This page is only relevant for users having problems loading VRML or X3D files from within Internet Explorer on Windows XP systems. Users who don't have Windows XP or have not downloaded Service Pack 2 for Windows XP or are using the stand-alone version of BS Contact VRML/X3D don't need to read this.

Coming with Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, Internet Explorer has a slightly changed security policy regarding content. The stand-alone version of BS Contact VRML/X3D loading content from the local harddisk drive, including CD-ROM and network drives starts up automatically as expected. However when Internet Explorer is prompted to load a local VRML or X3D file, either directly or embedded into an HTML file, it doesn't load BS Contact automatically. Instead, it displays a yellow bar on the top of the window that warns about potentially unsafe content (figure 1a). The first time this happens, a dialog box introduces this new yellow bar (figure 1b).

To view the VRML/X3D file, users must click on the yellow bar and allow BS Contact to load: When you click on the yellow bar and a menu appears, select "Allow blocked Content..." and confirm the following dialog box with "Yes".

Another solution is to generally allow Internet Explorer to execute active content when it comes from a local harddisk drive or a CD-ROM. To do this, start Internet Explorer, select the menu "Tools" -> "Internet Options", then click on the tab "Advanced", search for the group "Security" and check the lines "Execute active content in files from the local computer" and "Execute active content from CDs from the local computer".

Further information can be found at the Microsoft site.