This chapter will help you understand how to use the Microsoft® Internet Explorer Customization Wizard to create custom browser packages that you can distribute to your users. The Customization Wizard, which comes with the Microsoft® Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK), allows you to customize the appearance and functionality of the browser, its components, and Windows Update Setup for Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Tools. You can also preset browsing options and, if you are a corporate administrator, set system policies and restrictions.

Important Before you run the Customization Wizard, verify that you have completed all preparation tasks, including accepting the license agreement. You must prepare the necessary information and files that you will need when you run the wizard. For more information about these preparation tasks, see "Preparing for the IEAK" in this Resource Kit.

Related Information in the Resource Kit

• For more information about testing the deployment process before the final rollout, see "Setting Up and Administering a Pilot Program." 

• For more information about preparing to run the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard, see "Preparing for the IEAK." 

• For more information about rolling out Internet Explorer to your users, see "Deploying Microsoft Internet Explorer 6." 

• For a list of preparation steps for running the Customization Wizard, see the appendix "Checklist for Preparing to Use the IEAK." 

Overview: How the Customization Wizard Works

As a corporate administrator, Internet service provider (ISP), Internet content provider (ICP), independent software vendor (ISV), or Internet developer, you can use the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard to build custom browser packages. These packages contain customized versions of Internet Explorer 6 that you can distribute to your users. You can create packages in multiple languages and distribute them on various types of media. The Customization Wizard also enables you to customize existing installations of Internet Explorer.

When you run the Customization Wizard, you can create a custom browser package from scratch. Or, if you have already built a package with similar settings, you can build a new package more quickly by importing those settings from the existing package's Internet settings (.ins) file when you run the Customization Wizard. Either way, when you click Finish on the final page, the Customization Wizard builds a custom browser package for you.

Each custom browser package includes the following files:

• Program files that you have downloaded 

• The setup file (IE6Setup.exe, which is based on IESetup.inf) 

• The branding cabinet file (Branding.cab, which consists of custom files, including .ins files, information (.inf) files, and any custom files that you have specified) 

• The component information cabinet file (IEcif.cab), which includes components and component settings) 

After you build a custom browser package, you can copy these package files to your distribution media. For more information about preparing distribution media for deployment, see "Deploying Microsoft Internet Explorer 6" in this Resource Kit.

Running the Customization Wizard

When you install the IEAK, it prompts you to choose the version that you want to install based on your role—either Corporate, ISP, or ICP. The role that you choose determines the version of the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard that is installed with the IEAK. Depending on your role, you must also accept the appropriate license agreement.

After you install the IEAK, you can run the Customization Wizard from the Start menu.

To run the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard

1. On the Start menu, point to All Programs (Microsoft® Windows® XP) or Programs (other versions of Microsoft® Windows®), point to Microsoft IEAK 6, and then click Internet Explorer Customization Wizard. 

2. Follow the steps in the wizard. 

The Customization Wizard provides step-by-step pages that prompt you for the necessary information and files to customize Internet Explorer. The wizard displays specific pages based on the version of the IEAK (Corporate, ISP, or ICP) that you installed. If you need to return to a page before you finish the wizard, click Back until the page appears. After you have completed all of the pages, the Customization Wizard builds your custom browser package.

Because the wizard provides a wide range of customization options, some of the wizard pages might not apply to your situation. In Stage 1 on the Feature Selection page, you can select or clear feature check boxes, depending on the options you want to customize. In that way, you do not need to view or supply answers on pages that do not apply to your situation. This helps you proceed through the wizard more quickly.

 

Note On the Feature Selection page, if you inadvertently select options that you do not need and a wizard screen appears that does not apply to your situation, simply click Next to proceed to the next page.

