Webstore pop-up blocked

[Morsleib]

When I go to the Webstore front page my browser warnes me that it wants to install ietag.dll. As a matter of principle I never allow anything I am not expecting but I have seen that about a lot. What is it and why would I want it?

Terry

[Paul @ Warlord Games]

Hi Terry,

Thats a new one on me. You're quite right to not install anything you don;t trust.

Did it just do it the once or is it a persistent thing? Doesn;t pop up for me on a PC in Fiorefox.

Cheers,

Paul

[Morsleib]

Just did a quick bit of research. I am using IE7 on a PC with Vista. My son has the same but got nothing with Firefox. Switching to IE7 he got a similar message about installing a "Microsoft Office 2007 component". Both message say the publisher is Microsoft Corporation. He has Office 2007 whilst I still have 2003. That may explain the difference.

The dll name (ietag) makes it sound like some sort of tracking system. I have seen it around quite a lot (and blocked it).

Terry

[Consul Scipio]

ietag.dll is a M$ Office 2003 (and Office XP) component.

Get a cup and sit down and read this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873352

And this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922384

[Morsleib]

Thanks for the links. They do in part explain where it comes from. I am still puzzled though why certain websites try to install it.

Terry

[Paul @ Warlord Games]

I've referred this to our developer.

Cheers,

Paul

[Paul @ Warlord Games]

And our developer swiftly replies with:

It looks like a security update for the IE7 browser the site is asking for the latest version to be installed. It's the type of thing that would normally be bundled in a Microsoft update.

So, all looks good - you just need to update your browser software.

Cheers,

Paul

[Consul Scipio]

Greetings Paul,

Please refer your developer to the links I posted above. It is not a simple IE7 update.

It's an Office XP/2003 update and the particular file in question does not update automatically (see links above) so a user has to follow the procedure in the articles.

Greetings Terry,

I am still puzzled though why certain websites try to install it.

The Short Answer:

If a site declares a namespace and elements for Smart Tags properly, lucky users with mis-matched Ietag.dll get prompted. No proper namespace declaration (or at least no html xmlns) then no prompt.

For the brave or those who wish to cure their insomnia read on.

The Longer Answer, but still short (yes, I'm serious) and translated from tech terms:

Per Microsoft:

“The ietag.dll provides OOUI/Action Menu functionality when a document with recognized smart tags opens within Internet Explorer. With changes in Word Mail (in Office 2007) this feature is no longer necessary.”

Using IE embedded in Office XP/2003 apps like Outlook, Word, etc to show HTML pages required Ietag.dll under certain conditions. Depending on how the web site was developed or MS THOUGHT their Smart Tags would be uesd within web sites.

What IE + Office XP (or 2003) thinks is the beginning of ”Smart Tag” code in http://shop.warlordgames.co.uk/ is…

name=”PostalCode” namespaceuri=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name=”City” namespaceuri=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name=”country-region” namespaceuri=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name=”place” namespaceuri=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”></o:smarttagtype><!–[if gte mso 9]><xml>

If that's removed from the code on the site, the prompt for the Ietag.dll download would go away. This is a MS problem due to mixing thier proprietary “Smart Tags” in with proper RFC specs. But upgrading or patching IE7 doesn't solve the problem. This is an OFFICE XP/2003 problem but it affects IE 5-7. If the Ietag.dll file isn't “correct” (see link above for details) then the lukcy user gets prompted. It's not a bug or virus, it's a “feature”! Boo, Hiss to MS.

I think legacy MS Front Page sites in particular have this issue as well, even without the namespace and smart tags. But I'm not sure about that one.

The Author:

Bill White - 18 years in the IT industry. Currently the Director of IT Network & Security for a non-profit in Washington DC. Previously a Security Consultant for major US Goverment Deptartments and Agencies (no I'm not telling who) and private corporations. He used to manage a group of developers at one time too. The experience was like herding cats…

MS References:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa169088(office.11).aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa206151(office.11).aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179199.aspx#BKMK_Removed