Internet Explorer ActiveX

Internet Explorer ActiveX

(Application screenshot)
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Description	Download Link
Runnable Demo - See it in action!	Runnable Demo (EXE file) (4.8MB)
Data Files, DLL Files, Thinstall Project - everything you need to build it yourself.	Project files (ZIP file) (4.3MB)

This sample demonstrates the following concepts:

·	Internet Explorer based ActiveX controls can be used without installation

Deploy & use ActiveX controls to Guest & Restricted Accounts without needing installation or registry access

Use Macromedia shockwave and Flash without installation / registration on an end-user's computer

Use ActiveX controls directly from CDROM, even when the user does not have permission to install

No source code changes required, works with any ActiveX control available

Link any 3rd party libraries and data files directly with your package and eliminate installation entirely

Internet Explorer will always uses the linked version of ActiveX controls so there are never any backwards/forwards compatibility problems.

Other possible uses:

·	Deploy web based applications without installation or system registration

·	Embed specific versions of Java, .NET, Flash, and other common libraries / ActiveX controls - ensure your web app runs 100% of the time.

·	Deploy web conferencing client-applications such as WebEx without needed Administrator rights

How to build your own EXE

1. Download a Free Trial version of Thinstall
2. Download the demo project ZIP file above.
3. Unzip the Project ZIP files and load the project "activex_demo.tsp" using Thinstall (File / Open)
4. Click on the button labeled "Build!"

How to add new ActiveX controls

1.Follow instructions above for installing Thinstall and opening activex_demo.tsp project file
2. Add your .ocx files and all supporting DLLs to the activex_demo.tsp Thinstall project file. ( more info). In most cases you should use a virtual path of %InstallPath%\mycontrol.ocx
3. Record a virtual registry script for your OCX file.

Having trouble? Consult the following pages for more information on finding missing OCX files, determining required DLLs, and using Logging to troubleshoot.

How it works

Normally it is impossible to use new ActiveX controls with Internet Explorer because ActiveX controls must be registered on the local system as COM controls. Registration for COM objects requires modifications to the registry subtree HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, and often requires write access to c:\windows\system32. In both cases, a Restricted or Guest user will not have permission to change either of these.

To solve this problem we created a simple browser.exe program which host the Internet Explorer ActiveX control. Thinstall is then used to package browser.exe, a configuration file to tell the browser where to start when launched, and a set of virtualized DLLs, OCXs, datafiles, and registry keys. When the browser.exe application is run under the Thinstall Virtual Machine, it will have the ability to create instances of any virtualized ActiveX object desired. As well, the browser.exe application can read HTML & image content from the web, the local hard drive, and retains it's normal security settings set by the system Administrator. Internet Explorer itself is also loaded from the user's hard drive, so the version of IE used to display content is the same one currently installed by the user.

FAQ

How can I customize the browser?
Edit the text file browser.config to change the start homepage, the window size, and other variables. You can also customize the back, forward, and home icons by modifying the icons under the default_nav/ directory. Thinstall allows you to also change the icon displayed.

Does browser.exe support pop-up windows?
Yes

Can I redistribute browser.exe?
Browser.exe can be redistributed only with licensed copies of the Thinstall Virtual Machine. One copy of browser.exe may be redistributed with each licensed copy of the Thinstall Virtual Machine.

Can I recreate a single-EXE website with my content packaged inside?
Yes, simply add addition data files to your Thinstall project, and set the starting homepage to file://index.htm. When the browser launches it can read virtualized data files in the form of html, jpg, gifs, and more.

Can I include specific versions of Java with my browser?
Yes, see our java virtualization example.