Stages of the Customization Wizard

The Customization Wizard is organized into the following five stages:

• Stage 1—Gathering Information 

• Stage 2—Specifying Setup Parameters 

• Stage 3—Customizing Setup 

• Stage 4—Customizing the Browser 

• Stage 5—Customizing Components 

The following sections provide a brief description of each of the pages that appear in the five wizard stages. To obtain additional information about the options on a specific wizard page, click Help on that page.

Stage 1: Gathering Information

This stage allows the wizard to gather basic information, such as the language and media type, for the custom browser package that you want to build. The following paragraphs describe each of the wizard pages in Stage 1.

File Locations

This wizard page contains two parts:

• The destination folder 

• Advanced options 

Destination Folder

Accept the default destination folder, or choose your own. If you build the custom browser package on the computer where you are running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard, you can copy the package files from this computer to your distribution media. When you build a custom browser package, subfolders for each media type are created in this destination folder.

For flat (network) and download (Web) packages, you can build your custom browser packages at the location where users will download the files. For example, you can build the packages on a network server located on your local area network (LAN) or on a Web server, such as Microsoft® Internet Information Services (IIS).

If your build computer is also set up as a Web server, you can create the package in a folder from which your users can download the files. For example, if you use IIS, the Web server structure on your local hard disk might be: C:\Inetpub\Wwwroot\Build1. If you build your custom browser package in that folder and add a Web page that links to the IE6Setup.exe file in the \Download\platform\language folder, users can download and install the setup program from your Web server.

Advanced Options

To see more options on the File Locations page, click Advanced Options. In the Advanced Options dialog box, you can specify the following settings:

• Check for latest components via Automatic Version Synchronization. Select this check box to indicate that the Customization Wizard should check on the Internet for the latest versions of components when you create your custom browser package. If you have downloaded the IEAK from the Internet, you must run the Customization Wizard with Automatic Version Synchronization (AVS) at least once, so that the wizard can check for updated versions of components. For more information about AVS, see "Keeping Programs Updated" in this Resource Kit. 

• Path of .INS file to import settings from. If the settings for your new custom browser package are similar to the settings for an existing package, you can save time by importing settings from the existing package's .ins file. Then you can use these settings as a starting point for the new package. To use an existing .ins file, enter the full path to the file. After importing the settings, you can use the Customization Wizard to refine them to fit your needs. 

• Component Download folder. Use this box to specify the location for the components and setup files for your custom browser package. If you change this location, the AVS feature will not be able to determine whether you have the latest components available. You should change this folder only if you plan to retain the files that you downloaded the last time you ran the wizard, and you want to download a new set of components. 

Language Selection

Specify a target language so that the wizard can build your custom browser package in a localized subfolder for the appropriate language and media type. You must run the Customization Wizard for each language version that you plan to deploy. To retain settings across packages for multiple language versions, specify the same destination folder for all versions. The wizard saves each language version in a different subfolder within the destination folder.

Media Selection

Select the distribution methods you plan to use—Download (for Internet or intranet download), CD-ROM, Flat (for network download), or Single-disk branding. You will need additional disk space for each type of media that you select.

You can use single-disk branding to customize the browser on computers that are running Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 2 or later. Single-disk branding enables you to customize Internet Explorer features, including Internet sign-up services, without reinstalling Internet Explorer. This option, however, does not enable you to package and install custom components. It creates a Setup.exe file in the \BrndOnly folder of your build folder, which you can distribute on any media or on a server.

Important Some features branded for Internet Explorer 6 do not apply to earlier versions of the browser.

Feature Selection

On this page, select the features that you want to customize, or clear the features that you do not want to see. The wizard shows only the pages for the features you select.

Stage 2: Specifying Setup Parameters

This stage allows you to customize Windows Update Setup for Internet Explorer and Internet Tools. Setup is a small, Web-based setup package that enables users to install the latest Internet Explorer components directly from a Web site. When Setup downloads Internet Explorer 6, it breaks the program up into several small segments. This makes it possible, in the event of a failure or a dropped connection, to restart an installation from where it was interrupted, rather than having to start over.

