Content area
Full Text
Application: Microsoft Internet Explorer Administrator's Kit (IEAK)
Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows 98/2000/XP
In the April 2004 article "Simplify browser deployment with IEAK, part 1: Create the installation package," we showed you how to build your own customized installation package for Internet Explorer 6 using Microsoft's Internet Explorer Administrator's Kit (IEAK). Now that you've created your custom IE installation, it's time to put your package to work. By taking advantage of IEAK's Profile Manager, as shown in Figure A, you can quickly and easily load the INS file where all of your users' systems obtain their IE settings. You can also use Profile Manager to change IE settings at any time. Once your settings are in place, you can test your package to ensure that it works reliably, and then you can easily deploy it to the entire company. Creating and deploying a customized browser has never been easier.
Easy, breezy IE management
The life of an IT pro is often so stressful that one task or another occupies every minute of your day. Lucky for you, IEAK enables you to save a considerable amount of management time in planning and deploying a custom browser installation. In part 2 of this series, we'll begin by showing you how you can use IEAK to create an auto-configuration file to manage your browser settings. Next, we'll explore a scenario in which you can quickly change your custom browser settings to meet the evolving needs of your organization. Finally, we'll show you how you can test your IE package to make sure it works as expected prior to deployment.
Managing your browser with Profile Manager
So, you've used IEAK's user-friendly interface to build your installation package to include only those specific components you need for your organization. Now, it's time to put all your hard work to the test by creating your INS file where each of your users' systems point to obtain their browser settings. IEAK includes a tool called IEAK Profile Manager to help you create the auto-configuration file, or INS file, which contains all the settings for IE. By pointing to this simple but powerful text file, your IE clients can automatically receive your chosen browser settings. You referred to the INS file in...