Active X controls block Palm Desktop from running

[splunge]

Hi all- I'm running Windows XP and install the periodic critical updates. After a recent update, I can't run Palm Desktop. The program starts but locks on the load screen and I get an error message, "One or more Active X controls could not be displayed" because either, "1. Your current security settings prohibit running ActiveX on this page or 2. You have blocked the publisher of one of the controls"
I updated the version of Palm Desktop with no success.
I'm also running Spyware Terminator, WinPatrol and Avast (all basic free versions)

Any ideas how to fix this?

[pam123]

There is a white list to allow you to run individual programs as well as settings in Security.
You should check them after each update and it appears yours are no longer current.

[splunge]

Thanks Pam123!
For the semi-illiterate, how do you get to the list and is modifying it straightforward?

[pam123]

OK, first go through your security software and make sure your Palm software is listed under their "Allowed Programs".
Nothing will work till you get that right and there's nothing like a full update to turn a familiar program into a blocked one.
Now, courtesy of eweek Labs, here's a video of on dealing with Windows Security settings in XP : eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: App Whitelisting from XP to Windows 7 - Security - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

[splunge]

Thanks again Pam123.
I whitelisted Palm exe in Spyware Terminator, found it was not disabled by Win Patrol and whitelisted it with Windows Firewall.
I DL'd ActiveX Helper and found every reference to Palm was enabled (granted, I found nothing disabled, so I may be using the software wrong!).

I reviewed the slideshow from eweeks lab. Unfortuantely, it assumes I know how to get to local security settings. I can't find it under security center, system or admin tools from the control panel. I'm sure there's a simple obvious way to get there, but it's eluding me.
Thanks in advance for your help!

[Statica]

Have you tried turning off any software that works as an antimalware .. Then seeing if Palm desktop will work? This means even temporarily disabling the windows firewall. If palm desktop starts working then close it down and now start turning back your protection one-by-one .. Each time, check if palm will restart ..then close it and enable the next one.

[pam123]

See if this helps I think you need to expand the list : Using local Security Policies in Windows XP

[splunge]

Statica, no luck. I shut down the anti-spyware programs, Win Patrol, and Windows Firewall with no change.
Pam, oddly enough, Local Security Policy is not an option when I open Administrative Tools. It's not there with show hidden folders. What do you mean by "expand the list"?

[pam123]

Do you have XP Professional ?

edit : If you're using IE have you made sure that the ActiveX setting allows Palm in IE Security/Privacy.
This applies if you're using XP Home.

[splunge]

Home, I believe.

Is it IE>Tools>Internet Options>security>custom level ? I tried this, allowing anything I could find with ActiveX in the title (or prompt) and still get blocked.

Avast a few weeks ago caught a suspicious item but I doubt that would mess up Aplm (anyway I reinstalled a more recent version).

Interestingly enough, Microsoft Greetings 2000 also stopped working at the time Palm did too.
Thanks for the help.

[pam123]

The next steps are fairly drastic but before we consider them are you sure you've tried the following :

1. In Internet Explorer, Click Tools > Internet Options. 2. Click the Advanced tab. 3. Under Active X, set Download Unsigned ActiveX to Enable.

[splunge]

Pam123, to get there, I went IE>Tools>Internet Options>Security>Custom levels to enable signed and unsigned ActiveX controls. XP security warned me it was not secure, but OK'd it.

Unfortunately, no luck getting Palm Desktop to run. I still get the warning and it freezes at the splash screen (if that's what it's called). I returned IE security to previous. I also use Chrome as a browser. Does that impact ActiveX DL's?
With Microsoft Greetings, it opens the program but if I want to go to the openning screen, I get an error message, "Your current security settings do not allow this file to be downloaded" Closing the warning opens a File Download Security Warning box asking if I want to open or save a HTML document labled "blank" Again, this behavior hit after, I suspect, the last XP update. If I try to open/save, the program crashes to desktop.

If we're stuck, I do periodically back up my hard drive and can use an older version of XP, but that'll be a pain as I'll have to restore game saves, reinstall the publishing program I replaced Greetings, fix the registry etc., not to mention never updating XP makes me nervous.

Thanks for your handholding. Happy New Year to you and the forums membership.

[pam123]

Go into Control Panel have it show the last XP updates, the ones that caused all the trouble.
You want to go to Windows Knowledge Base (KB) and find out what they are.
If we can find the one that's causing trouble all you may need to do is uninstall it .

[rjfvillarosa]

Are you running Microsoft Office on that machine?

[splunge]

Rjfvillarosa- I have some version of office on the computer.
Pam123, how do I check the recent updates? In Automatic Updates, it just offers me options on how to update. System-the same.

[pam123]

In Control Panel, where all your programs are listed for add/remove,you will find all the updates.
You may have to check Show Windows Updates it will also tell you what version of Office you have installed and what updates have been applied to it also.

[rjfvillarosa]

splunge. Please humour me, is your machine displaying the correct time and date?

[splunge]

Rjvillarosa-yes it is, 8:42 PM Monday Jan. 3, 1886. (kidding)
PAm123- I reviewed the 12/16 updates and MS's KB's descriptions are somewhat generic. Misdsoft.com has more useful descriptions, none of which directly refer to ActiveX controls, but some are related to IE.
Is the next step serial uninstalls? Is there a risk?
This morning I made a new back up of my C drive/Operating system in case.

[pam123]

Yes uninstall the updates is the next thing to try.
Then you uninstall/reinstall the latest Palm software.
Also switch to another browser as your default, Firefox,Chrome,Opera your choice.

You don't need that backup just yet but keep it handy.