What is an ActiveX control?

[twit]

After tying Privacy Eraser (www.privacyeraser.com) for the first time (which erases histories and files so you can’t be tracked online), upon going to use my Yahoo e-mail account, I get this message:

This page provides unsafe information to an ActiveX control. Your current security settings prohibit running controls in this manner. As a result, this page may not display correctly.

I changed the security settings to default, thinking this would help but this message keeps popping up. Also, there’s no problem with how the page looks once it does load. How can I get rid of this annoying message?

P.S. I know someone knows the answer to my dilemma. The people on here have been very helpful at solving problems for me in the past.

[ZipperJJ]

Here is what Netlingo has to say:

set of technologies created by Microsoft to enable interactive content on Web sites. With ActiveX, Web sites can be animated using multimedia effects, interactive objects, and sophisticated applications that create a user experience comparable to a high-quality CD-ROM. The same effects can be experienced with Java, Shockwave, Flash, and numerous other applets and programs-the difference is that ActiveX is an exclusive Microsoft product making use of ActiveX Controls. For more information about ActiveX, visit this definition on NetLingo.com.

In Internet Explorer (I am using 6, others may be different), you can go to tools - internet options - security and set some ActiveX control specifications (click “custom levels”). You can select Disable, Prompt and Enable for signed, unsigned and unsafe controls. To be most safe, disable all. To have a relatively easy Web experience, I would enable signed controls, prompt for unsigned, and disable unsafe.

By clicking the “sites” icon on the security panel and then the “trusted sites” button, you can add http://www.yahoo.com and http://mail.yahoo.com and any other sites you trust to have loose security.

This is just a basic overview, perhaps others will have better advice.

You can also set specific sites as “safe” sites

[ZipperJJ]

I have no idea where that last unfinished line came from. Excuse me.

[twit]

Thanks zipperjj. I booted up today and that message wasn’t there anymore. Go figure. Thank you for your help. It’s always good to learn more about my computer.