Setting Up Your Computers

The next stage in preparing for running the Customization wizard is to ensure that your build computer and your users' computers meet the appropriate system requirements. You should also prepare any settings on your build computer that you plan to import into your custom package.

Preparing Your Build Computer

You can build browser packages and use the IEAK Profile Manager for the Windows 16-bit, Windows 32-bit, and UNIX platforms. You must build the packages and run the Customization wizard from a computer running a Windows 32-bit operating system.

Before you start the Customization wizard, check the amount of disk space available in the Program Files folder and on the destination drive (where you build your custom package). The destination drive can be, but isn't required to be, on the same computer.

For each media type that you build, you will need to have additional space on your build computer. For more information about system requirements for the IEAK and Internet Explorer, see Chapter 9, "Planning the Deployment."

Understanding IEAK Build Locations

You can build a custom package on the computer where you are running the Customization wizard, and then move the files to servers where users will download them. Or, you can build on a network server on your Local Area Network (LAN) or on a Web server, such as Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS).

When you build custom packages, folders for each media type are created in your build folder. For flat (network) and download (Web) packages, you can build at the location where files will be available for downloading. For CD-ROM packages, you can drag the appropriate folder from Windows Explorer to a CD-recording program. For floppy disk packages, you can drag the appropriate folders to the drives for the floppy disks.

If you are building directly on a Web or network server, you should have the necessary folder structure in place before building your custom packages. For more information about deploying your packages, see Chapter 19, "Deploying Microsoft Internet Explorer 5."

Importing Your Settings

You can import some settings directly from your computer. Importing settings can save time if your computer already contains settings or options you want to use. For some customizations, such as your Favorites list and channels, you can import items from your computer as a starting point, and then further customize them while you are using the Customization wizard.

It's a good idea to prepare your computer before you run the Customization wizard. However, if last-minute adjustments are necessary, you can switch away from the wizard by pressing ALT+TAB, change the settings on your computer, and then switch back to the wizard to import your settings.

Here are the items you can import from your computer:

• Links and favorites - You can import the URLs and titles for your Links bar and Favorites list. You can also import any custom graphics that you've used for items in your Favorites list. To see your current Favorites list, click the Favorites button in your browser. To see your current links, point to Toolbars on the View menu in the browser, and then click Links.
• Channels - You can import Channel information from your computer, and then further customize it as necessary. The channels that you will import are located in the Channels folder on your Favorites list.
• Certification authorities (corporate administrators only) - You can import your certification authorities, and then use the Certificate Manager to further customize settings (if necessary). To see the current settings in Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options. Click the Content tab, and then click Certificates.
• Authenticode security (corporate administrators only) - You can import Authenticode settings, which designate software publishers and credentials agencies as trustworthy, from your computer. To see the current settings in Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu, click Internet Options, click the Content tab, and then click Publishers.
• Content ratings (corporate administrators only) - You can import your content ratings. Ratings provide a way to control the type of content that your users can access on the Internet. To see the current settings in Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu, click Internet Options, click the Content tab, and then click Settings. If you have not yet enabled Content Advisor, click Enable, and then set the options you want.
• Connection settings (corporate administrators only) - You can import your connection settings, such as proxy server information. To see the current settings in Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and then click the Connections tab. To see network and proxy settings, click LAN Settings.
• System policies and restrictions - Corporate administrators can import their settings, policies, and restrictions. ISPs and ICPs can import their settings.
• Desktop toolbar settings - If you are a corporate administrator and you are including the Windows Desktop Update with your custom package, you can import your desktop toolbar settings. The desktop could be installed with Internet Explorer 4.0 and is part of Windows 98.