Lesson 3: Troubleshooting Internet Explorer


DSTs are often called on to troubleshoot problems with Internet Explorer, and these service calls are generally one of three types. They are end-user requests to make Internet Explorer work faster and smarter, look better, have more functionality, or resolve simple interface issues; corporate requests to configure security zones (which usually results in additional security zone service calls); and requests to resolve problems that have to do with the inability to view Web pages properly. This section covers all of these topics.

After this lesson, you will be able to

  • Identify and resolve common user requests involving Internet Explorer.

  • Configure and troubleshoot Internet Explorer security zones.

  • Resolve problems viewing Web pages.

Estimated lesson time: 45 minutes

Resolving Common User Requests

End users will have various requests that involve how Internet Explorer looks and acts, and they will ask you to resolve problems with the interface. You can resolve many of these problems by customizing the Standard toolbar, changing what is selected in the View menu, or personalizing the Advanced settings in the Internet Options dialog box.

Note

This section assumes that Internet Explorer is connected to the Internet properly. Chapter 8, “Common Connectivity Problems,” focuses on connectivity problems.

Missing Toolbar, Links Bar, or Status Bar

A common complaint from end users is that an Internet Explorer toolbar is missing or that the toolbar they used to have is not available anymore. The toolbars that can be configured include the Standard toolbar, the Address bar, and the Links bar. Users might also complain that they cannot see the information at the bottom of the screen that shows the security zone they are in, denoting a missing Status bar. You can add and remove these toolbars by using the View menu, and you can customize the placement of the Standard toolbar, Address bar, and Links bar by dragging and dropping.

To show or hide any of the toolbars, follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the View menu, point to Toolbars.

  2. The Toolbars list contains Standard Buttons, Address Bar, Links, Lock The Toolbars, and Customize Selection. Toolbars marked with a check are showing; toolbars without a check are not.

  3. To select or clear a toolbar, select it from the list. Figure 5-11 shows an example of all three toolbars. In this example, the Links bar is incorporated into the Address bar.

    click to expand
    Figure 5-11: The toolbars can be customized to suit any user’s needs.

To customize the placement of the Standard toolbar, Address bar, or Links bar, follow these steps:

  1. In Internet Explorer, make sure the toolbars are unlocked by going to the View menu, pointing to Toolbars, and ensuring that Lock The Toolbars does not have a check next to it. If it does, choose the command to toggle it off.

  2. Position the pointer at the far left of the toolbar you want to move.

  3. Click and hold the mouse button; the pointer will change to a four-headed arrow.

  4. Drag the toolbar to a new position to combine it with an existing toolbar or to move its position on the screen.

  5. Position the pointer on the light dotted lines that separate combined toolbars until the pointer becomes a two-headed arrow. Drag to resize the toolbar.

    Note

    The Standard toolbar, Address bar, and Link bar must remain at the top of the Internet Explorer window. They cannot be moved to the left, right, or bottom of the screen (as the Taskbar can).

Locked Toolbar

If a user complains that the toolbar is locked and cannot be moved, click View, point to Toolbars, and deselect Lock The Toolbars.

Personalizing the Favorites Menu

When users call to report that they cannot access all of their favorites or that they have saved favorites but they are not listed in the Favorites list, it is most likely because the Personalized Favorites Menu option is enabled in the Advanced options of Internet Explorer. Personalized menus keep the Favorites list clean by hiding links that are not used very often. The list shows only those links that are accessed frequently. Tell the users that they can access the less frequently accessed links by clicking the down arrow at the end of the Favorites list.

Enabling personalized favorites menus

If the user asks you to change this behavior or if the user wants you to enable personalized favorites, follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. From the Advanced tab, scroll down to the Browsing section, and select or clear the Enable Personalized Favorites Menu check box. Click OK.

    Note

    Applying the change to personalized favorites might require you to close and restart Internet Explorer.

