Using the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit

The Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) includes the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, the IEAK Profile Manager, the Connection Manager Administration Kit (CMAK), and the IEAK Toolkit.

You will find more information about using the IEAK in Chapter 15 , "Running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard." Before using the IEAK, however, you should spend some time planning your installation so that you'll know which decisions to make when you create your installation package.

You use the Internet Explorer Customization wizard to build custom packages. After you build custom packages, you distribute them to the appropriate user groups so that they can install customized versions of Internet Explorer on their desktops. Internet Explorer is installed with the settings and options that you specified when you built your custom package.

Preparing to Build Custom Packages

You'll get the most out of using the IEAK if you do some advance planning. You'll want to assess the needs of your users, analyze your organization's needs, and develop a deployment plan. You might also want to set up a deployment lab where you can test a pilot installation. For more information about getting ready to run the IEAK, see Chapter 12 , "Preparing for the IEAK." For more information about developing an installation plan, see Chapter 9 , "Planning the Deployment," and Chapter 11 , "Setting Up and Administering a Pilot Program."

You'll also want to gather the URLs you'll need and create any custom graphics. For more information, see Chapter 12 , "Preparing for the IEAK." For a preparation checklist and graphics resolutions and dimensions, see Appendix D , "Checklists for Preparing to Use the IEAK."

If your users will download your custom package over the Internet, you'll want to obtain a digital certificate to sign the custom .cab files that you create with the IEAK and any custom programs that you include. The .cab files are used to organize and compress installation files that are copied to the user's computer. If you have a publisher's certificate on your computer, you can sign your files when you run the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, which is included with the IEAK. For more information about signing files, see Chapter 12 "Preparing for the IEAK."

What's in the IEAK?

The following programs and tools come with the IEAK.

Internet Explorer Customization Wizard

The Customization wizard divides the customization process into five stages. Step-by-step screens for each stage guide you through the process of creating customized Internet Explorer packages.

IEAK Profile Manager

You can use the Profile Manager to change user settings and restrictions automatically after Internet Explorer is installed.

Connection Manager Administration Kit

The Connection Manager Administration Kit (CMAK) is a wizard that guides you through customizing and configuring the Microsoft Connection Manager dialer. The CMAK creates a self-extracting executable (.exe) file that installs itself on the user's computer. When the user clicks the custom icon to connect to the Internet, the custom dialer dialog box that you created appears. You can customize the dialer by building a custom service profile into your Internet Explorer packages.

IEAK Toolkit

The IEAK Toolkit contains helpful tools, programs, and sample files, such as the animated bitmap tools, IExpress wizard, and sample signup and add-on files. The Toolkit contents are located in the \Toolkit folder of the IEAK program folder.

IEAK Help

IEAK Help contains many conceptual and procedural topics that you can access by using the Index, Contents, and Search tabs. You can print topics from IEAK Help.

Starting the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 must be installed before you set up the IEAK. Before starting the installation process, make sure that you have enough disk space to download the Internet Explorer files and to build your IEAK packages. Information about how to use the IEAK is covered in detail in Chapter 12 , "Preparing for the IEAK."

This procedure shows how to start the IEAK after you install it.

To start the Internet Explorer Customization wizard

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs .

2. Point to Microsoft IEAK , and then click Internet Explorer Customization Wizard .

.