Manage IE: Performance Hit & Alternatives

[jpapier]

Greetings,

We're considering using PWB at our library, primarily because we want to limit downloads to the C: drive so that patrons can't install AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, etc. IM'ing is dominating computer use at certain times of the day.

We're experimenting with Manage IE on top of PWB, because we offer access to Word, and don't want patrons typing in URLs and then clicking on them, thereby opening IE directly, thereby allowing them to download AOL IM, etc.

Nor do we want folks to be able to email IE as an attachment to themselves, and then open it and use it,

BUT, our big problem is that IE Manage seems to really slow down browsing, primarily when you first type in a URL. However, going to sites via clicking on links is slower as well.

Have others noticed this?

Any workaround to the above IM / downloading problems via something besides Manage IE?

Thanks,

Jeff Papier jpapier101@comcast.net
Senior Network Librarian
South Brunswick Public Library
Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852

[Philip - Long Beach NY]

I'm a little confused. If you are using PWB, clicking on a link or typing in a url won't open an IE window. Manage IE will keep users from opening saved HTML documents from a floppy; hence opening IE. You might try using the SetPWB utility to set PWB as the default browser also.

The Resctricted Save feature I do have enabled and it works fine from keeping files larger than a floppy from being saved and opened, like IM.

I don't use Manage IE so I can't answer whether it has caused surfing slow downs.

hope this helps

Philip - Long Beach NY[/i]

[Scott]

MangeIE should not slow down browsing. ManageIE's only function in life is to be activated by IE as a BHO and then close IE. The only time ManageIE is active is when IE is opened and runs the BHOs.

Maybe it is a setting in your INI file that could be causing the slow down. For instance using extremely large filter files from a network can cause a problem because PWB has to parse the text file through the network.

--Scott

[Guest]

Phil: Thanks for the SetPWB idea. As for the rest of it, if we go into Word and type in a URL, and then control-click on it, IE is opened. (This is when Manage IE isn't running, of course.)

The Yahoo thing had nothing to do with a floppy: you can view IE as an attachment, and then Open it, rather than Save it, and it runs. Then you can download whatever you want with IE. (Again, with Manage IE not running.)

Scott: Thanks for the tip re when Manage IE runs and when it doesn't.
Don't know about filter files, so I don't think we are running them.

Jeff

[Guest]

If you mean filtering via a URL filter file, we're not using that feature....

[Philip - Long Beach NY]

Ummm, sorry but I'm not too savvy when it comes to MS Word

How can someone type in a URL within Word?

As far as the IE attachments or even the saved html files for that matter, Manage IE in conjunction with the RestrictedSave should take care of that no?

I have yet to implement ManageIE cause I dont' want to have to uninstall it everytime I need to go online within the Administrator account.

Too lazy I guess. hehe

P.S. Ok you can stop laughing now, I figured out how to type a URL into Word, (Philip = n00b eheh)

[Guest]

Phil, My contention was that if our high school students are clever enough to figure out how to open up IE via typing in a URL in word, they should be ALLOWED to use AIM to chat!

I wouldna thought of that one either, but saw it I think on this forum.

However, the emailing oneself of IE is something I remembered from previous bouts with students.

The trick with the email is that you don't have to SAVE it at all at all at all, you just pick Open, and it runneth.

Go figure.

Let's all just AIM forever and ever, the world will be a better place.

[Gunderson]

Greetings,

We're considering using PWB at our library, primarily because we want to limit downloads to the C: drive so that patrons can't install AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, etc. IM'ing is dominating computer use at certain times of the day.

We're experimenting with Manage IE on top of PWB, because we offer access to Word, and don't want patrons typing in URLs and then clicking on them, thereby opening IE directly, thereby allowing them to download AOL IM, etc.

Nor do we want folks to be able to email IE as an attachment to themselves, and then open it and use it,

BUT, our big problem is that IE Manage seems to really slow down browsing, primarily when you first type in a URL. However, going to sites via clicking on links is slower as well.

Have others noticed this?

Any workaround to the above IM / downloading problems via something besides Manage IE?

Thanks,

Jeff Papier jpapier101@comcast.net
Senior Network Librarian
South Brunswick Public Library
Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852

Couple of things to try,

1. Set IE to use a proxy something like no_internet for Http, FTP etc on port 80. With IE having false proxy Word will not be able to open websites.

2. Set PWB to use a proxy server to override the IE one. This allows only PWB from using the Internet.

3. One way to stop the instant messaging programs or other browser hijackers is to lock the downloaded programs folder. This prevents the active X installers from running. This can be tricky undoing though, and you need to install anything that uses active x (windows update) before you lock it.

The above might work for you and it might not.

[Guest]

Some time ago Scott helped us diagnose what was causing our performance hit, and I thought I'd share.

We were using a shellbar folder mounted on a server. Each time PWB opened up a new window, it had to reparse the contents of that folder, thus slowing the whole works up.

Now we use a server-mounted .ini, but a locally saved shellbar folder. Everything is suitably speedy now.

Jeff