The following paragraphs describe each of the wizard pages in Stage 2.

Automatic Version Synchronization

Download or update the setup files for Internet Explorer and other components that the wizard will use to build your custom browser package. At a minimum, you must download Internet Explorer to proceed to the next wizard page. You should also download any component that you plan to install or make available to users through the Install on Demand feature.

Add Custom Components

Specify information about the optional custom components that you want to include as part of your custom browser package. You can add up to 16 custom components. This option can be helpful if you have custom programs or scripts that you want to distribute with Internet Explorer. On this wizard page, you can choose when you want each custom component to be installed—either before or after Internet Explorer or after the computer restarts. You can also decide whether you want the component to be installed only if Internet Explorer is installed successfully.

Stage 3: Customizing Setup

This stage allows you to customize setup program features, such as the installation options that you want to offer to your users and the components that are available through the Install on Demand feature. The following paragraphs describe each of the wizard pages in Stage 3.

CD-ROM Autorun Customizations

If you are creating a custom browser package for CD-ROM distribution, use this wizard page to customize the CD-ROM Autorun screen. The Autorun screen is a graphical interface that appears when users insert the CD-ROM for 32-bit versions of Internet Explorer. You can customize the Autorun title bar text, background, colors, and buttons.

More CD Options

If you are creating a custom browser package for CD-ROM distribution, you can also provide a text file (such as a readme file) that appears as a link from the CD-ROM Autorun screen. Users can click this link to get more information about the CD-ROM contents. On this wizard page, you can also specify an HTML page that opens in kiosk mode, without the toolbar showing.

Note To customize the CD-ROM Autorun screen, you must select CD-ROM as one of your distribution media in Stage 1 of the Customization Wizard. If you do not see the CD-ROM Autorun Customizations and More CD Options pages, and you want to set CD-ROM Autorun options, click Back until you see the Media Selection page. Then select the CD-ROM option, and click Next until you see these pages.

Customize Setup

Use the options on this wizard page to customize how the setup program appears to your users. You can change the title bar and the graphics that appear when users run the Setup Wizard. If you provide a group of customized components, you can also assign a name to them.

User Experience (Corporate Version Only)

Depending on how you plan to install your custom browser package, decide how much interaction should occur between the setup program and the users. You can choose one of the following installation types:

• An interactive installation, in which users make installation decisions 

• A hands-free installation, in which users do not make installation decisions and receive prompts only if errors occur. 

• A completely silent installation, in which users do not make decisions and do not receive prompts. 

If you choose a completely silent installation, you control all setup options and suppress feedback to users. You can specify only one installation option and one download site. If installation does not finish successfully, users will not see an error message.

On this wizard page, you also specify whether you want to customize your package to retain administrator-level access after the computer restarts. This setting is necessary for installations on computers running Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0, Microsoft® Windows® 2000, and Windows XP. The security model in these operating systems can prevent users who do not have administrator-level access from installing software on their computers. This setting is also necessary if you plan to distribute your custom browser package by using Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS). For more information about how to install Internet Explorer using SMS, see "Using SMS to Install Microsoft Internet Explorer 6" in this Resource Kit.

Installation Options

Specify up to 10 unique installation options, and determine which components are included with each option. Creating multiple installation options can be helpful if your users have different needs. For example, as an ISP, you might want to create different setup options for customers who subscribe to specific sets of services. As a corporate administrator, you might want to specify multiple setup options for different divisions of your company.

Component Download Sites

If you selected Download as one of your distribution media, specify up to 10 download sites, using an HTTP or FTP server, from which your users can download the custom browser package. You must place all the Microsoft components and custom components at each URL you specify.

Component Download

Decide whether you want users to download additional components from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site, or to use a custom add-on component page to install components from the original media or download servers. The add-on component page appears when users click the Tools menu and then click Windows Update, or when they click Add or Remove Programs (Windows XP) or Add/Remove Programs (other versions of Windows) in Control Panel. As a corporate administrator, you can also remove the Windows Update option from the Tools menu.