Importing and Exporting Internet Favorites

If you use Internet Explorer on multiple computers, you can easily share favorite items among computers by exporting them on one computer and then importing them on another. Exporting favorites is also a good way to back them up, share them with a friend, or even create a single Web page with links to all your favorites.

Exporting Internet Favorites

To export Internet Favorites to an .htm file, follow these steps:

  1. On the File menu of Internet Explorer, select Import And Export.

  2. On the Welcome page of the Import/Export Wizard, click Next.

  3. Select the Export Favorites option, and click Next.

  4. You can specify the primary Favorites folder or any particular subfolder for your export. When you select a folder for export, all subfolders in that folder will also be exported. Select the folder you want to export, and click Next.

  5. Click Browse, select a location and name for the export file, and click Save. Click Next, and then click Finish.

  6. Internet Explorer informs you that the export is successful. Click OK.

The exported file is saved as a Web page. Double-click it to open it in Internet Explorer, and you will see a list of all your favorites, complete with hyperlinks. You can transfer this file to another computer and import it, back it up to a safe place, or even use it as a Web page.

Importing Internet Favorites

To import Internet Favorites from an .htm file, follow these steps:

  1. On the File menu of Internet Explorer, select Import And Export.

  2. On the Welcome page of the Import/Export Wizard, click Next.

  3. Select the Import Favorites option, and click Next.

  4. Click Browse, locate and select the .htm file you want to import, and then click Save.

  5. Click Next, and then select a folder in which the imported favorites will be placed. Click Next, and then click Finish.

  6. After Internet Explorer informs you that the import is successful, click OK.

Using AutoComplete

AutoComplete is a feature that helps end users work, browse, and purchase items on the Internet faster than they could normally by automatically listing possible matches for Web addresses, forms, and user names and passwords on forms. Although this can be a good feature for a computer administrator who does not share a computer, for the average home user or the owner of a small home-based business, it is not a good idea under all circumstances.

You should not use AutoComplete when the computer is located in a nonsecure environment, such as a break room, lunchroom, or kiosk, or when two or more people share a computer and a computer account. In addition, when a computer is transferred to a new user or sold to another person, the AutoComplete form and password information should be cleared.

Enabling or disabling AutoComplete

As a DST, you will be asked to enable or disable AutoComplete (depending on the circumstance), enable or disable Internet Explorer’s ability to save passwords, and clear the AutoComplete history. To do these, follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. On the Content tab, and in the Personal Information area, select AutoComplete.

  3. To enable or disable AutoComplete, in the AutoComplete Settings dialog box, select or clear Use AutoComplete for the Web Addresses, Forms, and User Names And Passwords On Forms check boxes.

  4. To clear the AutoComplete history for forms, select Clear Forms.

  5. To clear the AutoComplete history for passwords, select Clear Passwords.

  6. To remove the ability of Internet Explorer to save any passwords in the future, clear the Prompt Me To Save Passwords check box.

  7. Click OK to close the AutoComplete Settings dialog box, and click OK to close the Internet Options dialog box.

    Exam Tip

    Do not confuse AutoComplete with Inline AutoComplete. Inline AutoComplete completes entries in the Address bar of Internet Explorer as you type based on entries you have used before and offers a list of choices under the Address bar or other links that start the same way. AutoComplete offers choices under the Address window as well but does not complete the entry in the Address bar as you type.

Using Inline AutoComplete

Inline AutoComplete completes entries in the Address bar as you type based on entries you have used before and offers a list of choices under the Address bar for other links that start the same way.

Enabling Inline AutoComplete

You can enable Inline AutoComplete, using the Advanced options of Internet Explorer, by following these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. From the Advanced tab, scroll down to the end of the Browsing section.

