


snip

And the page you provide the link to claims my browser,
about a thousand times better than IE, OffByOne, is a
download manager. This is possibly because they know OB1
is immune to their evils. AT best, even if this is not the
case, it gives me an idea about the author. WHAT could I
possibly want to DL from his site? That kind of attitude
is acceptable on sites with 10,000+ files (OK, 500 files
and monthly traffic limits).


I downloaded the utility on my Linux machine and it
contains three vbs scripts

If you want to inspect them, they are in plain text and you
can just change the extensions to .txt and inspect


I really don't care, because I haven't used IE since 2001. And
WHAT exactly did you download? There is nothing called "Internet
Explorer Doctor" anywhere to be found on the net. Or I am
getting REALLY senile?


Try "IE MD" which is the name given by Mayayana.


Nah,that's *way* too easy :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)
  #28  
Old November 2nd 11, 10:30 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
thanatoid
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,299
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions

"Mayayana" wrote in
:

| UserAgent=Mozilla/4.7 (compatible; OffByOne; &sys)
|
| Anything here scream "download manager" at you?
|

&sys? I assume by that you mean that it reports the
OS version, like "Windows XP", "Windows 98", "Windows 7".


You assume correctly.

That's a problem because it's actually very rare, except
when used as a spoof UA by download managers.


Hmm. I found that a little hard to believe, so I checked this:

http://www.useragentstring.com/pages...gentstring.php

I opened the "all" page, all (sic) 1.5 MB of it, did a search,
and '&sys' was not found anywhere, so you are correct.

Although - of course - neither OffByOne nor my 2 DLMs, FileHound
and Webcow, are listed anywhere on that site.

Firefox
and Opera both end their UAs with a version number, and
while the IE UA used to end with the Windows version at
one time (thus the download manager spoofs), these days
Microsoft encrusts the IE UA with all sorts of things.

I'm sorry about the inconvenience. All I can suggest it that
you use another browser of adjust your UA.


I appreciate your attitude considering my OR, but I would rather
be cut to pieces with a 2x4 than use IE. All this was caused by
various childhood problems and purely academic.


--
"Well, Steve, I think there's more than one way of looking at
it. I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named
Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found
out that you had already stolen it."
Bill Gates to Steve Jobs, around 1983
  #29  
Old November 2nd 11, 10:34 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,alt.windows7.general
thanatoid
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,299
Default Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions

Lostgallifreyan wrote in
:

"Mayayana" wrote in
news:j8rjar$33e$1@dont- email.me:

Ironically, if the tool were an EXE you would have
little way of knowing what's in it.


True. I disable VBS in mine, I'd like to do that to
JavaScript too but I use that myself, and it's worth the
risk. I used to like the BASIC language, still do in its
influence on Lua and Psion OPL, but so many of the recent
forms popularised means to write bad code, bloated code,
and I found disabling it the easiest choice to make. I also
disable Java because that IS pretty much a sealed
executable. Flash too, I distrust, same reason, plus it's
very definitely exploited to do dodgy things. A system can
crash by flash just because too much of it is on a page, it
doesn't have to be malicious to do more harm than most
genuinely malicious code can do.


I use ScriptSentry, and while it catches all scripts (of various
kinds) when I mess around offline, it has yet to warn me against
a script on a webpage. But then again, I use OB1 99.5% of the
time.

In the past, I just had all vbs files removed from the win
directory, but that impedes you from doing certain things
offline which are useful.

And when you are using a full-featured browser, there are many
more way to mess you up than a vbs script. Curse the damn WWW.



--
"Well, Steve, I think there's more than one way of looking at
it. I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named
Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found
out that you had already stolen it."
Bill Gates to Steve Jobs, around 1983
  #30  
Old November 2nd 11, 11:01 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
thanatoid
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,299
Default Why was this X-posted to win-98? (was: Tool to fix IE nags and restrictions)

"Mayayana" wrote in
:

snip

| Why has it all of a sudden become a common practice of
| cross-posting between a win-98 group and XP / Windows7
| groups?
|

I actually borrowed the link from the earlier post about
Firefox, but....


Sloppy!

I didn't intend to clog the group or post spam. I'm just
trying to share a potentially handy tool, so that others
don't have to reinvent the wheel. But I will think twice
next time. I had no idea that so many people would get so
angry about being offered free code and utilities.


The room with no windows that the Usenet is is filled with many
peculiar characters... And I am as proud to be one of them as I
am of anything I have done over the course of my worthless and
pointless existence.


--
"Well, Steve, I think there's more than one way of looking at
it. I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named
Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found
out that you had already stolen it."
Bill Gates to Steve Jobs, around 1983
 




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