Launching programs from a web page

[bartona]

I would like to be able to launch programs such as Word and Excel from a html page. The idea is to create a menu that young children in a school could use rather than having to navigate the start -> programs or icons on the desktop. I can get the buttons set up with the hyperlink to the program, but when I run it, I get a box come up saying that running applications this way could be harmful. Can this be bypassed or is there another way. I am new to web design so tweat me kindly !!

[Stefan]

Originally posted by bartona
I would like to be able to launch programs such as Word and Excel from a html page.

And I'm sure some hacker would love to be able to start a virus/worm on your computer from a webpage and format you HD.

In short, there is a very good rewason you get a popup.

The idea is to create a menu that young children in a school could use rather than having to navigate the start -> programs or icons on the desktop.

Win98 and later has a feature called the quick-launch-bar where you can put big icons that require only 1 click to start the program.
That is probably what you want.

[bartona]

The web page will not be a site downloaded to the web, it will be used only internally. It will not not be possible for a hacker to access it unless they can get passed our firewall and find the specific single page on our system.
Quick Launch bar! Not a bad idea. Might llok at that. Thanks

[DUMD-DO]

Windows is an OS system and web page is not in sort. creating a hyperlink to these programs will not work no matter what. If you what a SHORTCUT for program ensure that it is on the OS system.

[jpmoriarty]

the quick launch bar, or simply putting shortcuts on the desktop, is probably your best bet.

Alternatively, if you're just using it internally and aren't using any external websites at all, then you can create a shortcut to a file and then hyperlink to this file (see my earlier discussions about templates and the like). I would then think that it's possible in the internet explorer settings to turn off the download warning 9might be able to do it just for internal sites?) so that it just opens the files, but then again you might just have to click the "open from this location" button each time.

In any case, kids these days are never too young to learn how to start computer programs, and they're usually pretty quick at picking these things up - it'd probably be more worth your while explaining the system to them, since if they're going to be using a package like word then the kids will find it a lot easier to learn to use the OS!