  3. Select the Use Inline AutoComplete check box. Click OK.

Using Default Search Actions

Users can perform searches in a number of ways, including using the Search Explorer bar, using a Web browser or search engine, or typing their requests in the Address bar. If a user’s choice is to search for information using the Address bar, the results of that search can be shown in several ways. In addition, searching from the Address bar can be disabled. Here are the Advanced choices for searching from the Address bar:

  • Display results, and go to the most likely site.

  • Do not search from the Address bar.

  • Just display the results in the main window.

  • Just go to the most likely site.

Changing default actions

The default is to go to the most likely site, but you can change that default, as follows:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. Click the Advanced tab, and scroll down to Search From The Address Bar.

  3. In the When Searching list, select the appropriate choice. Click OK.

Changing the HTML Editor

Some end users’ jobs require them to view the source code on a Web page, and they need a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) editor program to use with Internet Explorer to view and edit that source code. By default, Internet Explorer uses Notepad. However, if a user wants to use Microsoft FrontPage or another HTML editor, you need to change this default.

Changing the default editor

To change the default HTML editor in Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. Select the Programs tab.

  3. In the HTML Editor drop-down list, choose the appropriate program. Click OK.

Script Errors

Users might report that script error notifications appear on their monitors while surfing websites, and they might also complain that they are continually asked whether they want to debug those errors. You might also have users with the opposite problem; a developer or technician might need to see these errors when testing a new website. Whatever the case, script options exist in the Advanced options of Internet Explorer, and they can be easily enabled or disabled.

Enabling and disabling script debugging

To enable or disable script debugging or if a user should be notified of all script errors, follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. From the Advanced tab, in the Browsing section, select or clear the following check boxes and then click OK: Disable Script Debugging and Display A Notification About Every Script Error.

  3. Click OK to close the Internet Options dialog box.

Download Complete Notification

By default, Internet Explorer notifies users when a download is complete by leaving the download dialog box open and sometimes playing a sound. It is possible, though, that a user has turned the notification off (there is a check box on the download dialog box that makes this an easy thing to do) and now would like to turn the feature back on.

Enabling download notification

To enable download-complete notification, follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. From the Advanced tab, and in the Browsing section, select the Notify When Downloads Complete check box.

  3. Click OK to close the Internet Options dialog box.

As you learned in this section, you can resolve many problems by using the View menu or the Internet Options dialog box. The Content tab, Programs tab, and Advanced tab of the Internet Options dialog box allow you to change the program defaults and personalize Internet Explorer. The View menu enables personalization of the toolbars. Many user requests can be handled by making changes here.

Troubleshooting Security Zones

There are four security zones in Internet Explorer: Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites. The Internet zone contains all websites. Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites zones do not include any sites by default and thus must have websites manually placed in them. Each of the four zones has default security settings (Low, Medium-Low, Medium, and High) that determine the type of content that can be downloaded and run (such as ActiveX controls) and what users are able to do (such as install desktop items). For any zone, you can change the security level and modify the security defaults.

You will be asked to resolve problems that have to do with zone configurations; these will mainly be issues regarding the inability to view or access something or to comply with company security directives. To resolve these types of calls, you will need an understanding of the default settings for each zone. Table 5-2 details the four zones and their default settings for ActiveX controls and installation of desktop items. There are other settings for each zone, but these are the items you will commonly need to modify. (Default settings can be changed.)

Exam Tip

Make sure you understand and are familiar with all of the security zone settings.

Table 5-2: Security Zones and Default Settings

Security Zone

Default Security Levels

High (default for the Restricted Sites zone)

  • Disable Download unsigned ActiveX controls; initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe.

  • Enable Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins; script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting.

  • Prompt Download signed ActiveX controls; install desktop items.

Medium (default for the Internet zone)

  • Disable Download unsigned ActiveX controls; initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe.

  • Enable Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins; script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting.

  • Prompt Download signed ActiveX controls; install desktop items.

Medium-Low (default for the Local Intranet zone)

  • Disable Download unsigned ActiveX controls; initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe.

