IE 9 and Windows Media Player

Matt1 · 05 Mar 2012

Hi, can anyone help me with these questions about IE 9 and Windows Media Player?

1. Sometimes when I click on a website link to a media file (say an MP3 file), Windows Media Player starts up automatically in a little window and plays it. Other times I click on a link that ought to play a sound clip, and I get a message “This webpage wants to run the following add-on: ‘Windows Media Player’ from ‘Microsoft Corporation’” and I am prompted to manually allow it. Why is there this difference in behaviour?

2. Also, when I go to IE Tools > Internet Options > Programs > Manage Add-ons, I see that Windows Media Player is Enabled and listed as “Run Without Permission”. If it is supposed to “run without permission”, why am I ever being asked to confirm to run it?

3. The IE message “This webpage wants to run…” has a “What’s the risk?” link, but the page it leads to contains no relevant information that I can see. So, what IS the risk of allowing Media Player to run on any website that wants to use it?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Layback Bear · 05 Mar 2012

I would not install/update WMP from any site except Microsoft. Sometimes you can see the same thing about Adobe Flash. Their again only update from Adobe website. Once you know that you have these programs installed and updated and enabled from the proper site into what ever browser you are using that it for me.
If a site wants to download something I already have I leave that site. I allowed a Adobe add on from a site that wasn't Adobe and it dropped 3 trojens on me.

Matt1 · 05 Mar 2012

Thanks, but I already have WMP installed, and the sites are not asking to download and install it, just to run it.* I do not understand why IE prompts me to allow some sites to run WMP, while in other cases it just runs without asking. I also do not understand what (if any) risk there is in allowing any site to run WMP (not install it, which I would never allow except from a site I trusted).

*See e.g. http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2...ng-add-on.aspx which says:

It’s important to note that the “Run” approval in the Information Bar is different from “Install” approval. “Run” is for code already on your PC. “Install” is for new code that the website would like you to download and install.

Matt1 · 09 Mar 2012

Anyone?

A Guy · 11 Mar 2012

I believe the answer is on the link you posted:

This warning occurs whenever a web page attempts to execute code on your machine that has not been used previously and is not on the local pre-approved list. This is usually caused by the website trying to use older code. Web Developers often copy-and-paste samples to do things like statistics tracking and media player detection. Some samples that are several years old were written to use old versions of the controls. If the web page is written to look for the most recent versions of QuickTime or Media Player, no warning is shown. You can see which controls are pre-approved on your machine by looking in Tools>Manage Add-ons>Enable or Disable Add-ons.

It is neither the browser, nor windows fault. It is how the page itself is written. You might try reseting the advanced settings.

Open IE> Tools> internet options> Security>Advanced tab> Restore advanced settings (not the Reset button underneath it)

You might also try resetting the zones to default levels, this will undo any zone modifications you may have made.

Open IE> Tools> internet options> Security> Reset all zones to default level

A Guy

Matt1 · 12 Mar 2012

Hi "A Guy", thanks very much for your reply. It seems to me that for the explanation you quote to be correct, I would need to have an older version of WMP installed that was not on the pre-approved list. Would you agree? I have looked for this in the IE "Manage Add-ons" window but have been unable to find it.

Also, does anyone have any opinion about whether it is safe to allow any website to run WMP (whatever version) if it wants to? And if I allow it for one website, will that automatically allow it for all websites? I know there is some stuff in the IE "Manage Add-Ons" window where you can see/change which websites you have approved a control to run with, but this depends on being able to locate the control in the list -- and, as I mentioned, I see only one WMP, and that one is allowed for all sites. I do not see any other version that I might be able to set separate permissions for.

I am very confused.

A Guy · 12 Mar 2012

Matt, my interpretation was that a website that has up to date code will not prompt, while one that is written to find an older version will. Maybe I'm wrong, but it would seem likely that if the webmaster wrote current code then there would be no prompt.

Anyway, I use Media Player Classic for all video. I'm unsure whether there is any risk in allowing a site to run WMP. I would be concerned if it wanted to download something. A Guy

Matt1 · 13 Mar 2012

Hi "A Guy", thanks for your advice. Something here does not add up for me. According to the explanation from that msdn.com page, "This warning occurs whenever a web page attempts to execute code on your machine that has not been used previously and is not on the local pre-approved list." To me, this implies that I must have a version of WMP on my machine that is not pre-approved, but I cannot find any such version. The only version that I see listed is cleared to run on any page without asking permission. Maybe the information on the msdn.com page is wrong; I just don't know.

I would never download and install any add-on or program from any source that I wasn't completely sure about. However, using WMP to play media from a website seems safer. But then if it is completely safe I do not understand why IE is prompting me with a message that implies there may be a risk.

Ho-hum...

A Guy · 13 Mar 2012

"This warning occurs whenever a web page attempts to execute code on your machine that has not been used previously and is not on the local pre-approved list."

The code on the webpage is the issue. The statement is saying the code the webpage is using has not been used previously by your PC, and it is not on the local pre-approved list on your PC. If the webpage was using up to date code, that is on the pre-approved lists, it would not trigger (supposedly :)). Assuming the link is correct

A Guy

Matt1 · 16 Mar 2012

Hi, thanks for your continuing interest in this issue. I must say that I interpret it quite differently. Reading that whole page in context, and taking into account the text of the message "This webpage wants to run the following add-on:", it seems to me that the "code" mentioned in "attempts to execute code on your machine" is referring to the add-on (in this case WMP), which is supposedly already installed on my machine (otherwise I would get an "Install" prompt, not a "Run" prompt), and which the website is trying to invoke. I do not believe it is talking about "code" embedded in the website. The issue about programming the website to use the latest version of the control is a separate one. However the website is programmed, and whatever version of the control it is trying to use, I cannot understand why I am getting a prompt to run (not install) the WMP add-on when the only version which is (apparently) installed on my machine is set to run on any site without permission.