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""click to activate and use this control" - annoying message!"

"click to activate and use this control"

Here's a simple tip to remove this annoying message often seen when Macromedia Flash content is used in a web page - I've even seen it here on Freeola ;¬)

This problem only affects Internet Explorer.
Not only do your visitors see this message, but worse they have to "click twice" to follow any hypertext links!

A simple get-a-round to stop the message and the need for 'two clicks' is to add a small JavaScript after the </object> tag.

Add this:
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="flashfix.js"></script>

Then create a file named 'flashfix.js' containing the following:

objects = document.getElementsByTagName("object");
for (var i = 0; i < objects.length; i++)
{
objects[ i].outerHTML = objects[ i].outerHTML;
}

To demonstrate the problem and see the fix working visit: www.hmmm.ip3.co.uk/flash

Just to clarify. This is not a bug caused by the developer of the web page. This is caused by a browser update Microsoft introduced after they lost a patent battle to do with the way Internet Explorer displays OBJECT and EMBED tags in web pages.
It affects Flash, Java, Realplayer Acrobat content in pages viewed in IE.
AS well as using the fix supplied here you can also use the more comprehensive flash detection script supplied by Adobe here.

Hmmm... wrote:
> Looks like you even found an old AppleMac to try and see an
> error ;¬)

Are you suggesting I own a Mac? No need for insults you know. :(

It was windows Safari I tried.

Thanks for the feedback Garin.

Looks like you even found an old AppleMac to try and see an error ;¬)

It doesnt create problems as such. In fact looking at your page in Firefox not even that reports it. I really thought it did in the past though (not that I'd trust my memory).
outerHTML is an IE invention (Opera supports it as well), its not available in other browsers. So technically such code should be wrapped in

if (document.body.outerHTML) {
...
}

But if Firefox isnt reporting any error, doesnt really matter. So basically, ignore me. :)

Thanks Garin,
Firefox and IE don't seem to have a problem with it.

What browser do you think would have a problem?
Not that I use any other than IE and FF...

Hmmm... wrote:
> objects =
> document.getElementsByTagName("object");
> for (var i = 0; i < objects.length; i++)
> {
> objects[ i].outerHTML = objects[ i].outerHTML;
> }

This should really be wrapped in a check to see if outerHTML is valid, otherwise it creates errors on the page for those browsers that dont support it.

"click to activate and use this control"

Here's a simple tip to remove this annoying message often seen when Macromedia Flash content is used in a web page - I've even seen it here on Freeola ;¬)

This problem only affects Internet Explorer.
Not only do your visitors see this message, but worse they have to "click twice" to follow any hypertext links!

A simple get-a-round to stop the message and the need for 'two clicks' is to add a small JavaScript after the </object> tag.

Add this:
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="flashfix.js"></script>

Then create a file named 'flashfix.js' containing the following:

objects = document.getElementsByTagName("object");
for (var i = 0; i < objects.length; i++)
{
objects[ i].outerHTML = objects[ i].outerHTML;
}

To demonstrate the problem and see the fix working visit: www.hmmm.ip3.co.uk/flash