I am creating a prototype of a website on a local c:drive that will be installed on thousands of other computers, also on their c:drive.

As such, thanks to SP2, there are warnings that come up when the home page of this site is opened up (yellow bar at top, several clickthroughs that you have to click on).

I installed the .... `fix' which was to add to the top of the page a `Mark of the Web' which was to add this line of code <!-- saved from url=(0013)about:internet --> as the very first line.

Intial problem was solved, this page now opens without any warnings !

HOWEVER A NEW PROBLEM WAS CREATED! Once on this page, any subsequent links to pdfs do not work AT ALL!

Question: how can I stop the error messages and maintain full functionality to provide links to pdfs?

More: The solution cannot be changing settings on their browsers, or changing a registry key, or shipping a CD with the site on it, or putting it on the internet.

What are the error messages you are getting?

XP SP2 comes with Internet Information Services, which will allow you to host the site locally (at localhost/site).

Network the other machines such that they can all access the first machine (probably http://webserver/page or something like that) and that should do it.

Better yet, host the site on a web server with a static IP and have people access the IP.

hey thanks for responding !!

no server involved, this site has to be installed on a c: drive. I could go into why but that would not help as this fact cannot change.

it has to be installed on c:drives across the company

the company uses windows XP, linux is out. I do not want to change the world, just get this thing working.

networking with other computers would be out of spec as well, this needs to be figured out before we propagate it to over 200 computers.

attached is a composite image of the SP2 warning messages (not error messages) that you get when you launch an html page locally from a c: drive.

(dont pay attention to the missing images)

Then your scenario doesn't make a lot of sense. How are you going to propagate it to over 200 computers unless either

1) the computers are networked, in which case hosting the site should be fine (I have never heard of any site that has to be run on a C: drive) or

2) the computers are in different areas, in which case hosting the site makes even MORE sense because chances are you're doing something that will change over time and will likely require future updates to the site, updates which in turn will have to be done to over 200 computers in your present configuration.

Do you really want to have to rely on 200 different users to update your site with 200 different installs on 200 different machines with 200 different and mostly unknown configurations, or would you rather have one install on one machine with one known configuration?

You don't even need a server in your equation. XP itself can be a web server. IIS is part of XP; it's not installed by default, but it can be in about 10-15 minutes and run locally. In other words, you don't need a server because every computer in your setup can easily turn into one.

As long as you have a copy of an XP disk, it can easily enough be accomplished. Save some time and do about 4-5 machines at once, then move on to the next 4-5. It's a one-shot install.

This sounds to me like either you're sending yourself down the wrong path or you've got a bunch of corporate types who don't know their *** from a hole in the ground sending you down the wrong path, and I'm thinking it's the latter. If you're building a website, it should be hosted on a web server, unless you plan on distributing copies of the website for promotional purposes on a CD (which you've already ruled out, and it sounds like an Intranet project anyway.)

Then your scenario doesn't make a lot of sense. How are you going to propagate it to over 200 computers unless either

>>IT will propagate it and update it as needed via software distribution. No manual installations. It is easy for them, no issue.

You don't even need a server in your equation. XP itself can be a web server. IIS is part of XP; it's not installed by default, but it can be in about 10-15 minutes and run locally. In other words, you don't need a server because every computer in your setup can easily turn into one.

>>Internal Client wants this installed as a help application, not dependent on viewing on a network (though obviously the files are installed while on a network overnight), not dependent on an intranet or internet site. This site will be opened from a help icon in the desktop application (that vendor will install a help icon in their software that will launch this internal index.htm file. The site will be a subdirectory in the application directory on the c:drive.

>>It's very strange. Putting that extra code (Mark of the Web) on the top line of the home page stops the SP2 warning messages, but messes up hyperlinks in that page. To be clear it will not allow any links other than to a HTML page. It stops (no error messages, just will not work) PDFs, Word, Powerpoint, Excel....

From your description, I would recommend two different approaches.

First, since its meant to be a help application, use a WinHelp compiler and distribute a help file. This give you the bonus of being 'standard' and you get built in search.

Second, to get past all of the security issues for ActiveX controls, build your HTML files as HTA's (HyperText Application). This will completely avoid the error messages you are getting.
See Micrsoft's docs for more info (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms536496.aspx). Keep in mind, this means you will be windows only.
It sounds like you guys are using Radia or something similar for deployment so, eaither case should be a breeze.