Article ID: 883866 - Last Review: August 13, 2007 - Revision: 2.2

The display of a data access page is blocked in Web Page Preview mode on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2

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This article applies to either a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) file or to a Microsoft Access database (.accdb) file, and to a Microsoft Access project (.adp) file. Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

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SYMPTOMS

On a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), you may notice that the data access page is not bound to the data that is associated with that data access page. Also, the display of the data access page is blocked. This problem occurs when you open a data access page in Web Page Preview mode by using Microsoft Access.

Additionally, you may receive the following error message in the Information Bar in Microsoft Internet Explorer:
To help protect your security, Internet Explorer has restricted this site from showing certain content. Click here for options.
To unblock the data access page content and then to enable the data access page content, follow these steps:
  1. Click Information Bar.
  2. Point to Active Content Blocked, and then click Allow this page to access my computer.

    Notice that the data access page appears correctly.
This problem may also occur when you try to open the HTML file that corresponds to the data access page from the absolute path of the HTML file by using Internet Explorer.
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CAUSE

By default, Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 locks down the Local Machine zone in Internet Explorer to help protect your computer from malicious attacks. You may try to open a Web page, such as an HTML page, by providing the absolute path of the HTML file in the Address Bar in Internet Explorer. However, the Local Machine Zone Lockdown feature blocks the display of the Web page. This problem may occur when you are using a computer that is running the Windows XP Service Pack 2 operating system.

When you open the data access page in Web Page Preview mode, Access tries to open the data access page in Internet Explorer by using the absolute path of the corresponding HTML file. This is when you notice the problem that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.
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WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, you must force Internet Explorer to open your data access page by using the security settings of the Internet zone. You want to use the settings of the Internet zone instead of the settings of the Local Machine zone even when the data access page is opened on your computer by using the absolute path. To open the data access page by using the security settings of the Internet zone, you must add a "Mark of the Web" comment as a header in the HTML file for your data access page.

To add a "Mark of the Web" comment, follow these steps:
  1. Start Microsoft Windows Explorer.
  2. Locate the HTML file that corresponds to your data access page.
  3. Open the HTML file by using a text editor, such as Notepad.
  4. Add the following "Mark of the Web" comment as a header before the <HTML> tag in your HTML file:
    <!-- saved from url=(0014)about:internet -->
    Note The "(0014)" value is the string length of your URL.
  5. Save the HTML file. Close the HTML file.

    Open your data access page in Web Page Preview mode. Notice that your data access page is not blocked, and that your data access page appears correctly.
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STATUS

This behavior is by design.
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MORE INFORMATION

Internet Explorer applies the security settings on a Web page based on the location of the Web page. This helps prevent malicious attacks on your computer by Web content. For example, the Web pages in the Internet zone have more stringent security restrictions than the Web pages that are located in the Local intranet zones. Similarly, the Web pages that are located in the Local Machine zone have more stringent security restrictions than the Web pages in other zones. To help prevent malicious attacks that may try to take advantage of the trust of the Local Machine zone on your computer, Windows XP Service Pack 2 locks the Local Machine zone.

When you add the "Mark of the Web" comment in your local HTML page, and then you try to view the HTML page by using its absolute path in Internet Explorer, Internet Explorer loads your local HTML page with the settings for a zone that is not the default zone. For example, by using the "Mark of the Web" comment, you can make Internet Explorer load your HTML file with the Internet zone instead of the default Local Machine zone. Therefore, the Local Machine Zone Lockdown feature of Windows XP Service Pack 2 does not restrict the display of your Local HTML pages.
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Steps to reproduce the problem

Microsoft Office Access 2003

  1. Start Access on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2.
  2. Open the Northwind.mdb sample database.
  3. In the Database window, click Pages under the Objects section.
  4. In the right pane, right-click Analyze Sales, and then click Web Page Preview.

    Notice that Access opens the Analyze Sales data access page in Internet Explorer by using the absolute path of the corresponding HTML file. Also notice that the display of the data access page is blocked.
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REFERENCES

For additional information about using the "Mark of the Web" comment, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Changes to functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457150.aspx (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457150.aspx)
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APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Office Access 2007
  • Microsoft Access 2002 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Access 2000 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Office Access 2003
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Keywords: 
kbexpertiseinter kberrmsg kbtshoot kbdatabinding kbdatabase kbdap kbdisplay kbsecurity kbprb KB883866
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