ScriptX and Windows 8

Windows 8 is notable for the dramatic re-engineering of the Windows User Interface to be one that can be used on all devices; phones, games consoles, tablets, laptops and desktops using touch or pointers such as a mouse or pen.

There are two user interfaces (experiences) present in Windows 8 - the 'tiled' experience known as 'Windows 8 Modern UI' and the 'classic' Windows desktop experience. Internet Explorer is available in both these interfaces and while it is the same 'version' of Internet Explorer (IE 10) using the same underlying components, from the network stack and cache to the rendering engine, and both send the same User Agent string and have the same Document Object Model (DOM), there is a significant difference when providing web applications hosted in Internet Explorer that use ScriptX to provide a controlled print experience for their users.

When Internet Explorer is used in the tiled/Modern UI experience, no add-ins at all are allowed. This obviously includes ScriptX. ScriptX will not be available if a user browses to your site using the new Modern UI style browsing experience.

However, add-ins (plug-ins), including ScriptX, are available when Internet Explorer is used in the desktop experience.

ScriptX v6.6.440 and v7.0 have been comprehensively tested with Internet Explorer 10 running in the Windows 8 desktop in the standard configuration (x86):

Working with Modern UI IE

As described above, ScriptX will not work with Internet Explorer when web pages are browsed to using the new Modern UI style browing experience.

There are no ifs or buts to this. However, there are two approaches that will enable the user to use web applications that require add-ins such as ScriptX by directing them to the desktop browsing experience.

1. Force the use of the desktop browsing experience for all web pages

This approach might be classed as brute force and cannot be recommended as a general approach. Some users/organisations may wish to make use of this for desktop class machines where the highly touch oriented Modern UI style experience may be slightly more cumbersome.

An option is available to make the desktop browing experience be used for all web pages - the Modern UI browsing experience will never be used. This cannot be chosen on a site by site basis, it is a one-size-fits-all approach:

2. Enable feedback to the user that they need Desktop IE

The more appropriate general approach is to suggest users view your site in Internet Explorer 10 on the desktop. This can be done by providing either a "META" tag or "HTTP" header with the web page that is using ScriptX and Windows Internet Explorer will notify the user and provide an option to switch to the desktop.

HTTP Header
X-UA-Compatible: requiresActiveX=true

META TAG
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="requiresActiveX=true"/>

 

Enhanced Protected Mode

Desktop IE 10 provides a mode "Enhanced Protected Mode", in this mode the browser runs tabs as 64 bit processes and provides other additional protections.

ScriptX x64 Edition v7.1 is fully compatible with this mode.

However, there are a number of issues within IE that mean it cannot be recommended for general use. In particular, printer settings such as paper size and orientation cannot be set. These issues are due to problems within Internet Explorer 10 that have been acknoweldged by Microsoft and also occur without ScriptX.