Homestar Runner Wiki Forum

I can't click on the Homestarrunner window without first clicking on the Homestarruner window (on homestarrunner.com). When I hover over it it says "Click to activate and use this control".

Anyone know what's up? Did I load the wrong plug-in?

What operating system (Windows? Mac? Linux?) and what version?
What browser (Internet Explorer? Firefox? Safari? Opera? Konqeror? something else?) and what version?
How did you install Flash? What version?
Do you have any ad-blocking programs that might simply block out all flash (like "Flashblock" in Firefox)?

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<link rel="signature" type="text/hilarious" href="/signature.txt" />

Oh yea, sorry.

Windows XP, Internet Explorer, Flash8.

It didn't start when I loaded Flash.

Welcome to the patented world. Microsoft lost a patent lawsuit against a company called Eolas, the end result of which is the "click to activate" nuisance that you're now experiencing. Everyone who uses Internet Explorer and installs the most recent patches will experience it as well.

The solution? Well, duh: Get Firefox.

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OHOHO BURNED.

This is the worst thing that's happened to Internet Explorer in a long time. And by worst thing that's happened to Internet Explorer, I mean best thing that's happened to alternative browsers.

Unless they're going to get sued, too.

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Hear, hear! Firefox is the greatest browser ever!!!

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But isn't that the solution to everything?

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Well, it did help me grow my hair back and enlarge my pe....ctorals.

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Hah ha Banned!


Wait....crap, that didn't work. What function key do I have to hit to ban people again? Why do you think Tom's never around?

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"The modification comes as part of an ongoing patent dispute with Eolas Technology and the University of California."

The reason you are getting that message is that Microsoft recently lost a class action lawsuit or something with some company or other about the embedded flash and other things on websites. Soooo, they released a mandatory update via Windows Update. You can't turn it on and off.

The good news? Microsoft has released another update that disables the first one. (So troublesome...)

You can get more information here.

(That's the condensed version, really - if you want the whole, tear-your-eyes-out complex lowdown, then here is where you want to go. The update that removes the update is available from both.)

There ya' go, all better!

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Argh, it's annoying the hell out of me. And I can't get Firefox for reasons beyond my power.

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yea, i've noticed that on my parents' compy. mines got FIREFOX so i dont need to worry.

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I'm primarily a Firefox user myself, but I just checked IE to see what was going on... boy is that ever annoying!

You guys do realize Bulldozer just gave the solution, don't you?

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Ok, a couple of things:
(1) If you know how to use MSDN, no updates are "mandatory." IT profesionals get paid to study the "updates" that Microsoft releases, to see if they are safe to implement on the company machines. (Not all of them aresafe, and not on every machine. It depends on the hardware and the way a particular system is set up). On the whole, the updates that Microsoft release through it's verious distribution channels are usualy safe for the average PC user. It's mostly the server side of things that sees snafus and botch-ups. Mostly.
(2) If you use the Windows Update site or the Microsoft Update site, the only thing you absolutely have to install is the Windows Installer 3.1 package and the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation package, as well as the actual WU/MU software. The rest is all either opt-in or opt-out. The Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certified drivers (they're the drivers that get listed under "Hardware" after you click the "custom" button) are usualy safe, but they may overwrite an existing driver that's actualy newer than the WHQL driver; Not all drivers that get released by a developer are submited to WHQL for certification, and not all drivers submited to WHQL actualy get certified. You won't see any WHQL drivers if you only use the Automatic Updates service.
(3) If you don't want to be bothered with the extra clicks demanded by this stupid Eolas Lawsuit patch, then just don't install the stupid patch. Not having it doesn't break anything. Better yet, stop using IE to surf the web and Get Firefox.
(4) Microsoft actualy released a patch for this patch, replacing the first patch with a newer version of it. It didn't take out the extra clicks, though. It's a bug fix and a "compatability update"
(5) There are some unofficial workarounds to make Flash animations work like they're supposed toin IE6. Some are server-side and some are client-side, but I haven't seen any of them that actualy work. Then again, I never really cared about this issue so I haven't been paying attention lately. (pssst... use Firefox. It doesn't have this problem)
(6) There is no item number six.

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for me it says on everywebsite Click or press space bar to activate this whatever.

