Plug-Ins/Add-Ons and Scripting Languages To make Internet Explorer more powerful and more flexible and by adding
Plug-Ins/Add-Ons and Scripting Languages To make Internet Explorer more powerful and more flexible and by adding
additional functionality, Internet Explorer has the capability to use add-ons and scripting languages. The four basic add-ons supported by IE are
. Toolbars and extensions . Search providers . Accelerators . InPrivate filtering
An add-in (also known as plug-in) is a software module that adds a specific feature or service to the browser to display or play different types of audio or video messages. Common plug-ins are Shockwave, RealMedia (RealAudio and Real Video), and Adobe Reader (used to read Portal Document Format (PDF).
In an effort to make browsing more functional, web developers created and enable active content. Active content, which is based on various add-ins, is done by using small executable or script code that is executed and shown within the client’s web browser. Unfortunately, this feature is an added security risk where some scripts could be used to perform harmful actions on a client machine. Some of the most popular types of active content are VBScript, JavaScript, and ActiveX components.
To view current Add-ons, click the Tools button, click Manage Add-ons, and then click Enable or Disable Add-ons. In the Show box, select one of the following options:
. To display a complete list of the add-ons that reside on your computer, click All Add-ons.
. To display only those add-ons that were needed for the current webpage or a recently viewed webpage, click Currently loaded Add-ons.
. To display add-ons that were pre-approved by Microsoft, your computer manufacturer, or a service provider, click Add-ons that run without permission.
. To display only 32-bit ActiveX controls, click Downloaded Controls. When you run an add-on for the first time, Internet Explorer asks permission,
which should notify you if a website is secretly trying to run malicious code.
Features of Internet Explorer 8.0
Internet Explorer has a list of pre-approved add-ons that have been checked and digitally signed. The add-on list can come from Microsoft, your computer manufacturer, your Internet Service provider (if you are using a private brand-
ed version of Internet Explorer), or your corporation’s network administrator. The add-ons in this list are run without displaying the permissions dialog.
Add-ons are typically fine to use, but sometimes they force Internet Explorer to shut down unexpectedly. This can happen if the add-on was created for an earlier version of Internet Explorer or has a programming error. When you encounter a problematic add-on, you can disable it and/or report it to Microsoft. If disabling add-ons doesn’t solve the problem, try resetting Internet Explorer to its default settings.
To permanently disable an add-on, do the following:
1. Click the Tools button and then click Manage Add-ons.
2. In the Show list, click All add-ons.
3. Click the add-on you want to disable (as shown in Figure 13.3) and then click Disable.
4. When you are finished, click the Close button. To re-enable an add-on, you click the Enable button.
FIGURE 13.3 Managing add-ons.
CHAPTER 13: Working with Internet Explorer 8.0
To temporarily disable all add-ons, follow these steps:
1. Click the Start button and click All Programs.
2. Click Accessories.
3. Click System Tools.
4. Click Internet Explorer (No Add-ons). You can only delete ActiveX controls that you have downloaded and installed.
You cannot delete ActiveX controls that were pre-installed or add-ons of any kind, but you can disable them. To delete an ActiveX control that you have installed, use Programs and Features in Windows Control Panel.