Internet Explorer 7 will not show Flash (swf) content

• Trust a site
• Save target
• Allow active content
• Registry modifications
  

ISSUES WITH IE7 & FLASH - Donald Anadell

Hi,

Here's the problem as I see it, with some possible workarounds for the problem.

The Problem:

There was a new security feature introduced with IE7 called "Cross-Domain protection feature".
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/essentials/whatsnew/whatsnew_70_sec.asp (This link has moved, ND)
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=813117&SiteID=1

While there is very little documentation on this new feature (Cross-Domain protection), there are substantial consequences introduced by this new feature. These consequences appear to arise as a result of an unforeseen dependency on this new feature with the Local Machine Lockdown feature introduced in Windows XP SP2.

The most noteworthy of these consequences is not being able to click on a link that directly links to an object on the web such as a PDF files(.pdf), QuickTime Movie file(.mov)...or in your case, a Flash file(.swf) and have it open up directly in the Browser.

So if your link is in the form of:

www.someserver.com/some.pdf
www.someserver.com/some.swf
www.someserver.com/some.mov

the new "Cross-Domain Protection feature" will kick in and you will get a blank screen with a script error notification on the Status bar. This is radically different behavior than was the case with the IE6 and earlier
Browsers.

Note: IE7 is Opted into this new security feature by default, and there is no specific mechanism in "Internet Options" to Opt IE7 out of this new feature.

Solution 1:

You can place your link:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/7/27/144186/Games/Security_cameras.swf

into the Trusted Sites Zone. This should allow the SWF file to be viewed in the Browser without the Script error.

Solution 2:

Right-click on your link:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/7/27/144186/Games/Security_cameras.swf

and choose "Save target as" and save the SWF file to your Desktop. Once the file is download to the Desktop, Right-click on the file and choose button labeled "Unblock", click on the button to Unblock the file and it can then be viewed in the Browser locally by opening IE7 and clicking on File --> Open and browsing to the Flash file on your Desktop.

Solution 3:

Go to

Tools --> Internet Options... --> Advanced --> Security

Remove the Checkmark in the box next to "Allow active content to run in files on my computer"

Note: While this solution will allow the Flash file to open and play in the Browser, it creates another issue if you want to run Active content on your machine by clicking on a local HTML file with Active content.

Solution 4:

If you find that this new Security feature is more bothersome than any additional security it might offer, you can turn off this feature by adding a new Registry key to your Registry.

Navigate to the following Registry Key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl

Add the following sub key:
FEATURE_BLOCK_LMZ_SCRIPT

Give it a new DWORD value of:
iexplore.exe

Data value:
0(zero)

Hope this is of some help to you,

Donald Anadell