By default, Windows Server 2003 and 2008 ship with Internet Explorer in an Enhanced Security Configuration, which is essentially a locked down version that adds a little extra security to your servers.
However, if you know what you are doing, you can turn off IE’s Advanced Security Configuration to get rid of the annoying messages. In this post, I’ll show you how to disable Enhanced Security for both Windows 2003 and Windows 2008.
Windows Server 2003 method
In Windows Server 2003, you can disable Enhanced Security for IE by clicking Start, Control Panel, and then Add or Remove Programs.
Then click Add / Remove Windows Components on the left:
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Scroll down to the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration section and uncheck the box to disable it.
Windows Server 2008 method
In Windows 2008, the process is slightly different. First click on “Start”, then “Administrative Tools” and select “Server Manager”.
In the Security Overview section, click Configure IE ESC.
A dialog will appear where you can disable IE ESC for Administrators or Users. Click “Off” to disable IE ESC for any group you prefer.
This is it! Disabling it is pretty straightforward, just make sure no one is browsing inappropriate sites that could crash your server! Enjoy!
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