An error message that says "CLick to Run ActiveX control on this webpage" is preventing my online class..

Question

MY security level is at Medium and I know I have Active X downloaded already..I try to open a video lecture but that error message comes up with a ripped Quicktime icon.
What Should I do?
Thanks!

Answer 1

ActiveX controls are mini programs some web sites can use to run video's or multimedia stuff on their sites.

If you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) internet explorer 6 sp 1 will prompt you (have the little yellow bar at the top of the window) to allow it. This is done because when Netscape first introduced scripting to web sites it was used for cool audio and video applications. Then Microsoft tried to stay in the race with Netscape created their own scripting and called it ActiveX.

But like all things that were done for the right reasons hackers and spamers and virus makers saw a use for these applications and started putting malicious ones on sites and infecting computers.

So Microsoft felt the pressure from security organizations and from consumers to help block these bad activeX's from running, so now when ever there is one on a site internet explorer for Service Pack 2 will ask you if you want to install the mini program.

Now that the history lesson is over, I will try to answer your question, if this is a web site that you trust 100% you can right click (click with the right mouse button) and selcect install activeX control and it will be installed for 99% of future uses of the site, unless they change the mini program.

I would suggest that you not install any ActiveX or java controls on any web sites you do not trust 100% because there are a lot of sites out there that are really poorly managed and you can get infected.

I use Firerfox but on the rare case that i need to go to a site with activeX controls i do use Internet Explorer 6. It's better to be safe then sorry.

Hope This helps.

Answer 2

At the top of the screen there may be a yellow bar. Right click on the bar and choose "Run ActiveX Control" or "Install ActiveX Control" or something similar.

Note that Firefox does not support ActiveX unless you install extra software to make it work.

Answer 3

did you download the page to your computer and are trying to run it locally?

Have you tried using firefox?

http://www.getfirefox.com/

make sure you also update your version of quicktime to the newest one.
Cavaet, - apple will, by default, include itunes with the quicktime download, you have to make sure to uncheck it, if you don't want itunes on your computer.