Installation Directory (Corporate Version Only)

Decide whether you want to specify a specific installation directory for your users or allow them to choose their own. You can specify a subfolder in the Program Files folder or enter a custom folder path. If Internet Explorer is already installed on users' computers, by default the new version is installed over the existing version. The customized browser, in this case, is not installed in any custom location you specify.

Corporate Install Options (Corporate Version Only)

Decide to what extent users can customize the setup program. You can specify the following settings:

• Whether users can run a custom installation to add or remove specific components. To prevent users from adding or removing specific components, you can select the Prohibit users from selecting the Custom Installation option check box. 

• Whether the uninstall information is saved. Setup automatically saves uninstall information. To save disk space, you can disable this feature by selecting the Disable saving uninstall information check box. However, users will not then be able to remove Internet Explorer 6 by clicking Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. 

• Whether users can select the Internet Explorer compatibility mode. With this mode installed, users can test Internet Explorer 4 Web page features on the same computer as Internet Explorer 5 and later. This mode is designed for testing purposes—for example, when a Web author needs to view Web content in both versions of the browser. It is not recommended for a corporate rollout configuration. To prevent users from selecting this option during Setup, select the Prohibit users from installing Internet Explorer Compatibility Mode check box. 

• Whether you want to include Windows Desktop Update as part of your custom browser package. Windows Desktop Update makes the desktop and folders look and work more like Web features. If your users are running Microsoft® Windows® 98, they already have these desktop features installed. To include Windows Desktop Update on computers that are running only Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a, select the Integrate the Windows Desktop Update into the package check box. 

• Whether Internet Explorer is set as the default browser. You can determine whether or not Internet Explorer is the default browser, and whether or not users can make this choice. The default browser runs when users open .htm, .html, and other associated file types. This option also determines whether Microsoft® Windows Media Player™ is the default program for playing multimedia files. 

Note If you selected a completely silent installation on the User Experience page, corporate install options are not be available.

Advanced Installation Options

Customize the setup program further by having it detect whether components already exist on users' computers and by fine-tuning which components users can add if they customize the setup process.

If you want the setup program to detect whether the same version of a component is already installed on users' computers, select the Optimize for Web download check box. If a version of the same component is already installed and it will work with Internet Explorer 6, the setup program does not download it. This feature can save download time.

If your users can customize their installations but you do not want them to customize specific components, clear the check boxes for the components that you do not want the users to customize. Use this feature when you want to ensure that a component is installed with your custom browser package. Force Install appears in the right column beside the components that the setup program will install automatically with the browser.

Components on Media

This wizard page lists the components that were downloaded to your computer but are not included as part of an installation option. If users attempt to use a feature that requires these components, the components can be made available for installation through the Install on Demand feature.

With Install on Demand, the component becomes part of your custom browser package, but is not installed with Internet Explorer unless you include it with an installation option. You might not want to include a component in every custom browser package, because all users might not need the component or have hard-disk space for it. However, you may want to ensure that users can easily install that component if the need arises.

Install on Demand prompts users to install the appropriate component if they visit a Web page that uses it. For example, a user might be prompted to install the Dynamic HTML Data Binding component when visiting a Web page that contains a form using that feature. When the user accepts the prompt, the component is installed.

If you are a corporate administrator, and you do not want Install on Demand to be used, you can disable it on the Policies and Restrictions page in Stage 5 of the Customization Wizard.

Connection Manager Customization (Corporate and ISP Versions Only)

Use the Connection Manager Administration Kit (CMAK) to customize and manage how your users connect to the Internet. With the CMAK, you can change the appearance and settings of the Connection Manager dialer. If you want to include a custom profile created with CMAK as part of your custom browser package, specify the profile on this wizard page. The CMAK is available as part of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and the Microsoft® Windows 2000 Resource Kit.

