Turn on Protected Mode

This policy setting allows you to turn on Protected Mode. Protected Mode helps protect Internet Explorer from exploited vulnerabilities by reducing the locations that Internet Explorer can write to in the registry and the file system. If you enable this policy setting Protected Mode is turned on. The user cannot turn off Protected Mode. If you disable this policy setting Protected Mode is turned off. The user cannot turn on Protected Mode. If you do not configure this policy setting the user can turn on or turn off Protected Mode.

Allow loading of XAML Browser Applications

This policy setting allows you to manage the loading of XAML Browser Applications (XBAPs). These are browser-hosted ClickOnce-deployed applications built via WinFX. These applications run in a security sandbox and take advantage of the Windows Presentation Foundation platform for the web. If you enable this policy setting and set the drop-down box to Enable XBAPs are automatically loaded inside Internet Explorer. The user cannot change this behavior. If you set the drop-down box to Prompt the user is prompted for loading XBAPs. If you disable this policy setting XBAPs are not loaded inside Internet Explorer. The user cannot change this behavior. If you do not configure this policy setting the user can decide whether to load XBAPs inside Internet Explorer.

Show security warning for potentially unsafe files

This policy setting controls whether or not the “Open File – Security Warning” message appears when the user tries to open executable files or other potentially unsafe files (from an intranet file share by using File Explorer for example). If you enable this policy setting and set the drop-down box to Enable these files open without a security warning. If you set the drop-down box to Prompt a security warning appears before the files open. If you disable this policy setting these files do not open. If you do not configure this policy setting the user can configure how the computer handles these files. By default these files are blocked in the Restricted zone enabled in the Intranet and Local Computer zones and set to prompt in the Internet and Trusted zones.

Allow scripting of Internet Explorer WebBrowser controls

This policy setting determines whether a page can control embedded WebBrowser controls via script. If you enable this policy setting script access to the WebBrowser control is allowed. If you disable this policy setting script access to the WebBrowser control is not allowed. If you do not configure this policy setting the user can enable or disable script access to the WebBrowser control. By default script access to the WebBrowser control is allowed only in the Local Machine and Intranet zones.

Allow video and animation on a webpage that uses an older media player

This policy setting allows the playing of video and animation through older media players in specified zones. Video and animation playback through the object tag may still be allowed because this involves external controls or media players. The dynsrc attribute on the img tag specifies an older media player. Also as of Internet Explorer 8 this policy setting controls HTML+TIME media elements that refer to audio and video files. If you enable this policy setting video and animation can be played through older media players in specified zones. If you disable this policy setting video and animation cannot be played through older media players. If you do not configure this policy setting video and animation can be played through older media players in specified zones.

Allow scriptlets

This policy setting allows you to manage whether the user can run scriptlets. If you enable this policy setting the user can run scriptlets. If you disable this policy setting the user cannot run scriptlets. If you do not configure this policy setting the user can enable or disable scriptlets.

Turn off first-run prompt

This policy setting controls the first-run response that the user sees on a zone-by-zone basis. When the user encounters a new control that has not previously run in Internet Explorer he or she may be prompted to approve the control. This policy setting determines whether the user is prompted. If you enable this policy setting the first-run prompt is turned off in the corresponding zone. If you disable this policy setting the first-run prompt is turned on in the corresponding zone. If you do not configure this policy setting the first-run prompt is turned off by default.

Include local path when user is uploading files to a server

This policy setting controls whether or not local path information is sent when the user is uploading a file via an HTML form. If the local path information is sent some information may be unintentionally revealed to the server. For instance files sent from the user’s desktop may contain the user name as a part of the path. If you enable this policy setting path information is sent when the user is uploading a file via an HTML form. If you disable this policy setting path information is removed when the user is uploading a file via an HTML form. If you do not configure this policy setting the user can choose whether path information is sent when he or she is uploading a file via an HTML form. By default path information is sent.

Turn on SmartScreen Filter scan

This policy setting controls whether SmartScreen Filter scans pages in this zone for malicious content. If you enable this policy setting SmartScreen Filter scans pages in this zone for malicious content. If you disable this policy setting SmartScreen Filter does not scan pages in this zone for malicious content. If you do not configure this policy setting the user can choose whether SmartScreen Filter scans pages in this zone for malicious content. Note: In Internet Explorer 7 this policy setting controls whether Phishing Filter scans pages in this zone for malicious content.

Software channel permissions

This policy setting allows you to manage software channel permissions. If you enable this policy setting you can choose the following options from the drop-down box. Low safety to allow users to be notified of software updates by e-mail software packages to be automatically downloaded to users’ computers and software packages to be automatically installed on users’ computers. Medium safety to allow users to be notified of software updates by e-mail and software packages to be automatically downloaded to (but not installed on) users’ computers. High safety to prevent users from being notified of software updates by e-mail software packages from being automatically downloaded to users’ computers and software packages from being automatically installed on users’ computers. If you disable this policy setting permissions are set to high safety. If you do not configure this policy setting permissions are set to Medium safety.