'Active X' error crashes Outlook Express

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 12 Aug 2000 6:20 am

I have received several e-mail messages that I can't open. I get an error that says 'An Active X control on this page is not safe. Your security settings will not allow opening this message.' Outlook Express locks up completely and I have to CTL+ALT+DEL to close the program.

I always download and install critical updates for Windows 98 (I have the original version). Anybody heard of this problem?

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 13 Aug 2000 5:55 am

Michael...

Go into your Internet settings (advanced)found at the control panel, and turn off the ACTIVE X control. This will stop all ACTIVE X functions, and will probably cure a lot of re-boot problems. I did this and so far, I haven't had any milfunctions of other computer or e-mail related re-boots.

Also, I turned off the "COOKIES" function.

This stoped a ton of un-wanted SPAM and other related e-mail post to me that wasn't desired. For some reason, all the porno sites seem to be able to pick up on your e-mail address because:

With the cookies function turned on, you e-mail address is avalable for sell by other web-sites. While this is a problem know to some of us, it isn't a well knowned fact. (Yes, even the best web-sites sell your e-mail address to anyone willing to pay the asking price.)

The down-side to this is that some web-sites demand that the cookies be turned on, (like Microsoft, Better Homes and Garden, and other sites that have sister magazine outlets) before they will allow you into it's website. (IMHO) This is because they depend upon adverstisement for a large part of their income. These Companys don't have control of who is able to purchase the mailing list, Just like the state of Tennessee,(my home state) sells driver license info to Insurance Companys,and other outfits.

That is why you and the rest of us get e-mail from porno and other web-sites that we don't want or otherwise clutter up our e-mail.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 13 Aug 2000 9:02 am

I suspect some of the program lockups are intentional. With the (over)security MS has put into the latest security updates, they do not want any Active X controls to run as they can cause various virus like problems including wiping out your data on the hard drive. By causing the program to halt, when it encouters an Active X command (if that's what they are doing) keeps it from running the Active X commands.

Just a theory. I could be 100% wrong.

erik · Post by **erik** » 13 Aug 2000 9:24 am

I get this problem when trying to run MS Golf 99 from the CDrom. It seems to only happen on the extra courses that were added from the earlier version. I'll see if turning off Active X changes anything.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 13 Aug 2000 2:23 pm

I would think the MS Golf problems wouldn't have anything to do with what is happening in Outlook Express.

You may need the latest Direct X drivers, or something like that to run the Golf program.
Check the program requirements.

Also make sure no other windows (programs) are running when you startup golf. If you have something else open (e.g. MS Works or the internet) there may be an interaction or you don't have enough memory to run both at the same time.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 13 Aug 2000 5:51 pm

Just to clarify: the Forum uses cookies for your convenience. The cookie stores things like the last time you visited, so it can show you which messages are new since then. There are lots of valid uses for cookies. There are programming problems that would be very hard to solve without them.

Also, the Forum does not sell or distribute email addresses of members. You can hide your email address from other Forum members by clicking a box in your 'profile' settings. Your email address is not kept in the Forum cookie, either.

Also, we don't use Active X at all around my house. The most common use of Active X in email is to play a sound. This is totally unnecessary because you can set a background sound in any web page and IE (which is also the guts of Outlook's preview window) will play it anyway. Active X is only needed to handle formats that Microsoft doesn't yet support internally, like Liquid Audio.

------------------
<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Averybob.gif" width=64 height=81>Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra 8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)

erik · Post by **erik** » 13 Aug 2000 7:33 pm

I'm changing the topic here:

Bobby Lee,
Are you saying that Windows and IE can't download and use Liquid Audio? Is it only compatible with a Mac?

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 14 Aug 2000 1:56 am

b0b.....

I didn't mean to suggest or infer that your forumn sells e-mail addresses.

I appolizge if anyone took my post that way.

Any not-for-profit web-site (like yours) don't need to do that. Generally, it's the greedy big outfits that have thousands of names etc,etc, who don't care about your privacy who do this kind of stuff.

Any Web-site that insist that you turn on the "cookies" switch before you can enter, You can bet your last dollar, is selling your e-mail address to other outfits !!!

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 14 Aug 2000 3:24 am

Erik, read b0b's answer again. He didn't say windows systems cannot support liguid audio. Just that the windows operating system does not have tha capability built in. It requires an add on program in order to support that format.

There are a lot of different program formats that are not supported by the basic windows operating system (or the MAC operating system) and they require add on programs to be able to hear or view or run that particular type of format. The operating system is not all inclusive and all that is needed to run your computer. If that were the case, you wouldn't need separate programs for the internet browser, e-mail, spreadsheets, cd burning software, graphic packages, mp3 players, etc., etc.

True some additonal products are supplied with the operating system, such as a basic wordprocessor, a basic paint program, a basic wav player, etc., but they are "additional" or "add in" programs to the operating system.

The "operating system" or "supervisor" or before GUI interface programs it was the DOS (disk operating system), or UNIX or LINUX or whatever you have can do it's functions without those programs. However, the other programs rely on the operating system for them to function.

Part 1 of computers 101.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 14 Aug 2000 10:19 am

Bill, I know you didn't mean to infer that the Forum does any of those things. I just felt the need to clarify that there are valid uses for cookies.

As far as being "not-for-profit", we're trying real hard to change that!

The Forum is a business - it's just one that happens to lose money most of the time. I actually believe that in the future the Forum will turn a small profit every month.

Erik, Liquid Audio works on Windows. Liquid Audio's browser plug-in is, I believe, an Active X control. That's how they get around the fact that the IE browser doesn't support it directly. I have no idea if Liquid Audio works on the Mac.

------------------
<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Averybob.gif" width=64 height=81>Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra 8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 17 Aug 2000 10:08 am

I don't have any Active X control functions (or Cookies, for that matter). I'm running NT 4.0. Any ideas? I always get some kind of Active X problem.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 17 Aug 2000 10:34 am

Active X controls are a fundamental element of Windows' architecture, Steve. You have lots of Active X controls if you're running Windows NT.

Sorry, but you haven't given me enough to go on to make any suggestions.

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 17 Aug 2000 12:38 pm

I can't locate any toggle to switch off the Active X controls (e.g., in the Control Panel > Internet Options > Advanced) as Bill Crook recommended. Looked all over for that rascal and can't seem to find a place to that thing off. Sure would like to, though.

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 17 Aug 2000 3:03 pm

Steve,

Good News, Bad News. I found it and changed the settings.....I still get the error. You give it a try.

Control Panel
Internet Options
Security
Custom Level

There you'll find the Active X settings.

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 21 Aug 2000 9:00 am

Same thing here, Michael. I guess the new motto of computer life in the 21st Century is: 'learn to live with it.'