Disable Popup Blockers

[chris_gay]

Hi all,

I'm trying to write a setup program that adds my website to various popup blockers to allow it to utilise popups.

This is ran by user choice and is to allow full operation of a web application I have written. I'd like to add it automatically to save the user hassle as they will have downloaded my setup program to automatically install the various activex controls required.

Does anyone have any experience or samples for this as I have visions of having to install and figure out each of the more popular popup blockers.

Any help would be grand,

Thanks,

Chris.

[GCDEF]

Go away.

[chris_gay]

Constructive, thanks.

Why are you an elite member exactly?

[GCDEF]

Why would I want to help somebody get around popup blockers exactly?

[chris_gay]

I see you assume all developers are malicious.! Did you even read my original post, or just see the title?

I explicitly said this was for an install program downloaded and ran through user choice. The install will also register a few ActiveX controls that my web application needs and configure some user settings, got a problem with that also...?

Shockingly there are legit reasons for adding a site as trusted to popup blockers, perhaps you should ask before posing such unhelpful messages, or if you did not wish to help just don't post.... simple... or were you looking for a confrontation?!

My legit reason (repeating myself) is to provide an install to configure a users machine to run my web application. As we all know users are not the best at following what are simple instructions so automating the process seemed like a reasonable way to go.

Also providing a nice install msi helps corporates rollout changes needed for things to work properly, or do you suggest I have IT support visit each desktop in a large company to add a site to a popup blockers trusted list (do you want the bill for that one?).

Perhaps I should just provide a help page containing instructions on how to add my site to the trusted sites list, lets see it would have what... 10 or more blockers... how many end users do you think would do it correctly??

So my apologies for asking for help with something that could perhaps, maybe, possibly, be used for malicious purposes.

Perhaps I should not ask questions about WindowsHooks, Running Apps On Startup, Changing the Registry, MovingWindows, Drawing on the Desktop, Changing Screensaver, in fact just about anything to do with windows programing...... all of which can also be used maliciously.

Right i'd best get back to it as it seems there is no help to be had here.

How frustrating after years of CodeGuru use that a single persons comments have annoyed me so much..!!!

The words "think before you open your mouth" seem apt right now.

Thanks again,

Chris.

[Edders]

Chris, I'm not sure that there is a single sure-fire way that will achieve what you are looking for. As you already pointed out there are quite a number of these applications out there and I presume each single one of them has a different way of storing trusted sites. Obviously I may be wrong on that account! The best advise I can give right now is to research if there are one or two that are most likely to be used by your end users and then concentrate on those.

[chris_gay]

Thanks Edders,

I think your right, I had posted hoping that someone had to do this before so might have guidance (or in the dream world snippets).

I have put together instructions on how to manually do this for a number of blockers, but of course i have to translate these into program settings...doh!

Looks like this could take a while. Ho hum.

Next version of the web application isn't going to use pop ups at all but thats a few months off yet...double doh!

Chris.

[PadexArt]

I don't think any company would be happy to install a software that works around security settings, no matter how legit the reasons are. So documenting what needs to be done is the way to go forward. Besides, if there was a way to do that it would be a severe security whole.

[Paul McKenzie]

I see you assume all developers are malicious.! Did you even read my original post, or just see the title?

GCDEF has a valid point.

Someone who is trying to do something malicious may read this thread. Regardless of what you want to do is malicious or not, if what is to be done is perceived malicious, answers should not be given in a CodeGuru message forum.

Regards,

Paul McKenzie

[chris_gay]

I'm afraid I disagree.

If you install any Software it does a whole raft of things it needs to run properly (changes registry, adds BHOs, updates / adds dll's....). Why would my application, or anyone else's be any different.

It's not trying to work around the restrictions surreptitiously its a user ran or corporate ran install process with full visibility of what it is doing. I'm just trying to automate it for the reasons explained in a previous post.

The idea that corporates would not roll out application that modify security settings is in my view incorrect also. If this was the case corporates would not roll any applications out.

Ask yourself what MS applications do on install. Or even browsers like FireFox and small apps like Winamp. They all go as far as reporting data back. I'd say that was a security issue.

If a company pays for an application they need it to run, so settings and installs configure user machines to facilitate that. I didn't think I was trying to do anything shocking here... perhaps it's the title of my post that's done it.

C

[chris_gay]

Hi Paul

By that logic we should not post any answer to any question that could be used detrimentally.

I can refer again to questions relating to WindowHooks (used for key logging and monitoring users). Running on startup (used to ensure your app always runs, silently if you want). Moving windows about, drawing on the deskop, HTTP tunnelling..... this list is endless....

With just that I could write and app that:

- Always ran on startup.
- Grabbed all windows handles.
- Jiggled the users windows around the screen.
- Captured their key presses (sent the info back over port 80).
- Drew obscene message on the desktop.
- ......

My point is a lot of what we do as developers can be used for bad and good does that mean we should not make public any information?

C

[GCDEF]

Chris, you'd be surprised at how often people come around here asking for help writing what are obviously viruses. Doesn't happen everyday, but it happens. Everybody here is annoyed by popups and browse hijackers. There are "programmers" that come here asking all sorts of crazy things about how to bypass setting and controls that users have in place, and they're pretty universally told we don't write or encourage programs like that here. Regarless of your story, you're asking for help writing potentially malicious code, and you're not likely to get it here. Sure, any program could be portentially dangerous, but you're asking specifically to bypass settings that have been deliberately put in place by the owners of the target computers. Sorry that ruffles your feathers, but that's the way it is.

[chris_gay]

Hi GCDEF,

That is absolutely fine. My frustration came from your "Go Away" post without any explanation.

I understand this could be used maliciously as can many things, should that stop me asking the question if I'm stuck?

All I was after was either help or guidance.

C

[GCDEF]

Hi GCDEF,

That is absolutely fine. My frustration came from your "Go Away" post without any explanation.

I understand this could be used maliciously as can many things, should that stop me asking the question if I'm stuck?

All I was after was either help or guidance.

C

Possibly I misjudged your intent. As I said, disdain for people who pursue the dark side of programming runs pretty high around here.

[Paul McKenzie]

Hi Paul

By that logic we should not post any answer to any question that could be used detrimentally.

Questions such as how to go around a personal computer's settings, how to run code without it being shutdown, how to bypass settings, how to change the copyright notice on a commercial DLL, etc. is viewed as malicious.

I can refer again to questions relating to WindowHooks (used for key logging and monitoring users). Running on startup (used to ensure your app always runs, silently if you want). Moving windows about, drawing on the deskop, HTTP tunnelling..... this list is endless....

And the careful ones here, such as GCDEF, myself, and others always asks the person what they're trying to accomplish.

Many here produce commercial software, and maybe some commercial popup blockers. Imagine if that person who wrote the popup blocker were to read this thread, and sees that someone has given tips on how to avoid that piece of software. I don't think Brad, the owner of CodeGuru, would want to see email from a company implicating him in trying to avert their software, even if he can explain himself away.

With me, anytime I see questions on "I have a demo of a DLL, and would like to call this function", and the person has no documentation on this function, that is a sign to me that the DLL in all likelihood is trying to use a demo app illegally. Since my company creates DLL's, there is a chance that the person asking the question is ripping off my software.

Regards,

Paul McKenzie