ActiveX
What exactly is ActiveX? I did a search in Google for ActiveX and found 250,000 pages for ActiveX. With that many pages it must be important! Microsoft has pages for ActiveX, but what exactly is it? Well, a search in Google for definition of ActiveX found 74,500 pages!
Basically, it is something like a program, but not a program, something like a Java applet, but not Java. Is it like a script? I still don't know what ActiveX is! But I do know you need to be very careful with ActiveX in your browser.
Some more definitions for ActiveX (some are pretty good) in a Google search for ActiveX.
Wikipedia.org has a very comprehensive page on ActiveX.
Another site about ActiveX is on Webopedia. ( Not to be confused with Wikipedia.)
To set ActiveX controls in IE6, go to Tools/Internet Options. Click on the Security tab and click 'Custom level'.
Put check marks as follows:
- 1. Download signed ActiveX controls. Prompt
- 2. Download unsigned ActiveX controls. Disable
- 3. Initialize and script ActiveX not marked as safe. Disable
- 4. Run ActiveX Controls and Plugins. Prompt
- 5. Script ActiveX Controls marked safe for scripting. Prompt
This will make your computer safer from 'bad' ActiveX controls.
A lot of the bad stuff that can get onto your computer is the result of ActiveX.
Hint: To avoid ActiveX altogether, use Firefox, which does not have any ActiveX.
One thing to remember though, Windows Update uses ActiveX!