"Do you want to view only the web page content that was delivered securely?"

[(PeteCresswell)]

Just applied a bunch of MS updates to my XP box.

Besides hosing all my saved password cookies (?) the update seems
to have introduced this maddening prompt into IE 8:

"Security Warning Do you want to view only the web page content
that was delivered securely? This webpage contains content that
will not be delivered using a secure HTTPS connection, which
could compromise the security of the entire webpage?"

I don't even know whether to answer "Yes" or "No"... so I've been
clicking "Yes".

Ok.... so I did a Tools | Internet Options | Security | Custom
Level | Miscellaneous | Display Mixed Content = Enable


Presumably that "fixed" the "problem".

But I have no clue otherwise.

Can anybody tell me what I've done? i.e. What are the security
implications?

 

[Michael T.]

Just applied a bunch of MS updates to my XP box.

Besides hosing all my saved password cookies (?) the update seems
to have introduced this maddening prompt into IE 8:

"Security Warning Do you want to view only the web page content
that was delivered securely? This webpage contains content that
will not be delivered using a secure HTTPS connection, which
could compromise the security of the entire webpage?"

I don't even know whether to answer "Yes" or "No"... so I've been
clicking "Yes".

Ok.... so I did a Tools | Internet Options | Security | Custom
Level | Miscellaneous | Display Mixed Content = Enable


Presumably that "fixed" the "problem".

But I have no clue otherwise.

Can anybody tell me what I've done? i.e. What are the security
implications?

You must have been a bit behind (more than a couple of months), because I've
been getting that prompt (Security Warning) for many weeks. It's pretty
infrequent for my website visits, which are primarily to sites I trust.
Obviously your mileage may vary.

I always click YES.

Perhaps another poster can enlighten us further.

 

[VanguardLH]

Just applied a bunch of MS updates to my XP box.

Besides hosing all my saved password cookies (?) the update seems
to have introduced this maddening prompt into IE 8:

"Security Warning Do you want to view only the web page content
that was delivered securely? This webpage contains content that
will not be delivered using a secure HTTPS connection, which
could compromise the security of the entire webpage?"

I don't even know whether to answer "Yes" or "No"... so I've been
clicking "Yes".

Ok.... so I did a Tools | Internet Options | Security | Custom
Level | Miscellaneous | Display Mixed Content = Enable

Presumably that "fixed" the "problem".

But I have no clue otherwise.

Can anybody tell me what I've done? i.e. What are the security
implications?

First decide if you consider an HTTPS web page secure or not if it
includes non-secure content. That is, is the web page really secure if
it also delivers non-secure content? Say you visit a web page using
HTTP (to SSL secure you communications with that site) but they push a
bunch of advertising with that page that isn't secured (it not encrypted
using SSL). Do you consider your wall safe secure after closing it and
spinning the dial if there's a hole through the middle of the door?

After you decide whether or not to allow mixed (secure and non-secure)
content delivered in a web page, configure Internet Options how you want
to handle that mixed content.

- Internet Options -> Security tab -> Internet security zone.
- Click on the Custom button.
- Scroll down to the Miscellaneous section.
- Find the "Display mixed content" option.

Prompt = You'll get prompted every time a web page that's supposed to
be secure (where you connected using HTTPS) also delivers
non-secure content. That is, when a supposedly secure web
page isn't secure then you get prompted about this screwup by
the web page designer. This can be a pain as way too many
ad-supported sites that have you login will push both secured
(SSL encrypted) and non-secured content to your web browser.
Enable = You never get prompted. Mixed content (secure and non-secure)
will get delivered to your web browser. You won't know that
the site is pushing non-secure content at you.
Disable = You never get prompted. Mixed content is not allowed. Only
the secured content will be accepted by your web browser. The
non-secure content will get blocked.

If you visit secure web sites and you only want to get their secure
content while blocking anything non-secure while never getting prompted
then select Disable.

Internet Explorer 8 Mixed Content Handling
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee264315(v=vs.85).aspx

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Michael T.:

You must have been a bit behind (more than a couple of months),

True. I dread those things - having been hosed more than once
by them. The only things that I fear more are Apple's iTunes
"upgrades"..... -)

 

[Nil]

True. I dread those things - having been hosed more than once
by them. The only things that I fear more are Apple's iTunes
"upgrades"..... -)

I keep up to date with the iTunes updates on one computer, just to see
what they're about. I must say that, even though the bloat increases
and useless (to me, anyway) features are added, I've never had
anyroblem with their updates.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Nil:

I must say that, even though the bloat increases
and useless (to me, anyway) features are added, I've never had
anyroblem with their updates.

I don't think I've ever had one go smoothly.... not ever.... The
worst one took me almost a week to recover from - totally hosed
my collection, renamed files/folders, messed up the DB...

Sometimes I feel like that little guy Joe Btfsplk
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Btfsplk) in the old Lil' Abner
strip who walked around with a rain cloud over him all the time.

Dunno what it is or how I do it, but I have a serious talent for
provoking problems. If only I could monetize it somehow.... -)

 

[Char Jackson]

Per Nil:

I don't think I've ever had one go smoothly.... not ever.... The
worst one took me almost a week to recover from - totally hosed
my collection, renamed files/folders, messed up the DB...

For most people, years and years of Windows updates on multiple
machines all go smoothly, without the slightest hitch. A small
minority of people occasionally have a problem with an update here or
there, but to never "had one go smoothly.... not ever" might just put
you in a minority of one. I wonder how you're managing to do that, and
whether you've been able to repeat that behavior across multiple
machines? I know you don't know, but it would be interesting to
somehow find out so that you could serve as an example to others.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Char Jackson:

For most people, years and years of Windows updates on multiple
machines all go smoothly, without the slightest hitch. A small
minority of people occasionally have a problem with an update here or
there, but to never "had one go smoothly.... not ever"

I knew I shb more specific in that reply. We were referring to
iTunes updates, not Windows.

With Windows I've never had a really bad update - just little
gotchas like the prompt that started this thread... and now I
notice that at least one online forum I participate in has
suddenly stopped remembering my ID/PW.... probably some security
setting in IE....

 

[Char Jackson]

Per Char Jackson:

I knew I shb more specific in that reply. We were referring to
iTunes updates, not Windows.

Oh, sorry. I don't do iTunes so I have no experience there.

With Windows I've never had a really bad update - just little
gotchas like the prompt that started this thread... and now I
notice that at least one online forum I participate in has
suddenly stopped remembering my ID/PW.... probably some security
setting in IE....

That, or a spoiled cookie.