KB912945
Published
By Marc Liron - Microsoft MVP
Internet Explorer Update -
KB912945
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Microsoft have had to make some changes to the
way Internet Explorer works with certain types of files.
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This change is due to a patent suit brought
against Microsoft by a company named Eloas. The name is an acronym
for "Embedded Object Links Across Systems." Basically, Eloas claims
to own (along with the University of California) the patent for the
technology that allows browsers to automatically launch external
files like Flash, RealPlayer, MP3, and PDF.
By applying Microsoft Internet Explorer ActiveX update - KB912945
for Microsoft Windows XP Service
Pack 2 (SP2) or for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1,
changes will occur in the behaviour of Java applets or ActiveX
controls in Internet Explorer 6.1
This basically means this "non security" patch
KB912945 will see users NOT being able to "directly interact" with
ActiveX controls loaded by the APPLET, EMBED, or OBJECT elements.
This includes:
Adobe Reader – PDF documents in a webpage
Apple QuickTime Player - Video and Audio on webpage’s
Macromedia Flash Player - Video and Audio on webpage’s
Microsoft Windows Media Player – Video and Audio on webpage’s
Real Networks RealPlayer - Video and Audio on webpage’s
Sun Java Virtual Machine – External software that runs in IE
...AFTER the update KB912945 is installed you cannot interact
with ActiveX controls from Web pages until these controls are
enabled. To enable an ActiveX control, you will have to MANUALLY
click the control - not a huge issue, just a pain to have to click
the screen BEFORE it will work.
An Example?
An example of the update KB912945 in action will be trying to
watch a “Flash” or “Windows Media” VIDEO in a webpage.
Before the update you would have just loaded the page and clicked
the play button.
With the update installed you will now have to “activate” the video
by clicking on it first THEN hitting the play button to watch it.
This is a real pain in the butt!
…but Microsoft had no choice as the company suing them wanted a
royalty payment every time a user used their patent… this would have
cost Microsoft a yearly multi-million dollar payout.
Whilst this patch is not currently critical, after June 2006
Microsoft will be trying to make sure ALL users have it installed.
You can read more here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912945
This will also effect websites with Flash and
DHTM navigation and some IE 6.1 keyboard controls too!
Are You A Web Developer?
There are also techniques that Web developers can use to update
their Web pages:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/author/dhtml/overview/activating_activex.asp
If YOU use video/audio/flash on your website
there is also a simple trick you can use to bypass this issue for
your website visitors. It involves using JavaScript and you can get
the code for FREE here:
http://www.fastobjectfix.com
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Kind Regards
Marc Liron -
Bio
Microsoft Digital Media MVP
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