Windows Vista Configuration MCTS : Internet Explorer 7.0

New Features of IE 7.0 The new Instant Search box lets you search the web from the address bar. IE now lets you delete your temporary files, cookies, web page history, saved passwords, and form information from one place. Click the Favorites Center button to open the Favorites Center to manage favorites, feeds, and history in one place. Printing now scales web pages to fit the paper you’re using. By subscribing to a feed, you can get updated content without having to visit the website. The Zoom feature lets you enlarge or reduce text, images, and some controls.

Common IE Settings

Advanced Options in IE

Plug-Ins, Add-Ons, and Scripting Languages IE has the capability to use add-ons and scripting languages. A 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. Web developers create and enable active content to make browsing more functional. IE will notify you if a website is secretly trying to run malicious code. Add-ons are fine to use, but sometimes they force IE to shut down. You can delete only ActiveX controls that you have downloaded and installed.

IE Security Features Phishing Filter Protected mode Pop-up Blocker Add-on Manager Notification Digital Signatures 128-bit secure connection for using secure websites

Cookies and Privacy Settings A cookie is a message given to a web browser by a web server. The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized web pages for the user. Cookies keep track of what a person buys, personalize online ordering, personalize a website, store a person’s profile, store IDs. You can delete the cookies that are stored on your hard drive using the General tab. To view privacy settings, select the Privacy tab on the Internet Options dialog box. A site’s privacy policy tells you what kind of information the site collects and stores and what it does with the information.

Content Zones Internet zone Local intranet zone Trusted sites zone Restricted sites zone

Default Security Levels High Medium Low Custom

Security Options in IE

Dynamic Security and Protected Mode Address bar turns green to indicate that a website is bearing new High Assurance certificates. Phishing Filter notifications, certificate names, and the gold padlock icon are now also adjacent to the address bar. Certificate and privacy detail information can be displayed using the Security status bar. The address bar is displayed to the user for every window. IE warns you when visiting potential or known fraudulent sites and blocks the site if appropriate. International Domain Name Anti-Spoofing notifies you when visually similar characters in the URL are not expressed in the same language.

IE Protection Features ActiveX opt-in Disables pre-installed ActiveX controls to prevent vulnerable controls from being exposed to attack. Cross-domain barriers Limits scripts on web pages from interacting with content from other domains or windows.

The Information bar will appear… If a website tries to install an ActiveX control on your computer or run an ActiveX control in an unsafe manner. If a website tries to open a pop-up window. If a website tries to download a file to your computer. If a website tries to run active content on your computer. If your security settings are below recommended levels. If you access an intranet web page, but have not turned on intranet address checking. If you started IE with add-ons disabled. If you need to install an updated ActiveX control or add-on program. If the web page address can be displayed with native language letters or symbols, but you don’t have the language installed.

Information Bar Messages Message To help protect your security, Internet Explorer stopped this site from installing an ActiveX control on your computer. Click here for options. Pop-up blocked. To see this pop-up or additional options click here. This website is using a scripted window to ask you for information. If you trust this website, click here to allow scripted windows. To help protect your security, Internet Explorer blocked this site from downloading files to your computer. Click here for options. Your security settings do not allow websites to use ActiveX controls installed on your computer. This page may not display correctly. Click here for options. Internet Explorer has blocked this site from using ActiveX control in an unsafe manner. As a result, this page may not display correctly. *For a complete list of information bar messages and descriptions, click the Reference link on the Course Tools tab.

RSS Feeds RSS is short for RDF Site Summary or Rich Site Summary. An extended Markup Language (XML) format for syndicating web content. Feeds can have the same content as a web page, but it’s often formatted differently. Feeds button will change color, letting you know that feeds are available on the web page. Feeds can be viewed using the Feed tab in the Favorites Center.

Reset IE to Default Settings Helps troubleshoot problems All changes can be removed since it was installed Your Favorites and Feeds will not be deleted You can reset and restore IE options using the Internet Options dialog