SP2 kills my AxWebBrowser

[Joe]

I'm using an AxWebBrowser control in one of my applications, and upon upgrading
to SP2, it's not working. It's a C# application, and I've traced it both pre-
and post-SP2. There's no code difference, but in SP2 the AxWebBrowser.Navigate
just never sets up a reference to the document. Are there changes in
AxWebBrowser, or is this a know issue, or what??? This is going to absolutely
KILL productivity at our company if I don't fix or work around it before this
stupid thing goes onto Automatic Update (IT has informed me that they'll only
hold the thing back for so long....).

-- Joe

 

[Guest]

Why did you install the beta version of SP2 in your work
environment ???? Not very smart ??

-----Original Message-----
I'm using an AxWebBrowser control in one of my

applications, and upon upgrading

 

[Joe]

Why did you install the beta version of SP2 in your work
environment ???? Not very smart ??

I didn't. We had a tester install the thing once it went
to RTM. This is NOT THE BETA, it's the release build that
is being sent to the world at large. And it breaks the
AxWebBrowser control. It would be "Not very smart" to let
a major upgrade to our OS go out without someone testing
it, I believe. And now that we have located a problem, we
need to fix it before that upgrade is forced onto us. Again,
IT is going to hold off on letting it out, but they've told
me that they're not going to wait too long (for security
reasons). It's a bad situation for me all around.

That said, I was looking at the change details, and I'm
wondering if anyone knows of any likely changes to the
security settings for IE in the post-SP2 world that would
cause a webbrowser control within another application to
silently fail? I'm going to look into that angle a little
more, because I haven't seen anything about the control
itself changing for SP2.

Any useful direction to point me in would be appreciated!

-- Joe

 

[Testy]

Sorry most here will not believe that MS's new baby breaks things! I feel
for you. Keep trying!

Testy

 

[Plato]

I'm using an AxWebBrowser control in one of my applications, and upon upgrading
to SP2, it's not working. It's a C# application, and I've traced it both pre-

If you insist on being the first to test sp2 then you also get the
associated benfits of such.

 

[Malke]

If you insist on being the first to test sp2 then you also get the
associated benfits of such.

There are a lot of changes to IE. Some add-ons will not work without
extra configuration. Some add-ons will need their code changed. Here
are some links with lots of information for you:

for end users
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx

more technical
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.mspx

Malke

 

[Joe]

Joe wrote:

If you insist on being the first to test sp2 then you also get the
associated benfits of such.

You'd prefer I just let Automatic Update break everyone in my office?
Gee, thanks. Real eye for customer support there.

The reality of the situation is that it's not in testing anymore, and
all of the security features added make IT folks *want* this release.
I insist on my product working, that's all.

Now, to continue with the topic: I have tried dropping the security
features to low for IE and then using the control, still no dice.
It's not returning an error, it's just that AxWebBrowser.Navitage
doesn't populate the AxWebBrowser's Document, which means that
nothing displays. So in effect it just doesn't start.

One theory that might have merit is that the Local Machine Lockdown
has something to do with it. Anyone have a good explanation on what
exactly it affects?

-- Joe

 

[Joe]

There are a lot of changes to IE. Some add-ons will not work without
extra configuration. Some add-ons will need their code changed. Here
are some links with lots of information for you:

for end users
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx

more technical
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.mspx

Thanks. I've previously enountered the papers MS is restating in those
links and am familiar with (in general) the changes. The problem is,
nothing there really covers how these changes interact with browsers
that are controls in other applications. One of the big things I wonder
about is if any of the new window-locking features (must have toolbar,
must be on screen, etc) interact badly with IE controls in the pane of
a .NET container control. That's not specifically for this group, I
guess, but still, any help is appreciated!

-- Joe

 

[Jim]

Hi,

Don't you like it when people are so helpful . They
prefer to state their jibes and laugh rather than provide
any valuable insight.

Back in May (2004-05-12), I downloaded a document
entitled "Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows
XP Service Pack 2 - Network Protection Technologies." I
don't know if you are still able to get this document;
however, the link on the bottom of the pages I printed is
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winesppro/mai
ntain/sp2netwkmspx.

This may or may not be the same as the documents you have
already reviewed.

I still have the zipped file that was downloaded if you
are unable to find it on the page I just identified. It
is only 337 kb so I could mail it to you if you are
unable to locate it.

Jim
(e-mail address removed)

-----Original Message-----

 

[Les Herrman]

I'm using an AxWebBrowser control in one of my applications, and upon upgrading
to SP2, it's not working. It's a C# application, and I've traced it both pre-
and post-SP2. There's no code difference, but in SP2 the AxWebBrowser.Navigate
just never sets up a reference to the document. Are there changes in
AxWebBrowser, or is this a know issue, or what??? This is going to absolutely
KILL productivity at our company if I don't fix or work around it before this
stupid thing goes onto Automatic Update (IT has informed me that they'll only
hold the thing back for so long....).

