# About Java and active content

Java applets and active content — which includes plug-ins and scripts — add special effects or functionality to a Web page or to your browser. For example, scripts and Java applets can animate items on a Web page’s navigation menu. Or, if you have the Apple QuickTime plug-in installed, you can see QuickTime movies on a Web page. Likewise, if you have the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in installed, you can open a PDF (Portable Document Format) file in your browser’s window.

Java applets and active content are linked to or embedded in a Web page, and some might download files to your computer. For these reasons, your browser may take longer to display these pages. In addition, files downloaded to your computer might contain malicious software (also known as a virus), so it’s a good idea to make sure files come from a trusted source before you allow your browser to download them. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can specify security settings for Java applets. You can also disable Java, plug-ins, and scripting to view Web pages faster or to protect your computer from malicious software.

Related topics

Enabling or disabling plug-ins

Enabling or disabling scripting

Enabling or disabling Java

Setting Java security options

Enable or disable scripting

1. On the Explorer menu, click Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Web Content.
3. In the Active Content area, select or clear the Enable scripting check box.
4. To see an alert when an error occurs in a script, select the Show scripting error alerts check box.

| If you disable scripting, you might see elements on a Web page but not be able to use them. For example, if a page uses a script to create a pop-up menu, you might see the menu items, but nothing happens when you click one.
| To see an alert when you go to a page that uses a scripting language not supported by Internet Explorer, such as Visual Basic Scripting Edition, select the Show scripting error alerts check box.

Related topics

Enabling or disabling plug-ins

Enabling or disabling Java

Setting Java security options

About Java and active content

Enable or disable Java

1. On the Explorer menu, click Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Java.
3. In the Java Options area, select or clear the Enable Java check box.

Related topics

Changing Java alert and log settings

Setting Java security options

Enabling or disabling scripting

About Java and active content

Change Java alert and log settings

1. On the Explorer menu, click Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Java.
3. In the Java Options area, select the Enable Java check box, and then select the options you want.

   For help on an option, click .

| To view Java output and exception logs, click Java Messages on the View menu.

Related topics

Setting Java security options

Enabling or disabling Java

Enabling or disabling scripting

Set Java security options

1. On the Explorer menu, click Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Java.
3. Select the Enable Java check box.
4. On the Byte-code verification pop-up menu, click the option you want.
5. On the Network access pop-up menu, click the option you want.
6. To allow Java applets to access only those files that are essential to the applet and to prevent Java applets from reading, creating, or modifying other files on your hard disk, select the Restrict access to non-Java class files check box.

Related topics

Enabling or disabling Java

Changing Java alert and log settings

Enabling or disabling scripting