How to avod Active-X error message!

Forum|Forum|20 years ago
April 3, 2006
2 replies
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I am currently producing a project with Robohelp. The application will be exported in WebHelp format and will run directly from the client: Each user has the WebHelp application on his own machine. The standard browser is MS IE. When starting the application in IE the active-X triggers this warning message and asks the user to allow for blocked content. Through user tests I've found that the users tend to ignore that warning which leads to the WebHelp application not being displayed properly. So I want to get rid of it. Ideally I want the application being displayed properly without the user being bothered with the active-x warning. For security reasons my client does not want to allow just any active X components to run on his machines. So what can we do?

We have discussed the following solutions:

1. The preferred solution: The files that contain the active X are automatically allowed. The problems is I am not able to locate them. My client tried to allow active X for the start file of the application but still the warning would appear. Which are the files that trigger the active X warning?

2. A second possibility would be to have a start screen where the user has to click a link which then automatically leads them to the application by allowing the active x content at the same time. Is that possible and how would that have to be approached?

Are there any other suggestions?

Thanks, Axel

WebHelp

This topic has been closed for replies.

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

Alejandro

I don't think you can add a location on the hard disk where Axel wants to install it.

Axel

The only way I know to avoid this problem on a local drive is to allow Active X to run in IE's advanced settings but that will apply to all files and that is something your client will not allow. The correct form of help for a local PC is a CHM file. Could you not use that?

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xl27_2Author

Participating Frequently

Alejandro and Peter,

thanks both for your suggestions. Peter you're right about your comment on Alejandro's post but using CHM files is not an option in my case either. I've developed and presented the whole thing with a nice skin using the client's corporate identity and there is no chance now going back to the rather bleak looks of the Microsoft HTML Help standard window.

Any other ideas? As I mentioned another option (less elegant though) would be to have a welcome screen that tells the user to "click here" to start the application. Clicking that link would start the application and at the same time allow the active-X just as if you allow it via right-clicking on the warning message. Is that possible and how could one approach that?

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

I don't think your idea can be made to work as the whole point is to make things more secure. If it was that easy to by-pass, every hacker in the world would be doing just that.

To the best of my knowledge, nobody has succeeded in making the mark of the web work with RoboHelp so your only solutions are:

1] Persuading the client they have to enable Active X on all their PCs. Good luck with that.

2] Using some other tool where the mark of the web will work. That means you will have lost your skins, toc and toolbar. Not really what you want.

Unless someone else has any ideas, it sounds like you have painted yourself into a corner. You are trying to use webhelp in a way which increased security prevents.

One possiblity is would your client consider Firefox as the default browser. I don't think this is an issue with that browser. However, there are other issues with Firefox as you will see if you look on my site. Click here. Which set of problems do you prefer?

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usafx_alejo

Participant

Hey Axel,

I've been running into the same type of problem. I've been trying to work around it but I haven't had time to update my second machine to run the application I'm developing, hence I can only run it on Win 2003 Server, which is even worst as the security is tighter (that's what I think). I would suggest that you try the following:

- Go to Tools / Internet Options / Security on the IE
- Select "Trusted Sites"
- Add the URL of the help system on the trusted sites
- Allow full ActiveX activity in the custom level

I haven't been able to figure this out yet but I have to keep trying. Hope this helps,

Alejandro

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