Digital Signatures

If you have a digital certificate from a certification authority or from Microsoft® Certificate Server, the Customization Wizard can automatically sign your package files, including the files for any custom components that are part of your custom browser package. On this wizard page, specify information for your digital certificate.

Certificates are electronic credentials that bind the identity of the certificate owner to a pair (public and private) of electronic keys that can be used to encrypt and sign information digitally. These electronic credentials assure that the keys actually belong to the person or organization specified.

Stage 4: Customizing the Browser

In this stage, you can customize the appearance and functionality of the browser. As an ISP, you can also specify settings for Internet sign-up. The following paragraphs describe each of the wizard pages in Stage 4.

Browser Title

Customize the text that appears in the title bar of the Internet Explorer Web browser and Microsoft® Outlook® Express, if you include Outlook Express in your custom browser package. Type the text that you want to appear after the phrase "Microsoft Internet Explorer Provided by" or "Outlook Express Provided by."

Toolbar Customizations

Customize the toolbar background and buttons in the browser. You can use the Windows default toolbar background or specify a custom bitmap. For toolbar buttons, you can specify the script or program that the buttons launch as well as their appearance.

Custom Logo and Animated Bitmaps

Determine whether you want to customize the Internet Explorer logo in the browser window. This 16-color or 256-color logo in the upper-right corner of the browser appears in two states: animated when the browser is in use and static when no action is taking place. You can replace the logo bitmap with your own animated or static bitmap.

If you use an animated bitmap, the first frame will appear static when no action is taking place in the browser, and the remaining frames will appear animated when the browser is in use. To use your own animated logo, you must provide two animated bitmaps; one should be 22 x 22 pixels and the other 38 x 38 pixels.

If you use a static bitmap, it will appear static whether or not any action is taking place in the browser. To use your own static logo, you must provide two static bitmaps; one should be 22 x 22 pixels and the other 38 x 38 pixels.

Important URLs

Determine whether you want to specify URLs for the following items:

• Home page. The home page, sometimes known as a start page, appears when users click the Home button. Internet Explorer can show a default home page, or you can specify a URL for your own page. 

• Search bar. The Search bar appears in the Explorer bar on the left side of the screen. This bar enables users to see the search query and search results at the same time. The Search bar comes with the Search Assistant and multiple search engines. You can overwrite this page if you want. 

• Online support page. In Internet Explorer, support information is available by clicking Help and then clicking Online Support. You can develop your own support page and make it available to your users. 

Favorites and Links

Customize the Favorites folder and Links bar by adding your own favorites and links. For example, you might want to add favorites and links related to your organization or services. You can add favorites and links to the default folders or add new folders. You can specify the order of favorites and move specific favorites to the top of the folder so they are easier to find. Also, you can import a folder containing the favorites and links that you want to install on your users' computers.

As a corporate administrator, you can delete users' existing favorites and links. It is recommended that you use this setting with caution, however, because it removes the links and favorites that the users have set up for their own use.

Welcome Page

Determine whether to customize the welcome page, which Internet Explorer displays when the browser is first started. You can display the default Internet Explorer welcome page, or you can specify your own custom welcome page. The welcome page can be different from the home page, which is the page that opens when users start the browser (after the first time) or click the Home button.

User Agent String

Append a custom string to the user-agent string for Internet Explorer. This string helps identify the browser type when compiling site statistics. This feature is particularly useful for companies that are tracking statistics, such as how many times Web content is accessed and by which types of Web browsers.

You do not need to customize the user-agent string, unless you want to track the usage of your custom browser and you gather browser statistics from other Internet sites. Your customized string will appear in any statistics that include the user-agent string. Because other companies that track statistics will see your customized string, avoid using a string that you do not want others to see.

Connection Settings (Corporate and ISP Versions Only)

Preset the connection settings for your users by importing the connection settings from your computer. If the settings displayed are not the settings you want to use, you can change them. Changing these settings from within the wizard also changes them on your build computer. As a corporate administrator, you can also clear the existing dial-up settings on your users' computers.

