F1 launches Internet Explorer not Default browser

Scorpius · Post by **Scorpius** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 12:42 am

In the promotion section, setting a url to open with F1 or after Screen saver exits launches Internet Explorer, not the default browser.

All other Url related functions properly use the default browser.

Post by **Karlis** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 11:31 pm

Windows version?

Scorpius · Post by **Scorpius** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:20 pm

This has been tried on a Windows XP Media Center laptop, and an XP Pro desktop. Both exhibit this behavior.

Post by **Karlis** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:39 pm

Thanks for this info. I now recall this. When we designed Screensaver Factory several years back, there was a bug in windows that did not permit launching URLs during screensaver action when F1 is pressed, so we found a workaround that allowed us to execute Internet Explorer. It was better than no URL displayed.

Hopefully Windows bug is now corrected and we can re-write this routine. We shall be looking into this in the next update.

aphasia · Post by **aphasia** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 6:25 pm

Surely the fact that windows will not allow a browser to be launched is not a bug but a security feature?
If an administrator or any user were to lock their workstation and await the screensaver to display. Press F1 and when the browser launches it is launched under the logged on users account. Simply using the address bar you could type in any valid network share and it would open in the browser.
Under a standard users account their home drive or any other shares they have access to would be available.
Under an administrators account the access could potentially be very dangerous or a security risk.

Post by **Karlis** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 5:16 pm

Did you test this? Curious, whether it works...

And if it is a security feature, why doesn't it allow to launch browser even if the PC is unlocked?