Trusted Sites Missing After Upgrade to Windows 2003 Server (816465)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003

SYMPTOMS

After you upgrade to Microsoft Windows Server 2003, you may find that your list of Trusted sites is missing.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is turned on by default and your list of Trusted sites was not imported to the list that is currently in use.

The version of Microsoft Internet Explorer in Windows Server 2003 uses two separate lists of Trusted sites; one list that is in effect when Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is turned on, and one list that is in effect when Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is turned off.

When you upgrade to Windows 2003 Server, your list of Trusted sites in an earlier version of Internet Explorer are imported into the Trusted sites list that is used when Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is turned off.

RESOLUTION

When Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is activated on your server, the security settings for all Internet sites are set to High. If you trust a Web page and need it to be functional, you can add that page to the Trusted sites zone in Internet Explorer. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. In Internet Explorer, locate the site that you want to add.
  2. On the File menu, click Add this site to, and then click Trusted sites zone.
  3. In the Trusted sites dialog box, click Add to move the site to the list, and then click Close.
  4. On the View menu, click Refresh to view the site from the Trusted zone.
  5. On the Status bar of Internet Explorer, confirm that the site is now in the Trusted sites zone.

MORE INFORMATION

  • If an Internet site tries to use scripting or ActiveX controls, a dialog box appears to notify you. You can add the Internet site to the Trusted sites zone directly from this dialog box. If you have disabled this dialog box, you can re-activate the dialog box in Internet Explorer. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
    2. On the Advanced tab, select Display enhanced security configuration dialog.
  • A Web page can be part of only one zone at a time; you cannot add a page to both the Trusted sites zone and the Local intranet zone.
  • When you add a Web page to the Trusted sites zone, you are adding the domain for that page. Therefore, all pages in that domain are also added. For example, if you add http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/ to your Trusted sites zone, you are also adding http://www.microsoft.com. If you then want to view the Windows Help and Support site, you must add http://support.microsoft.com separately, because the Windows Help and Support site is in a separate domain.
  • Internet Explorer maintains two different lists of sites for the Trusted sites zone. One list is in effect when the enhanced security configuration is turned on, and a separate list is in effect when the enhanced security configuration is turned off. When you add a Web page to the Trusted sites zone, you are adding it only to the list that is currently in effect.
  • You can use wildcard(s) to add all subdomains for a particular domain. For example, you can add *.microsoft.com to the list, which adds both http://www.microsoft.com and http://support.microsoft.com.
  • Many Internet sites use more than one domain to host their content. You may have to add several domains to the Trusted sites zone to have full functionality for one site.
  • During installation you can add many sites at one time to the Trusted sites zone by using certain settings in Unattend.txt. For more information, see the Readme file in Deploy.cab on the Windows product CD. You can also use Group Policy to add and manage multiple sites. For more information, see the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/4/2003
Keywords:kbBug kbprb KB816465
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