Automatic Configuration (Corporate Version Only)

Determine whether you want to automatically detect configuration settings and enable automatic configuration. This feature is helpful if you want to control the settings on your users' computers from one central location. If you enable automatic configuration, you must assign URLs to the files that will automatically configure the customized browsers. You can also specify the interval in minutes for automatic configuration. If you enter zero or do not enter a value, automatic configuration occurs only when users restart their computers.

Automatic configuration settings are maintained in .ins files, which you can update by using the IEAK Profile Manager. You can also specify script files in Microsoft® JScript® (.js), JavaScript (.jvs), or proxy automatic configuration (.pac) format that enable you to configure and maintain advanced proxy settings. Network servers using Domain Name System (DNS) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) can automatically detect and configure a browser's proxy settings using proxy configuration keys. For more information about these automatic configuration files, see "Using Automatic Configuration, Automatic Proxy, and Automatic Detection" in this Resource Kit.

Proxy Settings (Corporate and ISP Version Only)

Specify which proxy servers that your users connect to. A proxy server acts as an intermediary between users' computers and the Internet, and it helps you maintain administrative control and caching services. If your organization uses proxy servers, specify the address and port numbers for the proxy server protocols. You can also use the same address and port number for all protocols.

For certain addresses, such as those on your corporate intranet, you might not want to use a proxy server. In this case, type these addresses in the exceptions list. You can also choose to bypass proxy servers for all addresses on your intranet. For more information about setting up your proxy servers for Internet Explorer 6, see "Setting Up Servers" in this Resource Kit.

Add a Root Certificate (ISP Version Only)

The customization option on this wizard page does not work properly. If you add any root certificate information, it will not be applied.

Sign-up Method (ISP Version Only)

If you are an ISP, specify how users can sign up for your service and connect to the Internet. You can create server solutions that exchange information with the pages of the Internet Connection Wizard or with the browser in kiosk mode. You can also select a serverless sign-up method. This method does not require a sign-up server; it works locally on users' computers instead. The server-based solutions provide a more dynamic way to interact with users and update information, but serverless sign-up enables you to sign up users for Internet services without a sign-up server. For more information about Internet sign-up, see "Implementing the Sign-up Process" in this Resource Kit.

Sign-up Files (ISP Version Only)

If you are an ISP, specify the sign-up files that you want to include as part of your custom browser package. These sign-up files configure users' computers to connect to your servers. The Customization Wizard checks for copies of the Internet sign-up files and prompts you to copy them to the build folder.

Sign-up Server Information (ISP Version Only)

Specify sign-up server information to configure your users' dial-up connections, so that they can make a connection to your Internet server. This information includes such items as the name of your sign-up server, the area code and telephone number for the connection, and the URL for the first page of the sign-up process. After you specify the information for your sign-up server, you can click Advanced Options to configure additional dialing and gateway settings. For example, you can select settings to use a static DNS address for your server, negotiate TCP/IP, encrypt passwords, and use software compression.

Internet Connection Wizard (ISP Version Only)

If you plan to use the Internet Connection Wizard (ICW) as the tool that customers use to sign up for Internet services, customize the title bar text and images that appear on the wizard pages. This feature is not available for the serverless sign-up method. For more information about using the ICW for Internet sign-up, see "Setting Up Servers," in this Resource Kit.

Note You must include the Dynamic HTML Data Binding component with your custom browser package to ensure that the ICW can interact with your server. Data binding allows the wizard pages to display the list of .isp files in Signup.txt. You can specify that this option does not appear as a custom installation choice, so that users cannot choose whether to install it. To do this, on the Advanced Installation Options page, clear the Dynamic HTML Data Binding check box; Force Install will appear in the right-hand column.

