Update Notification Page

Internet Explorer automatically notifies your users when a new version of the browser is available. At a specified interval, the Internet Explorer home, or start, page is temporarily replaced by an update notification page when the user starts the browser. The default update notification page is the Microsoft Windows Update page. From this page, users can download a newer version of the browser, add the update notification page to their Favorites list, or cancel the browser update.

The update notification page compares the browser update version against the version of the browser on the users' computers. If the browser update version is newer, users are given the option to install it. If no update is available at the specified interval, the update notification page is automatically redirected to the user's home page.

At the specified interval, the update notification page appears once when the user starts the browser. The update notification page does not force the user to install the browser update. If the user closes the browser without selecting the update or the update is not completed, the user does not see the page again until the next interval. If you want to force the update to install a new program or update on your users' computers, you can use other system management tools, such as Microsoft System Management Server (SMS). For more information about using SMS, see Chapter 5, "Understanding Related Tools and Programs."

Specifying a Different Update Notification Page and Update Interval

You can use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard or the IEAK Profile Manager to replace the URL for the default update notification page with a URL for your own custom Web page or another Web site. You can also change the update interval, which specifies how often the update notification page is displayed.

You might want to customize the update notification page for the following reasons:

• If your users' computers do not have Internet access (which is needed to access Internet Explorer updates from Microsoft distribution sites), you must change the URL to a location on your local intranet.
• You might want to redirect users to your custom Addon.htm file rather than to the Windows Update page. For more information about Addon.htm, see Chapter 16, "Customizing Setup."
• You might want to provide other information, news, or software updates at a regular interval. For software updates of programs other than Internet Explorer, the browser prompts the user to install the update without comparing the update version with the version on the users' computers.
• You might want to redirect the update notification page temporarily to an executable (.exe) file for a program that you want to install on your users' computers. When the users start the browser, the .exe file begins to install the program automatically, and the update notification page does not appear.

For more information about specifying a different URL and update interval for the update notification page when you build your custom packages of Internet Explorer, see Chapter 15, "Running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard."

After you deploy Internet Explorer, you can use the IEAK Profile Manager to change the settings for the update notification page.

To change the settings for the update notification page by using the IEAK Profile Manager

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft IEAK, and then click IEAK Profile Manager.
2. On the File menu, click Open, and then open the auto-configuration .ins file from your custom package.
3. On the left side of the window under Policies and Restrictions, click Internet Settings, and then click Component Updates.

   The following illustration shows the Component Updates options.

   

4. On the right side of the window in the URL to be displayed for updates box, type the URL for your custom update notification page.
5. In the Update check interval (in days) box, type the number of days for the update interval.
6. On the File menu, click Save as. Type a name for the file, keeping its .ins extension.

For more information about using the IEAK Profile Manager, see "IEAK Profile Manager" earlier in this chapter.

Disabling the Update Notification Page

When you use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard to build your custom packages of Internet Explorer, you can disable the update notification page. For more information, see Chapter 15, "Running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard."

You can also disable the update notification page after you deploy Internet Explorer by using the IEAK Profile Manager.

To disable the update notification page by using the IEAK Profile Manager

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft IEAK, and then click IEAK Profile Manager.
2. On the File menu, click Open, and then open the auto-configuration .ins file from your custom package.
3. On the left side of the window under Policies and Restrictions, click Corporate Restrictions, and then click Software Updates.

   The following illustration shows the Software Updates options.

   

4. On the right side of the window, select the Disable Periodic Check for Internet Explorer software updates and bug fixes check box.
5. On the File menu, click Save as. Type a name for the file, keeping its .ins extension.

Note After you disable the update notification page, users can still turn on the page in the browser. To disable the page completely so that users cannot enable it in the browser, set the Update check interval to a value of 0. For more information about setting the update check interval, see "Specifying a Different Update Notification Page and Update Interval" earlier in this chapter.

For more information about using the IEAK Profile Manager, see "IEAK Profile Manager" earlier in this chapter.