  • Enable Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins; script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting.

  • Prompt Download signed ActiveX controls; install desktop items.

Low (default for the Trusted Sites zone)

  • Disable Download unsigned ActiveX controls; initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe.

  • Enable Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins; script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting.

  • Prompt Download signed ActiveX controls; install desktop items.

Note

File and font downloads are enabled by default on all Internet security zones.

Service calls involving security zones can have to do with an end user’s need to have more (or less) access to Web content than she currently has or to place a website in a specific zone and use that zone’s default security settings. You might also receive calls to configure users’ computers to comply with a company security policy requirement to enable or disable a specific security setting. In this section, you will learn to do all of these things.

Changing Internet zone defaults

To make changes to the Internet zone’s default settings (this same technique works to change any zone’s default settings), follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. From the Security tab, select the Internet zone if it is not selected already.

  3. Click Default Level, and move the security slider that appears up or down to change the default security setting for the zone. It is best to leave the Internet zone at either Medium (the default) or High. Lower settings will reduce security; higher settings will reduce functionality.

  4. Select Custom Level.

  5. In the Security Settings dialog box, scroll down the list to select the item to change. Make the appropriate change by selecting the desired option. Click OK to close the Security Settings dialog box, and click OK to close the Internet Options dialog box.

Adding websites to the Trusted Sites zone

To add a website to the Trusted Sites zone (this same technique works to add a site to the Restricted Sites zone), follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. Select the Security tab.

  3. Select Trusted Sites, and choose Sites.

  4. In the Add This Web Site To The Zone box, type the address to add. If adding a trusted site, you must begin the website URL with https://, which denotes a secure site. Click Add.

  5. Click OK to close the Trusted Sites dialog box, and click OK again to close the Internet Options dialog box.

Adding a website to the Local Internet zone

To add a website to the Local Intranet zone, follow these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. Select the Security tab.

  3. Select Local Intranet, and then choose Sites.

  4. In the Local Intranet dialog box, select the websites that should be included in the Local Intranet zone. Figure 5-12 shows the choices.

    click to expand
    Figure 5-12: Local Intranet zone settings can be set to configure local sites.

  5. In the Local Intranet dialog box, choose Advanced.

  6. In the Add This Web Site To The Zone box, type any other websites to add. Click Add to add each.

  7. Click OK in the Local Intranet dialog box, click OK again in the first Local Intranet dialog box, and click OK to close the Internet Options dialog box.

Common Service Calls

As a DST, you will need to know when to change which security setting, and you will often be asked to make the change without giving the user a security setting that is too lenient or one that is against company policy. This takes familiarity with the process (shown earlier) and an understanding of the security setting options. To help you become more familiar with common requests, Table 5-3 shows some examples of service calls and their resolutions.

Table 5-3: Common Security Service Calls and Resolutions

Service Call Scenario

Resolution

A Web designer calls to report that he needs to be able to download signed ActiveX controls for the purpose of testing a website he is creating. However, each time a signed ActiveX control is downloaded, he gets a prompt. He wants this behavior to stop.

Personalize his default security settings, and change the setting for Download Signed ActiveX Controls from Prompt to Enable.

A user reports that when she connects to a site on her local intranet, she cannot download unsigned ActiveX controls. She needs to be able to do this to perform work-related tasks. You need to change this so that she can download unsigned ActiveX controls without changing the security zone.

Personalize her default security settings, and change the setting for Download Unsigned ActiveX Controls from Disable to Enable or Prompt.

Your boss tells you that he does not want his workers to be able to install desktop items for anything they have downloaded from the Internet. He asks you not to change any other behavior on their computers.

Personalize the default security settings on each computer, and change the setting for Install Desktop Items from Prompt to Disable.

As you become more familiar with the terms and security settings options, you will be able to quickly identify problems and their solutions. In many instances, you can resolve problems by making simple changes to the default security settings.