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Owner of The PlaystaionThWii60

1. The update was part of a package, so to not install it means that you left out 3 or 4 other important security updates. So most people don't want to do that.
2.Yes, Microsoft released a patch for this patch. Way to repeat me, except that the patch actually does get rid of the extra click. I tested it myself.
3. Yes, there are server-side workarounds, but, apart from that patch, there is nothing that the client can do about this problem.

Why are you so quick to debunk everything I say, Sarge? If you're gonna argue with me, at least know the whole truth first. Though I'd prefer not to argue, I don't like doing that.

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I wasn't arguing, I was just giving you guys the information I have.
I will pick this bone with you, though: You say that the second patch gets rid of the extra clicks, but other people are saying that they still see it. You can't both be right (or can you?).

As far as your contention that "...to not install it means that you left out 3 or 4 other important security updates"; There's nothing in KB912945 that is actualy a security update. It's got nothing to do with patching security, it's just Microsoft's way to avoid paying fines. Yes, they called it a security update, but if you read the KB you'll see that all they did was cut out the offending Plugin.ocx and it associated hooks. Sure, that means they had to make changes to IE, but it wasn't motived by any actual security concern. It is true that other patches were released to WU/MU/AU on the same day as the Eolas patch(s) but each patch comes in it's own MSI package... they're not all rolled into one package. Unless you're using Automatic Updates, you have contoll over which patch is installed (and even AU can be configured to give you that same controll). Of course, this all assumes that you know what to install and what to take a pass on. If you're flying blind and trusting Microsoft, well then good luck with that.

Now, I do remember that I saw an e-mail sign up sheet for a pre-beta of a client-side tool that was supposed to get rid of the "activate" dialog, but the web page it was on has since been taken down and I can't find an active page that references it. It's not on the wayback machine either. I guess the project died, or perhaps it morphed into something else. I'd give you a name, but that sign up sheet never actualy named the software. They just described what it was supposed to do. (This might be why I can't find it anymore... I'm not hitting the right keyword becasue I don't know what the name of the project was.)

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Yeah, sorry about that. I stayed up too late last night and I was grumpy when I got up this morning, that's all. Reading two posts in a row where you're saying something contradictory to me just kinda rubbed me the wrong way this morning, I take it back though.



Well, all I know is that, since I installed the update, I have not once seen that come up while browsing in IE. Is it possible that thse people didn't install it correctly, or didn't restart their computers after the install? Either one would cause it to not work.



The problem is with the Automatic Update in Windows XP. Most people have this activated, and that particular update is an automatic one, which is why I said it was mandatory. Regardless, not everyone wants to uninstall a group of updates just to remove one.

Anyway, sorry to gripe at you. You forgive me?

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Sure. I'll even say I like you and want to be your friend.
Keep in mind that I'm mildly inebriated at the moment..
Brandy-filled chocolates really do kick butt. I'm just discovering this now, so you'll forgive my off-topic-ness.

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Ooh. Methinks someone shalt be watching thine language from here on out, no?

Seriously. Watch it.

Anywho, on with the painting of toast:

I wish I could get Firefox on my compy at work...that "clickity here" thing is super annoying...

Firefox doesn't do the extra-click-to-allow-flsh-animation thing. At least, it shouldn't. Is it that Firefox won't install becasue you don't have admin privilages at work?

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You can always put a Firefox installation onto a USB thumbdrive, plug it in, use it, and take it home with you. Nobody would know... That's what I do when I have to use the school's computers, at least.

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Good plan. Try Portable Firefox.

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Yeah, Portable Firefox rocks.

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Well, this is a relief. I thought that my computer was going asplode or somthing when I had to double click everything on H*R. But I don WANNA get Firefox!!! Meh!!!

No, you do wanna get Firefox. You just don't know it yet.
:gets out a watch:
:tries to hypnotise lazadisk:
:fails miserably:

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What in the world do you have against a browser that's secure, customisable, and fast? Habit?

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I stuck with IE for a long time. Many people told me it sucked... get FireFox. People told me. I stayed with IE because everything always worked with IE and I saw no real reason to switch.

The one day.

The activate this control thing happens. Microsoft lost a suit against them... tough luck MS. Even if you can "get around it," it would probably be way more trouble than it's worth.

So I gave FF a try and let me just say. I love it. It IS better than IE. IE has become too convuluted IMO. So sorry IE, you finally did something to make us have to call it quits.

Hmm, this is something I've never understood. For most people, it's a two-minute free download... why not just TRY it?!