How to bypass "Click to activate and use this control" IE ActiveX Fix Guide

Preparing Websites with Active Content for Announced Browser Changes

Many of you have read about the announced changes in Microsoft Internet Explorer. You may have some questions about what's going to happen to your websites that use embedded ("active") content and applications. Active content can include Macromedia Flash, Shockwave, or Adobe Acrobat files. You are probably starting to consider what you're going to do to be prepared.

How Will the Browser Changes Affect My Site?

What will the effect of the browser changes actually be? How soon are these changes happening? Will users still be able to view active content tomorrow or next week?

Users will be able to view embedded content and applications in their present form—until they update their Internet Explorer browsers on Windows. The browser update was first released as an optional update in February 2006. After users update the browser, they have to click embedded or "active" content before they interact with it. Check out the resources on the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), where you can get more information.

Some sites will not be affected by the change. The updated browser prompts users to click before displaying active content coded using <object> , <embed> , or <applet> tags that are inline in an HTML file. However, HTML pages that use tags generated by external script files (like JavaScript), such as sites that use complex Flash detection scripts, should continue to work normally with no change.

Many of you will want to fix your sites to work around the mandatory browser changes. The good news is that you can apply one of several design-arounds to your site right now.

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I've lots of flash files in my forum style and i also have flash & media player bbcodes enabled. It's really boring to click on the active contents everytime to activate them (for Internet Explorer users).

I'll try to tell you the easiest solution to bypass active content activating.

-Create a new TXT file on your desktop.
-Rename it to 'iefix.js'.
-Open 'iefix.js' with your text editor. (NotePad)
-Paste the following code in it:

HTML Code:

fls = document.getElementsByTagName("object");
for (var a = 0; a < fls.length; a++){fls[a].outerHTML = fls[a].outerHTML;}

-Save 'iefix.js' and close it.
-Upload 'iefix.js' to your web servers root.

Now we have the needed external javascript file.

If you just have .swf files embedded on your pages, you are cool.

Because this way of bypassing active content activation got some issues with media players. The media files won't play automatically and the media players will miss their "src, width, height, etc..." attributes.

Let's say you just want it for your swf enabled pages.

-Open your Admin CP > Styles & Templates Manager > Style Manager > footer template.
Paste the following code at the beginning of your footer template:

HTML Code:

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.yourdomain.com/iefix.js"></script> 

*Don't forget to replace http://www.yourdomain.com/ with your domain.

The logic of this method depends on adding the code above right after the last </object> tag in the page to disable the active content's activation requirement. Of course you can also use this method for your non-vbulletin pages.

Example:
Open your IE and go to this address:
MsXLabs Hi-Tech Forum
Mouse over the flash animations at the top.

Let me know if you want to know how to exclude media players in vBulletin posts from this IE ActiveX Fix method.

For more information:
Adobe - Developer Center : Preparing Websites with Active Content for Announced Browser Changes
vBulletin SEO Forums - Powered by vBulletin

IE ActiveX Fix Guide by NeutralizeR from MsXLabs Organization.

Original Thread

Originally Posted by gritsop

Hi,

Very nice way to bypass the swf activation process.

Currently I'm working for a website that needs to use windows media player plugin. However it needs to activate it and it is really annoying.

Could you please offer the solution for media players?

Thank you in advance

Regards

Thanassis
Athens - Greece

Hi,

I've used if conditionals in navbar & footer templates to disable this fix for the postbit section. IE ActiveX Fix javascript effects my flash navigation menus while leaving the postbic section untouched. You may want to try the methods below:

Click to activate and use this Control fix for your web site - Internet Explorer - Eolas Workaround Fix Script - Eolas IE Control Activation Flash Java Applet ActiveX Workaround Script code to fix Click to Activate and Use this Control in IE
Click to Activate and Use this Control - Automatic HTML Fix Wizard

LOL - I just found this thread by searching the net for this topic... didn't know we had this on board

Thanks so much for the excellent tutorial