Security (Corporate Version Only)

Decide whether you want to use the default settings for certification authorities and Authenticode security or import the settings from your local computer. If you choose to import your existing settings, you can use the Customization Wizard to refine these settings to fit your needs. Changing these settings from within the wizard also changes them on your build computer.

You can use certification authorities to control the sites where users can download certain content, such as Microsoft® ActiveX® controls. Microsoft® Authenticode® security information identifies where programs come from and verifies that the programs have not been altered. It can be used to designate software publishers and credentials agencies as trustworthy. For more information about these security management features, see "Digital Certificates" in this Resource Kit.

Security and Privacy Settings (Corporate Version Only)

Decide whether you want to use the default settings for the following security features, or import the existing settings from your local computer:

• Security zones. You can set security zones to differentiate between trusted and untrusted content on the Internet and your intranet. 

• Privacy settings. You can define privacy preferences that determine whether Internet Explorer will check Web sites for an established privacy policy and whether Internet Explorer will allow these Web sites to store cookies on users' computers. 

• Content ratings. You can restrict users' access to content that might be considered offensive. You can adjust the settings to reflect what you think is appropriate content in four areas: language, nudity, sex, and violence. 

If you choose to import your existing settings, you can use the Customization Wizard to refine these settings to fit your needs. Changing these settings from within the wizard also changes them on your build computer. In Stage 5 on the Policies and Restrictions page, you can also specify whether users will be able to change these settings. For more information about these security features, see "Users' Privacy," "Security Zones," and "Content Advisor" in this Resource Kit.

Stage 5: Customizing Components

In this stage, you can customize Outlook Express and Windows Address Book settings, if these components are included with your custom browser package. You can also specify policies and restrictions for your users' computers. The following paragraphs describe each of the wizard pages in Stage 5.

Programs

Decide whether you want to use the default program settings or import the settings from your local computer. Program settings determine the programs that Windows automatically uses for Internet services, such as e-mail and HTML editing. If you choose to import your existing settings, you can use the Customization Wizard to refine these settings to fit your needs.

Outlook Express Accounts (Corporate and ISP Versions Only)

Specify your e-mail and news servers and indicate whether you will require users to log on using Secure Password Authentication (SPA) to access each server. For the incoming mail server, specify a Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) server, used by most Internet subscribers for e-mail, or an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server, used mainly by corporate users who want to read their e-mail from a remote location. For the outgoing mail server, specify the SMTP server for outgoing e-mail. In some cases, the SMTP server might have the same name as your POP3 server. For the news server, specify the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) address for this Internet server.

On this wizard page, you can also control account settings for your users. When users set up their accounts, such as e-mail and news, those accounts will be configured using the restrictions you specify. For example, you can choose the option to disable access to accounts, which prevents users from adding, deleting, or changing their account information.

Outlook Express IMAP Settings (Corporate and ISP Versions Only)

Create default IMAP settings for your users. These settings are preconfigured for users when they create their IMAP accounts. You can specify the root folder path, which is the mailbox that contains all of the users' folders on the IMAP server. For Cyrus servers, all users' folders must be contained in the Inbox folder. Some IMAP servers, such as Microsoft® Exchange Server, do not require a root folder path.

To specify that folders for the users' sent messages and in-progress messages should be created on the IMAP server, select Store special folders on IMAP server. You can also specify the pathfor the Sent Items folder and the Draft folder. These paths will be used by all users who create IMAP accounts.

You can also specify whether Outlook Express checks subscribed folders for new messages. This occurs when users start Outlook Express and also at the send/receive interval specified in Outlook Express.

Outlook Express Custom Content (Corporate and ISP Versions Only)

Specify information for a custom welcome message that is delivered to new Outlook Express users. The welcome message is contained in an HTML file. You can create the text for the message and specify the sender and reply-to names and addresses. The Customization Wizard does not provide a way to add an image to the welcome message. However, if you edit the welcome message outside of the IEAK, you can add a link to an image from the Web.