-- Joe

Maybe a call to MS to ask them? It might be worth the $ they charge
for the support call just to get your problem fixed.

 

[Testy]

Interesting concept they create a problem and then charge you to fix it!
Maybe I am in the wrong end of the business.

Testy

 

[Joe]

Don't you like it when people are so helpful . They
prefer to state their jibes and laugh rather than provide
any valuable insight.

It's usenet. I've been here long enough to know that you have
to deal with a few odd comments to find the gems.

Back in May (2004-05-12), I downloaded a document
entitled "Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows
XP Service Pack 2 - Network Protection Technologies." I
don't know if you are still able to get this document;

This may or may not be the same as the documents you have
already reviewed.

Yeah, I have those. I'm going to spend a while playing with
the registry settings for local machine lockdown and a couple
of other things and see if I can't get it to work. If not,
then I may have to reprogram that portion of the product to
use a form that simulates a browser: it'll be less functional
than it was before, but will should suffice until either a fix
is published or someone finds the right combination of
security settings to get it working.

-- Joe

I still have the zipped file that was downloaded if you
are unable to find it on the page I just identified. It
is only 337 kb so I could mail it to you if you are
unable to locate it.

Jim
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Plato]

Don't you like it when people are so helpful . They
prefer to state their jibes and laugh rather than provide
any valuable insight.

I suppose that you can ask for a refund if you dont like the service.

 

[Joe]

Maybe a call to MS to ask them? It might be worth the $ they charge
for the support call just to get your problem fixed.

That is definitely an option I'm considering. I'm just amazed that there's
only one other person I've been able to find who's reported such a problem.
Are other people out there using .NET applications with the web browser
control in it and doing okay? Please let me know.

If it's a code issue I'll be glad to fix it, but if it is, someone from MS
needs to let us know what changed in the control!

-- Joe

 

[wh]

That is definitely an option I'm considering. I'm just amazed that there's
only one other person I've been able to find who's reported such a problem.
Are other people out there using .NET applications with the web browser
control in it and doing okay? Please let me know.

If it's a code issue I'll be glad to fix it, but if it is, someone from MS
needs to let us know what changed in the control!

-- Joe

I got the same problem. Any fix?

 

[wh]

That is definitely an option I'm considering. I'm just amazed that there's
only one other person I've been able to find who's reported such a problem.
Are other people out there using .NET applications with the web browser
control in it and doing okay? Please let me know.

If it's a code issue I'll be glad to fix it, but if it is, someone from MS
needs to let us know what changed in the control!

-- Joe

try to rebuild your app with the new version of shdocvw.dll installed by sp2.

 

[Guest]

I'm using an AxWebBrowser control in one of my applications, and upon upgrading
to SP2, it's not working. It's a C# application, and I've traced it both pre-
and post-SP2. There's no code difference, but in SP2 the AxWebBrowser.Navigate
just never sets up a reference to the document. Are there changes in
AxWebBrowser, or is this a know issue, or what??? This is going to absolutely
KILL productivity at our company if I don't fix or work around it before this
stupid thing goes onto Automatic Update (IT has informed me that they'll only
hold the thing back for so long....).

For me the symptom wasn't AxWebBrowser completely failing, but instead
events from the component weren't coming through. The solution was the same
as "wh" presented here, so thanks "wh". I just redid all the stuff I
originally did to bring the AxWebBrowser to my C# project in Visual Studio
..NET, e.g.

• Import Microsoft Web Browser component to VS .NET 2003 project by clicking
Add/Remove Items in the Toolbox / Windows Forms context menu and importing
COM Components / Microsoft Web Browser.

• Double-click Microsoft Web Browser from Toolbox to add it on the form. It
now works! You can change URL with e.g.

Object o = null;
axWebBrowser1.Navigate("http://localhost:8080/", ref o, ref o, ref o, ref o);

• To make changes to the web browser component, interface and implement
interfaces IOleObject, IOleClientSite, IDocHostShowUI, IDocHostUIHandler.
Make own files for them and add content. Also implement IOleClientSite,
IDocHostUIHandler methods in the form. Then make your own
MsHtmlCustomization.dll.

o Run always from Visual Studio .NET Command Prompt. (See Start Menu.)

o midl MsHtmlCustomization.idl /tlb bin\MsHtmlCustomization.tlb

o tlbimp bin\MsHtmlCustomization.tlb /out:bin\MsHtmlCustomization.dll

o Add Reference to Solution Explorer for the new DLL.

I don't know if doing everything above is necessary, but you get the
picture? Good luck!