| THE NOTIFICATION BAR EXPLAINED |
The Internet Explorer 9 Notification Bar, under default settings (normal circumstances), is a Status Bar window. It warns you when a website (or web page) tries to open a pop-up (advertisement) window. It tells you when a program wants to install and/or run an ActiveX Control, that may or may not be unsafe. And it gives you the status of a file download. It also gives you control of file downloads in general.
An ActiveX Control is normally a useful, extension, program that betters your experience of the Internet for example. Each ActiveX Control needs your permission to be downloaded before it can run on your computer just like any other program.
Unfortunately, there are programmers/companies out there that try and fool you into downloading their bad softwares/files via the download of an activex control. They normally do this by offering you some sort of free download, such as a free music file. For example. You might click on the INSTALL button of the Notification Bar in order to allow a music ActiveX Control to be downloaded, without realising that bad activex control is being used to download a bad music file as well. A bad activex control that can purposely damage your computer files.
Even though the Notification Bar warns you of a problem, and sometimes gives you a choice-of-actions to take for the problem, it's still left to you to make the right decision. With regards to websites, web pages and activex controls the only advise I can give you is; if you know and trust the website, web page and/or activex control in question you should give it permission to do what it is asking of you (i.e. Download a file, Install/Run an activex control or Display a pop-up window). Otherwise you should enquire further, by searching the internet and/or by asking someone in the know, before giving any kind of permission(s).
In the example below the Adobe website wants to install its Adobe Download Manager (Adobe DLM) ADD-ON (additional, independent, software for internet explorer 9) before allowing me to install its Adobe Flash Player (the application that allows Flash Files, YouTube Videos and so on to be played inside an internet explorer 9 window).
If I don't allow the Adobe DLM ADD-ON to be installed I will not be able to install Adobe Flash Player and therefore will be unable to view YouTube videos within internet explorer 9. Fortunately adobe is a brand name and can therefore be trusted, hence why I am clicking on the INSTALL button. If I did not know what Adobe DLM was I would go to Google and search: What is Adobe DLM add-on?.
When you download a file from a website, by clicking on its DOWNLOAD link, the following Notification Bar appears with three options on it - RUN, SAVE and
CANCEL.
RUN - The RUN option simply runs (executes/launches) the download process whereby an installation/set-up file is downloaded from the website into
a Windows 7, system, temporary folder before it is then run. The downloaded file will then launch (run/execute) its own Installation Wizard (step-by-step
installation instructions).
CANCEL - The CANCEL option will either cancel the request to download the file from the website (if the download process has not begun yet) or it
will cancel (stop) the actual file that is currently being downloaded. In which case you might see a partially downloaded file inside your DOWNLOADS folder.
If so, you can delete it (it normally has a file extension of .part or something similar).
SAVE - The SAVE option (button) actually doubles up as a drop-down menu. If you click squarely on the SAVE button the downloaded file will keep its
original file name and be stored (downloaded) inside your DOWNLOADS folder. However. If you click to the right-side of the SAVE button, on its black arrow,
its drop-down menu menu-items will appear whereby you then have three options - SAVE (as just explained), SAVE AS (you are allowed to change the file name
and destination (download) folder of the download file if you wish and SAVE AND RUN (a combination of the two, just mentioned, options).
In this next example I have clicked on the SAVE button's drop-down menu and then selected (left clicked on) the SAVE AND RUN menu-item. This will save
(download) the file called avg_free_x86_all_2011_1388a3717.exe inside my DOWNLOADS folder and then run (execute/launch) its installation wizard
(set-up instructions process). This is basically a download of the FREE AVG Anti-Virus software from Grisoft.
The Notification Bar gives details of the download file. Its file name avg_free_x86_all_2011_1388a3717.exe, file size 165MB and the website
where it is being downloaded from aa-download.avg.com.
As the file is being downloaded the notification bar then gives you details of the actual download status. The percentage of file downloaded already 11% and the estimated time remaining before the file has been completely downloaded 3 min 2 sec remaining. Whilst the file is being downloaded you also have the option to CANCEL the download process, PAUSE/RESUME the download process or VIEW the current DOWNLOADS (see below).
In the above example I have clicked on the VIEW DOWNLOADS buttons in order to see more information, and have more options, regarding my current file download; via the View Downloads window (below).
At this stage there is not much difference between the original notification bar and the expanded version (the View Downloads window above) and therefore
not much point clicking on the VIEW DOWNLOADS button (Fig 1.2 above), but this all changes when you have more than one download to manage.
In the example below I am now also downloading a security program called Spybot whereby it has finished downloading while AVG is still being downloaded.
If I click on the RUN button next to the completed Spybot download it will launch (run/execute) Spybot's installation wizard (set-up instructions). AVG
would then continue to download, even with Spybot's installation wizard running as a separate task in the background. When AVG has downloaded completely
it too will have a RUN button next to its entry, because I chose the SAVE AND RUN option (button) for it in Fig 1.1 above.
If I don't want to RUN Spybot yet, whose file is now stored (downloaded) inside my computer's DOWNLOADS folder, I can clear the list of completed downloads instead by clicking on the CLEAR LIST button. When all of the files have finished downloading, regardless of clearing the list or not, you then need to close the View Downloads window by clicking on the CLOSE button (Fig 1.6 below).
It is not a must to open the View Downloads window, just the same as it is not a must to clear its file downloads listings/entries, but if you want to know what is happening with your file downloads and like to keep the listings clear then it is good practise to use the View Downloads window and its options.
The notification bar is not just for reporting the status of downloads (files and activex controls), it is also used to inform you of direct or indirect problems with Internet Explorer 9.
The above notification means that internet explorer 9 has blocked a certain activex control from running, either because it classes that activex control
as dangerous or simply because an installation has gone wrong! With the latter, it might be worth restarting your computer after resetting internet
explorer to its default settings. See the Enable/Disable JavaScript/Cookies
and Advance Internet Explorer Options sections for more information. Even
though they relate to Internet Explorer 8, they can be used for Internet Explorer 9.
The notification below means internet explorer 9 has crashed! but it may not be its fault. Normally it is the fault of a badly written website (i.e. its
badly written JavaScript code) and/or a badly written Add-On it is using (i.e. Adobe Flash Player code). So don't be to quick to blame Internet Explorer 9!
Sometimes the notification bar tries to be helpful, by making suggestions such as asking you whether or not you want to enable or disable an add-on, but this can lead to more confusion. In this next example I am asked whether or not I want to ENABLE or DISABLE the Adobe PDF Link Helper add-on. This would be a confusing choice to make if I did not know what it was. And that's the point I'm making here. Go and check with Google what a certain add-on is before you enable it - Disable it at first if you are unsure what to do. If something doesn't work properly after disabling it then you will know why!
In this particular example the Adobe PDF Link Helper add-on is a web browser (internet explorer) add-on that when enabled displays a downloaded/opened PDF File directly inside internet explorer's window, as opposed to it being displayed directly inside Adobe Reader. So if you see a web page that states "Download This PDF File" for example, clicking on its web link will open (view) the associated .pdf file inside internet explorer's window (when this add-on is enabled). If the Adobe PDF Link Helper add-on is disabled all .pdf files will open with Adobe Reader by default.
Not all notifications are scarey! Some just inform you of what is going on. In this next example my Norton Internet Security is scanning the download file for viruses and so on, hence the notification message.
The above has given you a glimpse into the Notification Bar, but as said above; it is up to you to search the internet for information about a certain file, add-on or activex control before disabling it, enabling it or downloading it.
Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.
