Customizing Internet Explorer 10

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You can customize Internet Explorer 10 in many ways to accommodate the preferences and needs of your organization and users. To help you get started, this section summarizes how you can use the Internet Explorer Administration Kit 10 (IEAK 10) and .INF files to customize your Internet Explorer 10installations. This section also provides details about creating multiple versions of the custom package for each version of operating system and language running in your organization.

For more IEAK-specific information, see Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) Information and Downloads.

Customizing the browser

You can customize the appearance and behavior of the browsing software to create a standard corporate desktop that is easier to manage, including:

  • Add your organization’s name or other text to the title bar. For example, you could have the title bar state "Windows Internet Explorer provided by Woodgrove Bank".

  • Preset the following webpages and links:

    • Corporate support page.

    • User's home pages.

    • Users' search providers.

    • Links on the Favorites menu.

    • Links in the Links folder.

    • Add-on Components page (for optional components).

    • RSS feeds.

Installation media and methods

After you run the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard 10 to build your custom browser packages, you can use various methods to distribute them to your users. You can automate installations of Internet Explorer 10 with preselected components and browser settings so that no user action is required, or you can allow users to choose from up to ten installation options.

You can distribute a customized Internet Explorer 10package from:

  • FTP or web download sites on the Internet or the intranet.

  • Flat network shares (all files in one directory).

  • Single-disk branding (customize existing installations of Internet Explorer 10).

  • Group Policy.

The following sections discuss some of the factors to consider when you choose your distribution media and methods.

Setting system policies and restrictions

When users customize their programs, they sometimes create challenges for corporate administrators. Although some changes simply reflect user preferences, other changes might make it difficult for corporate administrators to manage resources, control security, or maintain consistent functionality.

The Internet Explorer Customization Wizard 10 has a graphical interface that enables you to set and clear options, and then lock the settings so that users are unable to change them. As you prepare to create your custom browser packages, consider whether you want to control options on a per-computer or per-user basis. If you have roaming users whose needs differ from other users', you might not want to lock settings on a per-computer basis.

Customization examples

To accommodate the varying needs of your organization and its users, consider the following customization options:

  • Deploy a custom browser package that has your commonly used intranet sites saved and organized under Favorites.

  • Distribute as part of the installation either approved or corporate ActiveX® controls, to minimize post-deployment support scenarios for locked down operating system configurations.

  • Increase the level of security for employees who will download your custom browser packages from the Internet. You can create specific versions with enhanced security options, or use Automatic Configuration to modify their security settings.