Why Word Needs Access? Copy from Web> Clipboard> Paste to Word

[Nehmo Sergheyev]

Lots of times when I copy some text from a web page to the clipboard and
then go to Word (I now have W 2003) to paste, the operation stalls for a
second and then the ZoneAlarm (I run ZA 4.5) alert box appears asking
if I want to allow Word to access the internet. I allow, things process
for a second (apparently Word retrieving the text I want) and the
clipboard then pastes the text into the Word doc.

Okay, with a ZA setting, I can give Word permanent access to the
internet (and thereby avoid clicking at each occasion), but why does it
need it? Isn't the text already in Windows Clipboard after I copy? In
other words, at the point I copy to the clipboard isn't Windows
Clipboard grabbing a bit from the HTML file of the page? Then in the
Paste-to-Word operation, isn't just the clipboard emptying into Word? So
why would Word need access to the internet?

Windows Home XP (SP1), IE 6, Word 2003, ZoneAlarm 4.5

 

[Leythos]

Lots of times when I copy some text from a web page to the clipboard and
then go to Word (I now have W 2003) to paste, the operation stalls for a
second and then the ZoneAlarm (I run ZA 4.5) alert box appears asking
if I want to allow Word to access the internet. I allow, things process
for a second (apparently Word retrieving the text I want) and the
clipboard then pastes the text into the Word doc.

Okay, with a ZA setting, I can give Word permanent access to the
internet (and thereby avoid clicking at each occasion), but why does it
need it? Isn't the text already in Windows Clipboard after I copy? In
other words, at the point I copy to the clipboard isn't Windows
Clipboard grabbing a bit from the HTML file of the page? Then in the
Paste-to-Word operation, isn't just the clipboard emptying into Word? So
why would Word need access to the internet?

Windows Home XP (SP1), IE 6, Word 2003, ZoneAlarm 4.5

When you copy a web page into Word it actually goes out to the site and
fetches the information and images.

 

[Edward]

Hi, Nehmo.

You probably already know, but just in case you don't, ZA aks you to allow
or disallow programmes access to the internet because many worms, trojans,
viruses etc, will use any porgramme on you PC to access the internet on your
behalf and do damage elswhere as if it were you causing it. By blocking all
programmes that don't have your permission, ZA stops this tactic. I
personally don't find the occasional request the slightest annoying and
disallow everything that is not essential.

Good luck,

Ed

 

[Boyd Williston]

When you copy a web page into Word it actually goes out to the site and
fetches the information and images.

And it works that way because what you are actually copying is the HTML
code of the page. In order to build the appearance of the original web
page in your document, Word has to go out to the Web and retrieve things.