How do I disable Flash in MSIE?

[Charles]

I'm stuck using MSIE at work.

[pcthug]

Click Start, Run, type regedit
Go to following dir:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Internet Explorer/ActiveX Compatibility
Click Edit, New, Key
Name New Key:
{D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (including the {})
Now create new DWORD value inside this key.
Rename this DWORD value to "Compatibility Flags"
Set Value Data to 400 and Base to Hexadecimal.
This may seem complicated but you will see along the way it makes much more sense.

Or you could go all out and run Portable Firefox (johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/portable_firefox/)

[JPnyc]

Simpler way is to disable activeX. IE can't load the flash object without it. That is, unless you require activeX for some other use at work.

[tyman00]

When I am testing sites and do not want flash I usually go to

Tools
->Internet Options
-->Programs Tab
--->Click Manage Add-Ons
---->Find "Shockwave Flash Object"
----->Select the Disable Radio Button
------>Click Ok. This way you can easily enable it in the future if you want.

[Charles]

But I'm stuck using Win 2000 here and I don't have a "Manage Add-Ons" upon which to click.

[JPnyc]

If you need activeX for your company intranet, then just disable it for the web. That'll stop flash from loading.

[felgall]

I remember seeing a program some time back called NoFlash. It was a free download that will specifically disable Flash in IE. I can't remember where I found it - probably tucows or some other similar program repository.

[Kevey]

http://www.bbshare.com/noflash/

[Sunny G]

Or you could uninstall flash altogther?

[pcthug]

Or you could uninstall flash altogther?But then whenever you visit a flash page you will be prompted to go to update or download and install the latest flash player from macromedia.

[Charles]

I'm not allowed to install or run any un-approved programs so noflash is out.

I'm certain to get in trouble if I crash Windows monkeying around with the registry. That option isn't out but let's it the last resort.

Uninstalling Flash would be ideal, but I can't figure out how.

Disabling ActiveX has might be the winner.

[pcthug]

1) Do a file search for "flash.ocx"

2) In the search results page, right click on each "flash.ocx"
or "swflash.ocx" file found in a Windows subdirectory.

3) Select Properties from the right-click menu.

4) Click on the Security tab.

5) You will see persissions checkboxes. For Permissions
check the "Deny Full Control" box (all of the other
boxes will check themselves.).

6) Then click OK.

Now flash is installed but not working because you have denied Windows
permission to read, write or execute it. It will not work, be replaced or
modified until you uncheck the all of the "Deny Permissions" boxes.

To re-enable flash, just do a search for "flash.ocx" and uncheck all of the
"Deny Permissions" boxes.

This has been tested on Windows 2000 using IE with administrative control.

I think this is a little better than the delete flash & then use HOSTS to block
redownload because you only have to deal with one file -- the flash file itself.
This solution is much better than a 3rd party software install to block flash
because you don't have to worry about software conflicts, etc.

[Fang]

The Web Accessibility Toolbar (http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/ais/toolbar/) will do it. Don't know if it's 'approved'.

[JPnyc]

Disabling activeX is quick and easy and a no fuss solution, providing that you don't need it for some other purpose. Then you have to get into "zones", which is still pretty quick and easy.

edit: I forgot to mention that on win2k disabling activeX has an affect on the rendering of certain CSS properties, for instance opacity will not have effect with it disabled. Don't ask me why.