Resolving Problems with Viewing Web Pages

There are several reasons why users will not be able to view Web pages properly, and many times it is because they have made changes to the defaults on their own. Problems can also occur because of default security settings: a site is in the Restricted Sites zone or the site requires cookies to be placed on the computer and cookies are not allowed. Users might report specific errors as well: they get internal page faults, or they cannot hear sounds, see videos, or view pictures. These are common problems, and solutions to them are detailed in this section.

Screen Resolution

If a user reports problems with viewing a single Web page, but other pages look fine, check to see whether there is a note at the bottom of the page that says, “This page is best viewed using 800 by 600 screen resolution” or something similar. If it is a corporate website or one that the user relies on heavily, he might need to reconfigure his display settings permanently. Display settings are changed in Control Panel.

Cookie Handling

Many websites require cookies to be enabled on a user’s computer if the user wants to visit and browse the site. A user will be unable to view Web pages that have this requirement if the user’s privacy settings are configured to block all cookies, if the privacy settings are set to High, or if the company has a strict cookie policy that blocks first-party cookies or does not allow session cookies.

Allowing a user access to sites requires that the default privacy settings be changed. Changing privacy settings was detailed in the section “Configuring Privacy Settings” earlier in this chapter.

Sounds, Videos, and Pictures

Some of the Advanced options of Internet Explorer restrict what can and cannot be seen on a Web page. These settings are often configured to speed up access to a page by not playing videos or showing pictures when the site is loaded, and sound can be disabled as well. If a user reports problems that are associated with sound, video, or pictures, check the Advanced options first by following these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options.

  2. Click the Advanced tab, and scroll down to the Multimedia section.

  3. Verify that the appropriate items are selected:

    • Play Animations In Web Pages

    • Play Sounds In Web Pages

    • Play Videos In Web Pages

    • Show Pictures

  4. On the Advanced tab, verify that the Show Image Download Placeholders check box is cleared. Click OK.

Invalid Page Faults

A page fault is a normal process that occurs when a program requests data that is not currently loaded into the computer’s real memory. When this occurs, Windows attempts to retrieve the data from the virtual memory stored on hard disk. If the data cannot be mapped to virtual memory, the result is an invalid page fault—and often a crashed application. Invalid page faults are often difficult to diagnose. Connectivity settings; a full Temporary Internet Files folder; and third-party Internet software, including firewalls, file-sharing software, Internet optimizers, and on-screen animation programs, can cause page faults. Network protocols, cookies, corrupted Favorites, services, and Internet software installations can also cause invalid page faults. Invalid page faults can be represented by several different types of errors, including:

  • An actual invalid page fault error.

  • Iexplore.exe has generated errors and must be shut down.

  • Page could not be displayed.

  • Could not open the search page.

  • An access violation occurred in MSHTML.DLL.

If specifics about the error are provided in the error message (as in the last item in the preceding list), visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx) and type in the exact error. Downloading and installing a hotfix might solve this particular error. These are the easiest of all page faults to find solutions for. If no specifics are given, you will have to resolve the errors using trial-and-error troubleshooting techniques.

Note

Before you do too much troubleshooting, verify that the user has the most recent version of Internet Explorer and the latest service packs for both the operating system and Internet Explorer. To check the version number and which service packs are installed, open Internet Explorer, and from the Help menu, select About Internet Explorer.

If you are at the user’s desk when the error occurs, use the Internet Explorer Reporting tool to report the error, and then view the error details. If the error report gives any indication of the cause of the error, disable the program or service associated with it. If that does not work and the user has the most up-to-date service packs installed, continue troubleshooting in the following order:

  1. Verify that the proxy settings for the local area network (LAN), if they exist, are correctly configured. You can locate these settings by clicking LAN Settings on the Connections tab of the Internet Options dialog box.

