disable tooltips

[syntaxers]

Does anyone Know how to disable tooltips beacuse they never came on my screen until recently? They are very annoying and hard to navigate the web because they get in the way.


Is it possible to disable the tooltips (ie the little yellow boxes that popup when you hold your mouse over items)? I'm using IE 6 and they come up on just about every website. They come up on links, thumbnails, ...etc

Are the tooltips coming on beacuse I deleted or installed something?

 

[carrr]

Have a look at this:

http://xpcorner.com/tipsandtricks/showinfo.php?ttt=Disable Windows XP ToolTips

Tired of waiting for an answer? Try asking better questions. See: faq222-2244

 

[syntaxers]

Thanks, I tried that and it still didn't work.
What could be the problem?

 

[linney]

This was copied from the web somewhere, sometime ago.

"Try unchecking "Open submenus when I pause on them with my mouse" on the Advanced tab of "Customize Start Menu", or try unchecking "Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items" on the View tab of Explorer's "Folder Options". One of these is probably what will kill them."



[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"EnableBalloonTips"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"FolderContentsInfoTip"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\tips]
"Show"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"StartButtonBalloonTip"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ShowInfoTip"=dword:00000000



Backup (Export) any Key before altering it.

 

[syntaxers]

Just tried all of that and again the tooltips still come up.

I really need to get rid of those things because they distract me from using the web and everything else.

Please, does anyone have other advice?

 

[linney]

Have you tried System Restore to a point before the problem?


Make sure your options in IE/ Tools/ Internet Options/ Advanced are correct.

Uncheck the boxes for "Install on Demand" for IE and Other programs (two boxes).

Try running temporarily with the third box "Enable Third Party Browser Extensions" unchecked and see how this goes.

"This specifies that you want to disable features you installed for use with Internet Explorer that may have been created by companies other than Microsoft.
If you encounter problems with Internet Explorer that you cannot resolve, you can use this option to help determine if third-party features are causing the problems without uninstalling the feature. You must restart Internet Explorer after turning this option on or off."


If that stops your errors, you will know where the trouble is.

This article and the program BHOcop might be useful to you.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,8168,00.asp

Removing adware & spyware
How to beat your advertising popups & other browser nasties
FAQ608-3482

Removing adware & spyware
Before Posting a Hi-jack log file - Best Practices
FAQ608-4650

 

[bcastner]

There are web sites that use heavily ALT and TITLE text to provide mouse-over popups. This is not a hijack or IE issue, this is a site policy issue.

And there is nothing you can do. I am told the current version of Firefox browser because of a programming error will not show the mouse-over popups.

 

[linney]

I wonder if it happens to "syntaxers" on Tek-Tips?

He does mention "they come up on just about every website"

Everything I see about "Balloons" or "Tool Tips" seems to relate in content to Explorer and not Internet Explorer. It would be interesting to know if "syntaxers" has the same problem in Explorer?

 

[bcastner]

linney,

You covered the Explorer tooltip issue. That should kill nearly every "tooltip" (there are some such as the Caps Lock key being on with the Security Logon Panel, that there is nothing you can do; and under RC1/2 there are some annoyances from the notification tray that are irrepresable at the moment).

This is an IE issue, and the use of "mouse-over" adware is becoming more popular. A popup blocker will not help, nor will traditional "tooltip" registry entries. These are deliberatly planted HTML tags on the sites the user is visiting.

I share the annoyance, the "polite" sites show a double underscore under keywords that would trigger a mouse-over tooltip.

To be fair, there was late last year a virus that could do this redirection, but its spread was small, and any current AV software should quarantine the thing without issue. It is a deliberate effort by the Web sites, including ties with third-party advertising vendors, to offer more and more mouse-over tooltips.

I deplore the trend. But there is no registry or IE quick fix to block this behavior. To give you an example (quickly picked at random):

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/108113.html

(give it a second to see the green double underscores, and then try to read the thread.)

I still like this site, but the mouse-over tooltips I hate. And this tooltip adware junk is becoming quite common.

My (AU) 2 cents.

Bill Castner

 

[nosugartonite]

I think the balloon tips only appear in IE if "active desktop" is enabled. I don't know if that can be turned off or not...

 

[nosugartonite]

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

see tweaks 11 for disabling balloon tips and 15 for disabling active desktop

hope this helps...

 

[linney]

Well I have spent 5 minutes on that page you linked to, reading about "Hogs in Jam" and didn't notice any green underlines or popup messages.

Mind you with my IE settings and firewall settings being rather restrictive that is probably the reason (no java, vbs, activeX or external active content, whatever the last is?)

Even that might throw a clue "syntaxers's" way?

Of course it might be that they know Aussies are not worth advertising too as they are all "stoney broke".

 

[bcastner]

linney,
"Hogs in Jam"
I missed that part of the thread. I just grabbed a known offender and thread at random.

Mind you with my IE settings and firewall settings being rather restrictive that is probably the reason (no java, vbs, activeX or external active content, whatever the last is?)

. Your settings are a bit much for my own self. But perhaps you can provide the details for the OP, "syntaxers".

. Perhaps syntaxers is a good candidate for RC2 of Service Pack 2, as there is greater granularity possible for these same scripting opportunities. I can state that running RC2 with "Medium" settings, I can see the mouse-overs.

 

[gpalmer711]

To disable the type of Mouse over comments that are in the

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/108113.html

site you can just disable "Allow Paste Operations via Script". This can be found in the Internet Options dialog box, Click on Start, Control Panel, Internet Options, Security Tab, Custom Level Button.

Scroll down to Scripting heading, you should then find the option just below there. Disabling this should stop the Mouse Over Advertising Tool-Tips that are based on content, like the site Bill suggesred.



Greg Palmer
Free Software for Adminstrators

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk

 

[bcastner]

Greg,

Does not seem to do the trick for me.
Darn it.

 

[gpalmer711]

My Fault - It was the "Active Scripting" Setting that needs to be disabled.

Note. This will obviously stop other Java Scripts from running and therefore is probably not a viable option.



Greg Palmer
Free Software for Adminstrators

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk

 

[bcastner]

I think this is one of those issues where you just grin and bear it.

If I do a "full linney" it seriously compromises my use of the Internet.

Yell, stomp your feet at the sites that promote or allow mouse-over tooltips.

But my bottom line is that this is not, per se, an IE issue. It is a Web-site issue.

Hopefully member linney will post the definitive lockdown settings under IE.

I am currently puzzling over the RC2 Service Pack 2 changes. (You can join me:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2chngs.mspx)

But on its face, there is nothing now, nor nothing planned, that can stop mouse-over tooltips; unless you do the "full linney."

 

[linney]

Many firewalls have the options to disable Javascript and the option to select which sites (trusted, excluded etc.) you don't apply it to.

 

[bcastner]

linney,

Show the "full linney" settings you use for Internet Options.

Test:

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/108113.html

No Ads shown if the mouse pointer is left hovering over any double green underscored word.

I know you can do this.

 

[linney]

I'm not so sure any setting in IE is preventing me from seeing these ads or popups or links.

Any IE Security settings I have are based on the following "Autofix" from this site.

"Run your computer through PCpitstop as well as checking out your system it will help you improve the security of Internet Explorer and "Autofix" the security of IE."

http://www.pcpitstop.com

Outpost Firewall 2.1 is more the likely reason. You can see those settings here.

http://server6.uploadit.org/files/linney-setting.JPG

Notice the "Exclusions" tab. I keep Tek-Tips in there.