Windows Me forum: active x controls

- What do you mean with "displaying" an ActiveX control? And what more can't you do with it except displaying?
- Assuming we're talking about Internet Explorer (you didn't tell) - what version? - what are the security settings for ActiveX controls for (I assume) the Internet zone?
- What controls exactly, and did you maybe block the publisher (sorry, I don't know how to do that or how to check it)?
- "It won't allow me to install aol". What exactly are you doing, and what exactly happens?

Could be malware damage. Are you ready for a reinstall of Windows ME, if necessary?

Kees

I see you answered none of my questions. So may I suggest you go and seek local support? Your nearest PC repair shop would be fine. But it won't be free, alas.

With the current info all I can say: start all over with a clean install of the OS.

By the way, you posted in the wrong forum. This is the Windows ME forum, and you say you run Windows XP. We've got another forum for that (link at left).

Kees

Kees

Sorry to read about your problems. I'm also 'over the hill'. In fact I felt that way even when I wasn't!

The difficulties we had with your first post was that we didn't realise your Operating System, (OS), was Windows XP. Posting in the Windows ME forum as you did sets our thoughts to that OS, which is quite different to XP, and solutions suggested often fail for different OSs.

ActiveX are components exclusively of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, (IS), and they will often cause problems if they are poorly written or contain malware. Not only can they affect IE, but also Explorer, which includes your Desktop, My Computer and My Documents, etc. This is because Microsoft integrated IE into the Windows OS some years ago, and it is now, effectively, just a component of Explorer.

I'm not sure what you mean by, "Active controls could not be displayed". We don't normally see ActiveX, they just perform in the background.

ActiveX are downloaded and installed by the web sites we visit. But because of the dangers of allowing malware infected ActiveX controls installed, IE now displays a warning when it comes across any web site attempting to install them. IE's security settings are now set to High, and this prevents most ActiveX from being installed.

You can change the security settings in IE. With IE open, go to Tools > Internet Options, then click the Security tab. The "Internet" globe will be selected by default, and you can move the slider down for the security level. I would suggest lowering it to Medium. See if that helps.

I don't know if your downloading problems are connected to this. You didn't say what happens when you try and download software, but perhaps that security level was set too high for downloading as well.

I hope that helps.

Mark

What are you attempting to download from AOL? Software, or an ActiveX component?

Also, what does that message in the message bar actually say?

Try this. In IE, goto Tools > Internet Options, then the Security tab. For security for the internet globe, click the "Custom level" button. In the new window, scroll down and check these entries;

1] ActiveX controls and plugins; (I have purposely missed some out).

"Allow previously unused ActiveX controls to run without prompt" - Disable
"Allow scriptlets" - Disable
"Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls" - Enable, (you can disable this later if the prompting gets too tiresome).
"Download signed ActiveX controls" - prompt
"Download unsigned ActiveX controls" - disable
"Ony allow approved domains to use ActiveX without prompt" - enable
"Run ActiveX controls and plugins" - Enable
"Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting" - enable

2] Downloads;

"Automatic prompting for file downloads" - disable
"File download" - enable
"Font download" - enable

3] Scripting;

"Active scripting" - enable
"Scripting of Java applets" - enable

Then, in the Advanced tab, scroll down to "Browsing" and "Notify when downloads complete", ensure that is enabled.

See if that solves the download problem.

Mark