  2. Disable third-party browser extensions, such as Bonzai Buddy, Comet Cursor, and other third-party downloaded components. Applications such as these can often be disabled from the system tray or from the application itself, and uninstalling the component from Control Panel is the best option if one of these programs caused the page fault.

  3. Delete all temporary Internet files and ActiveX controls. You can do this on the General tab of the Internet Options dialog box.

  4. Delete cookies. You can do this on the General tab of the Internet Options dialog box.

  5. Troubleshoot the Favorites folder. It is possible that corruption in the Favorites folder or some of the files it holds is to blame. Try moving the contents of the user’s Favorites folder to a temporary folder. If that solves the problem, add the shortcuts back to the Favorites folder a few at a time. If the problem recurs, it is usually easy to find the culprit.

  6. Verify that the system has enough RAM and that the RAM is performing properly.

If these techniques do not solve the problem, consult the Microsoft Knowledge Base, TechNet, and newsgroups as detailed in Chapter 2, “Resolving a Service Call.”

Practice: Configure Security Zones in Internet Explorer

In this practice, you will configure Internet Explorer security zones.

  1. Log on to Windows XP using an account with Administrator privileges.

  2. On the Start menu, select Internet Explorer.

  3. In the Internet Options dialog box, on the Security tab, in the Security Level For This Zone section, click Default Level.

  4. Move the slider to the High position. Click Apply. Click Custom Level.

  5. In the Security Settings dialog box, click Cancel.

  6. In the Internet Options dialog box, in the Select A Web Content Zone To Specify Its Security Settings section, select Trusted Sites.

  7. In the Security Level For This Zone section, click Default Level.

  8. In the Trusted Sites section, click Sites.

  9. In the Trusted Sites dialog box, in the Add This Web Site To The Zone text box, type https://www.microsoft.com. Click Add. Click OK. Click OK again to close the Internet Options dialog box.

  10. In Internet Explorer, in the Address text box, type http://www.google.com and press Enter.

  11. On the Google Web page, right-click any hyperlink and select Save Target As. In the Security Alert message box, click OK.

  12. In the Address text box, type https://www.microsoft.com and press Enter.

  13. On the Microsoft Web page, right-click any hyperlink and select Save Target As. In the Save As dialog box, click Cancel.

Lesson Review

The following questions are intended to reinforce key information presented in this lesson. If you are unable to answer a question, review the lesson materials and try the question again. You can find answers to the questions in the “Questions and Answers” section at the end of this chapter.

  1. A company has placed a computer in a break room so that users can access it on their lunch and coffee breaks. How should the computer be configured? (Choose all that apply.)

    1. Disable AutoComplete.

    2. Clear forms and clear passwords from the AutoComplete Settings dialog box.

    3. Disable Personalized Favorites.

    4. Set privacy settings to block all cookies.

    5. Configure a custom level for the Internet zone to disable the installation of desktop icons.

  2. You need to configure a security setting for the Internet zone for users who access websites from a computer located in the company’s lunchroom. Network administrators have configured Group Policy, physically secured the computer, and performed similar tasks and have asked you to configure a security level for the Internet zone that will apply the following rules by default:

    • Disable Download unsigned ActiveX controls; initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe.

    • Enable Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins; script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting.

    • Prompt Download signed ActiveX controls; install desktop items.

    Which security level offers these default settings for the Internet zone?

Lesson Summary

  • Many of the interface requests that you receive can be resolved by customizing the Standard toolbar, changing what is selected in the View menu, or personalizing the Advanced settings in the Internet Options dialog box.

  • There are four security zones: Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites. The Internet zone contains all websites. Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites zones do not include any sites by default and thus must have websites manually placed in them.

  • Many factors can cause problems with viewing Web pages, including connectivity issues, security zone configuration, privacy settings, Internet Explorer configuration, and even the graphics settings in Windows XP.




McDst Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-272(c) Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a[... ]ystem)
McDst Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-272(c) Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a[... ]ystem)
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2006
Pages: 237

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