The Bloomin' Information Bar goes Boom!

[Oddysey]

All;

Well, I think I've done it..... get rid of that Damned Information Bar in IE6, as installed with Windows XP SP2.

The essence is, or essenses are:

1) If you wish to reply, no ranting about which browser may be better will be permitted. Any replies to the effect that "Browser X is better...." will be cheerfully deleted - this is not a 'craigslist rant-n-rave' forum, this is a discussion group where we exchange useful information. If you fail to find some of the information or the ensuing discussion useful, then perhaps you'd be better suited to wait until you espy a topic where your input would be more welcome. 'Nuff said.

2) Most, though certainly not all, XP users are on SP2, which came with a raft of updates to Internet Explorer. Without a doubt, the single most vexing "down-date" was the introduction of the Information Bar, obviously intended to protect you from yourself. As if you had no right to assume any kind of knowledge or experience in how to fight your way onto and back off of the Innerwebs without more scar tissue than necessary. Bah! Humbug, I say, HUMBUG!

Now, the usual method of disabling the blinking thing was to go into the Security Zones (Tools/Internet Options/Security) and either institute the lowest security settings (?!?!?) and turn off the Pop-up Blocker Notification, or just one of those two. Sad to say, there are two main drawbacks here - neither method works on it's intended target. Scheiße!

The long and the short of it is, after spending about 3 hours on the Innerwebs this morning, I derived a much deeper method of getting the job done. I have to say, the first half of the clue came from an old member here, Bold-Fortune. He's still alive and kicking on his own forum, although I found the tip in another place entirely different.

To begin, get out your trusty Registry Editor, and nagivate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_LOCALMACHINE_LOCKDOWN

The only value on my machine was the important one, called "iexplore", and its data is a DWORD: 0x00000003 - change the numeral 3 to 1, and hit OK, but don't leave the Editor just yet.

Now, migrate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_LOCALMACHINE_LOCKDOWN

There should be 4 values here, all of them DWORDs, and set to 0x00000003. Again, as above, change them all to 1. But wait, don't go away, there's one more key to modify. Find your way to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\ProtocolDefaults

My machine has 6 values here, and as before the datum are all DWORDs, and all set to 0x00000003. As a betting man, I'd lay odds that you all know what to do by now, eh?

Now you can exit the Editor, and reset your machine to make the changes take effect. Presto! No more crap!!!!!

Does this promote safe web-surfing? No, can't say as it does. But what it does do is eliminate the ever-present Damned Information Bar that has the single effect of interrupting one's work flow. "Huh? How's that again?"

Well, it's like this. I started out to modify an HTML file with an ActiveX component in it. Or at least it allegely had one, I dunno, I just wrote the bloomin' thing, I didn't have anything to say about whether or not there were any ActiveX anythings in there or not. I suppose that comes from being a Qualified Dummy, and not a Microsoft Employee, do ya suppose?

So everytime I wanted to edit the file, then view my changes, I'd get this bogus Information Bar that insisted that it was protecting me from some nefarious dastardly ne'er-do-well on the Innerwebs.... you know, the one who's looking at a file in regular Windows Explorer, isn't even connected to the network (I tried that, believe me, I was starting to think in strange ways....) and moreover, looks back at me every time I shave!! WTH, you mean to say I can't even trust myownself?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Why, that's........... (wait for it)
.....

.....

Odd!

Hence my sojourn across the dales and dells of the ubiquitous Innerwebs, in search of the Guru-on-the-mountain-top. I must've found something close enough for Prox-Rocks' work, 'cause I no longer suffer "hair-pullout-itis"!


HTH!



Oddysey