Note The InfoPane feature is not available in Outlook Express 6. If you add any InfoPane customization information on this wizard page, it will not be applied.

Outlook Express Custom Settings (Corporate and ISP Versions Only)

Specify the following settings for Outlook Express that will apply to all of your users:

• Whether you want to make Outlook Express the default program for mail and for news. The default e-mail client is also used by many programs when a user sends documents by e-mail. Note that this setting replaces any current default e-mail client that the user has specified. 

• The newsgroups that you want users to be subscribed to automatically. For example, your ISP or organization might have several newsgroups that provide assistance and information beneficial to your users. 

• The service information that allows users to obtain additional e-mail accounts after the installation. Outlook Express will include a menu item that users can click to get an additional e-mail account from your ISP. 

• Whether you want to delete all Outlook Express links. No links to the Outlook Express program appear on users' desktops or the Windows Start menu. 

Outlook Express View Settings (Corporate and ISP Versions Only)

Determine which elements of Outlook Express are displayed and how they are displayed. You can specify which of the following elements of the Outlook Express interface are included in the default view for new users:

• Folder bar 

• Outlook Bar 

• Folder list 

• Status bar 

• Contacts 

• Tip of the day 

You can choose whether you want users to see the Outlook Express toolbar and whether you want to include text on it. The toolbar appears at the top of the Outlook Express window. It contains buttons that correspond to common commands and can be configured by the user.

You can also choose whether you want users to see the preview pane in the default view for e-mail and news messages. The preview pane can either be a horizontal pane located below the list of messages or a vertical pane located beside and to the right of the list of messages. The previewpane includes a preview pane header area that can be used to display message header information, including the From, To, Cc, and Subject lines of the message.

Outlook Express Compose Settings (Corporate Version Only)

Use this setting to include a default signature, such as a corporate disclaimer, that will appear in Outlook Express newsgroup or e-mail messages. A disclaimer is often used to show that messages submitted by employees over the Internet do not represent official company policies. The maximum size of the signature is one KB. You can append signatures only to newsgroup messages, only to e-mail messages, or to both types of messages.

You can choose whether to use HTML to compose both e-mail messages and news postings. By default, e-mail messages are composed in HTML, and news postings are composed in plain text. You might want to change these settings if, for example, you are in an environment where bandwidth is limited or many users have simple e-mail programs that cannot understand HTML.

Address Book Directory Service (Corporate and ISP Versions Only)

Specify additional Internet directory service options and customize your Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) servers for the Windows Address Book. Internet directory services are powerful search tools that help your users find people and businesses around the world. The Windows Address Book supports LDAP for accessing directory services, and it comes with built-in access to several popular directory services.

Targeting Policies and Restrictions (Corporate Version Only)

Depending on which operating systems your users are running, determine whether you want to display all the policies and restrictions on the Policies and Restrictions page, or whether you want to display only the policies and restrictions for users that do not have administrative privileges. If your users are running Microsoft® Windows® Millennium Edition or Windows 98, you can configure all the policies and restrictions through the Customization Wizard.

If your users are running Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0, you must configure most of these settings through Group Policy rather than through the policies and restrictions in the Customization Wizard. In this case, you can display only the policies for users who do not have administrative privileges, and then you can use Group Policy to configure the remaining settings.

Policies and Restrictions

Use policies and restrictions to specify settings for your users' computers, including options that control desktop features, Internet components, the operating system, and security. Corporate administrators, ISPs, and ICPs/developers can specify default settings for their users. In addition, corporate administrators can customize and "lock down" numerous settings, ranging from whether users can delete printers to whether they can add items to their desktops.

The policies and restrictions displayed in the wizard are maintained in administration (.adm) files that come with the IEAK. If you are familiar with .adm files, you can use also import the policies and restrictions that you have set up in your own .adm files. For more information about policies and restrictions, see the appendix "Setting System Policies and Restrictions" in this Resource Kit.