mailto from Protected Mode: Off to Protected Mode: On

[Eric]

We've been testing our web apps to make sure our clients will be able to use
IE 7 and Vista. Our sites are part of an extranet and to ensure that all
applications function correctly without exposing the users, we have them add
our domains to their list of Trusted Sites; been this way for years. The
problem now is that when a user clicks a mailto link, Vista considers a
mailto as part of the Internet Zone, opens it in a new brower with Protected
Mode on, dumps an error that Internet Explorer couldn't display the page, and
then opens the new email as appropriate. The problem here is the second
browser that is opened just because a mailto link was clicked from where
Protected Mode is off. How can I keep the second browser from opening or at
least keep it from displaying the error? If a mailto is clicked from within
a Trusted Site, shouldn't it too be considered trusted?

One thing that I discovered is that if the mailto link is hosted within a
framed page, the problem doesn't happen! If Microsoft really considers a
mailto link to be a threat when clicked when Protected Mode is off, a frame
should have no impact. Bug?

 

[Eric]

More...

Though turning on Protected Mode for Trusted Sites would work around this
issue, it would also put all other trusted sites under the control of
Protected Mode.


So the scenario is:
1) Page, with a mailto link, exists in the Trusted Sites.
2) mailto link is clicked.
3) IE7/Vista considers a "mailto" to be part of the Internet Zone and opens
a new brower.
4) With the mailto address in the URL bar of the new browser, IE cancels the
navigation and reports that the page cannot be displayed.
5) The new email opens as though everything is fine.
6) Many confused users then call our hotline to report the error.


Scenario if hosted page is framed is (makes no sense at all):
1) Framed page, with a mailto link, exists in the Trusted Sites.
2) mailto link is clicked.
3) The new email opens without a problem.
4) Users are happy.


Questions:
1) How do I keep IE from treating a "mailto" as being part of a zone other
than trusted?
2) Why is the behavior different when the page is framed?


Thanks!

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

We've been testing our web apps to make sure our clients will be able to use
IE 7 and Vista. Our sites are part of an extranet and to ensure that all
applications function correctly without exposing the users, we have them add
our domains to their list of Trusted Sites; been this way for years. The
problem now is that when a user clicks a mailto link, Vista considers a
mailto as part of the Internet Zone, opens it in a new brower with Protected
Mode on, dumps an error that Internet Explorer couldn't display the page, and
then opens the new email as appropriate.

Why is it associated with your browser? I would expect that it would be
associated with Windows Mail instead. Oh, I see you are already cross-posting
to an Outlook NG, so you have changed the association already?

Open a cmd window and enter:

ftype | find /i "mail"

to see what the association and open action really is.

Also what happens if you just Run... mailto: (e.g. start it from explorer.exe)?

I think you would find more informed assistance on a Vista newsgroup
than IE General. I suspect the symptom has more to do with the OS
than with the browser.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

 

[Eric]

An association does exist otherwise I'd be getting the problem where 50
windows open and the mail client never comes up.

Opening mailto: from Run is fine and opening mailto: when on a site with
Protected Mode: On is fine. The problem is that Trusted Sites have Protected
Mode: Off and Vista is treating mailto: as being part of the Internet Zone
which has Protected Mode: On. So when you click on a mailto that exists on a
site in your Trusted Sites list, a new browser opens with Protected Mode: On
and mailto:[email protected] as the address. Navigation cancels with an
error and then your default email client loads.

If I turn ON Protected Mode for Trusted Sites, then there is no problem but,
that impacts all sites a user may have in their list. The only time this is
seen is when opening a mailto from a zone that has Protected Mode: Off but
Protected Mode is On for the Internet Zone.


You got Vista and IE7? Go ahead and try it. Find a page with a mailto
link, add that page to your Trusted Sites, reload the page as a trusted site
so that Protected Mode turns Off, and then click on the mailto link.

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

An association does exist otherwise I'd be getting the problem where 50
windows open and the mail client never comes up.

This doesn't answer my question. ; ]

Opening mailto: from Run is fine and opening mailto: when on a site with
Protected Mode: On is fine. The problem is that Trusted Sites have Protected
Mode: Off and Vista is treating mailto: as being part of the Internet Zone
which has Protected Mode: On. So when you click on a mailto that exists on a
site in your Trusted Sites list, a new browser opens with Protected Mode: On

That's what doesn't make any sense to me and why I suggested you find
out what the mailto Filetype open action is set to.

FWIW here it is for XP:

<cmd_output>
E:\>ftype | find /i "mail"
mailto="%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" /mailurl:%1
Microsoft Internet Mail Message="%ProgramFiles%\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" /eml:%1
</cmd_output>


Hence there would be no reason for "a new browser" to open at all...

and mailto:[email protected] as the address. Navigation cancels with an
error and then your default email client loads.

If I turn ON Protected Mode for Trusted Sites, then there is no problem but,
that impacts all sites a user may have in their list. The only time this is
seen is when opening a mailto from a zone that has Protected Mode: Off but
Protected Mode is On for the Internet Zone.


You got Vista and IE7?

No I don't. I was going to cross-post to Vista Mail last time
until, as I remarked, I noticed that you were already cross-posting
to Outlook.

What happens if you replace your (assumed) association
with Outlook for the default association with Windows Mail?
Perhaps your Outlook(?) association is the cause of your symptom?


; }

Robert
---

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

(cross-post added to Vista Mail)

An association does exist otherwise I'd be getting the problem where 50
windows open and the mail client never comes up.

This doesn't answer my question. ; ]

Oh all right...the FileType search for "mail" brought back all this:

Oops. Sorry. I had no idea it would return all that.
Perhaps we should just be looking at a find for "mailto" then? ; )

BTW what would be the significance of the 8.3 path name?

mailto="C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"

Outlook.URL.mailto="C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE" -c IPM.Note /m "%1"

WindowsMail.Url.Mailto="%ProgramFiles%\Windows Mail\WinMail.exe" /mailurl:"%1"


Exactly! I believe it's a bug.


I've got to head to a meeting so I'll try this in just a little while.

Good. Cross-post added to Vista Mail to see if your symptom
is understood by anybody else who is seeing it.


Good luck

Robert
---

 

[Eric]

BTW what would be the significance of the 8.3 path name?

Surely OUTLOOK.EXE is not a 16-bit program? <eg>

Probably just something stupid with Vista.

I switched the association to Windows Mail and experienced the same problem.

It's gotta be a bug in the Protected Mode feature.

 

[Eric]

Since the important parts of this thread aren't displayed here in vista.mail,
please follow the link to see what the problem is all about.

http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...eral&mid=05d57f62-7647-468e-b776-50dbf7ade583

 

[Stefan]

Hi Eric

I have the same problem with the IE7 and Vista.

Do you have already a solution for this problem?


Thanks

 

[Eric]

I never was able to find a workaround for this problem.