Published files prompt for Active X

[jaytwriter]

When the published files from my Flare project are included in our Production release, it prompts for Active X. Since this is a government application, no mobile code is allowed. This does not happen on the Test server which is not in a government enclave. I need to find out what I can do to eliminate any Active X from the project. I would appreciate any help.
Thanks,
Jay

[Richard Ferrell]

The Active X Warning will only appear on your local system, If its on a webserver then it will not appear. Where will your help be stored? Almost all Webpage use Some time of Active X control if you are using IE, If your Browser is Firefox you will not see the Active X warning at All.

[jaytwriter]

The files are published on an IIS along with the application. Since the server is in a government enclave, they block Active X. This means that when the help button on the application is pressed, the window comes up blank and there is a prompt to download Active X. Since this is not permitted (due to security), the help window remains blank. I'm not sure what I need to do so that Active X is not used in the help file. Any suggestions?

[LTinker68]

Is the help being called in such a way that the user's computer thinks it's being run locally? If so, that's what the MOTW feature was designed to prevent -- the yellow bar that appears in IE when help is run from the local computer. If the help is running off an actual web server, then MOTW isn't required (and, in fact, screws up viewing from a web server).

Are users accessing the server using Remote Desktop or something similar and then running the help that way? Or are they launching the help through a browser window and going to a URL external to their computer (but not necessarily outside the LAN)?

[jaytwriter]

The files are uploaded to an IIS in the DoD government enclave. I do not have MOTW enabled on any of the output (conditional) files.

DoD enclaves have a security rule that blocks Active X. They also use IE within their enclaves as part of their security measures though they don't require it for outside users. In other words, the policy is that all workstations in a DoD enclave are set to High security and locked down. Mostly, these are the users using the application calling the help files.

If I can't find a way to bring the help up without the Active X, they cannot use my help file. This problem is true of ANY DoD project that has security installed correctly, so it will be a wide-spread problem for using Flare (if it isn't already). Do you have any suggestions for what can be done to fix this? I know that the writers in the aforementioned enclave are getting ready to evaluate Flare. This would be a "show-stopper" for ANY DoD enclave and would preclude the use of Flare. We would then all have to return to Robohelp.

[LTinker68]

How are the users calling the help?

Through a web browser on their own machine?

Or are they running remote desktop or VPN or something to access the server directly and then using a web browser on that server to access the help?

[jaytwriter]

Users are running a DoD application from their workstation, then pressing the Help button to access the help. The workstations are DoD running High security and locked down to prevent changes. They do not directly access the server.

[Richard Ferrell]

Is the help on a server or Local Machine?

[KevinDAmery]

It looks like everyone is talking in circles here. So let's recap the rules:

- If the help files are on the user's local hard drive or accessed as if they are (i.e. on a network drive that you access using Windows Explorer) then you need to activate MOTW.

- If the help files are hosted on a server and accessed as if they were a website (i.e. using http) then you need to NOT activate MOTW.

Can you confirm you're following these rules? It's not that clear to me because in your second post you said they are on IIS but in your last post you said they are running the application from their workstation.

[jaytwriter]

The application and the help files are on an IIS webserver. MOTW is not being used, so yes the rules are being followed. The problem is that the users are going to their browser (IE7), bring up the application (from the webserver) clicking on help and getting a blank screen with an error message on the bottom. The workstations themselves are locked down and blocking activex. This is a DoD security requirement. The error message is attached.

[KevinDAmery]

Hmmm, the error message you just posted says it's having problems with a skin file - is this a skin that you or a co-worker have modified? I would try making a build that uses a different skin (like an unmodified version of one that Madcap shipped with Flare) and test to see if it throws the same error. If it doesn't, then the skin is the culprit.

[jaytwriter]

Thank you guys. That seems to have worked. One of the default skins worked in Test. Hopefully it will work in Production as well. You guys are the best!!