Windows 7 / Getting Started

Controlling Browser Add-ons

Browser add-ons can add important capabilities to Web browsers. Unreliable add-ons can also reduce browser stability, however. Even worse, malicious add-ons can compromise private information. Internet Explorer 7 provides several enhancements to give you control over the add-ons run by your users. The sections that follow describe these enhancements.

Internet Explorer Add-ons Disabled Mode

Internet Explorer 7 includes the No Add-ons mode, which allows Internet Explorer to run temporarily without any toolbars, ActiveX controls, or other add-ons. Functionality in this mode reproduces that of manually disabling all add-ons in the Add-on Manager, and it is very useful if you are troubleshooting a problem that might be related to an add-on.

To disable add-ons using the Add-ons Disabled mode, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Start menu and point to All Programs.
  2. Point to Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).
  3. Note the Information bar display in your browser indicating that add-ons are disabled.

Running Internet Explorer from the standard Start menu shortcut will return the functionality to its prior state.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Windows Internet Explorer
  2. Internet Explorer 8 Improvements
  3. InPrivate Browsing
  4. InPrivate Filtering
  5. Compatibility View
  6. SmartScreen
  7. Domain Highlighting
  8. Tab Isolation
  9. Accelerators
  10. Improvements Previously Introduced in Internet Explorer 7
  11. User Interface Changes
  12. Tabbed Browsing
  13. Search Bar
  14. How to Create a Web Link to Add a Custom Search Provider
  15. How to Configure Custom Search Providers Using the Registry
  16. How to Configure Custom Search Providers Using Group Policy
  17. RSS Feeds
  18. Improved Standards Support
  19. Expanded Group Policy Settings
  20. Defending Against Malware
  21. How Protected Mode Improves Security
  22. How the Protected Mode Compatibility Layer Works
  23. How to Solve Protected Mode Incompatibilities
  24. URL-Handling Protection
  25. Address Bar Visibility
  26. Cross-Domain Scripting Attack Protection
  27. Controlling Browser Add-ons
  28. Add -on Manager Improvements
  29. Protecting Against Data Theft
  30. Security Status Bar
  31. How the Smart Screen Filter Works
  32. How to Configure Smart Screen Options
  33. Deleting Browsing History
  34. Blocking IDN Spoofing
  35. Security Zones
  36. Understanding Zones
  37. Configuring Zones on the Local Computer
  38. Configuring Zones Using Group Policy
  39. Network Protocol Lockdown
  40. Managing Internet Explorer Using Group Policy
  41. Group Policy Settings for Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8
  42. New Group Policy Settings for Internet Explorer 8
  43. Using the Internet Explorer Administration Kit
  44. Troubleshooting Internet Explorer Problems
  45. Internet Explorer Does Not Start
  46. An Add-on Does Not Work Properly
  47. Some Web Pages Do Not Display Properly
  48. Preventing Unwanted Toolbars
  49. The Home Page or Other Settings Have Changed