Internet Feature Controls (D..H)

This article describes feature controls with names that begin with the letter D, E, F, G, or H. For links to other feature controls, see Feature Controls.

  • Debugging Network Traffic Requests
  • DOM Web Storage API Support
  • Drag and Drop URL Format
  • Feature Entry Count
  • Feeds
  • File Download Restrictions
  • File Protocol Navigation
  • Frame Content Modification
  • Frame Content Security
  • GPU Rendering
  • HTTP 1.0 Connection Maximum
  • HTTP 1.1 Connection Maximum
  • Related topics

Debugging Network Traffic Requests

Windows Internet Explorer 9. When enabled, the FEATURE_DOWNLOAD_INITIATOR_HTTP_HEADER feature adds a custom header to the set of headers sent with HTTP requests. The new header, X-Download-Initiator, describes how the request was initiated; the description includes the reason for the request, the type of element that initiated the request, and contextual details that vary according to the design of the webpage.

By default, this feature is disabled for Windows Internet Explorer and for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control. To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_DOWNLOAD_INITIATOR_HTTP_HEADER
                     iexplore.exe = (DWORD) 00000001

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

DOM Web Storage API Support

Windows Internet Explorer 8. When enabled, the FEATURE_DOMSTORAGE feature allows Internet Explorer and applications hosting the WebBrowser Control to use the Web Storage API. For more information, see Introduction to Web Storage.

By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control. To disable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_DOMSTORAGE
                     contoso.exe = (DWORD) 00000000

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

Drag and Drop URL Format

The FEATURE_CFSTR_INETURLW_DRAGDROP_FORMAT feature manages the context of a URL that is opened by dragging it to the address bar or by dragging it out of a browser window. When this feature is disabled, such URLs are copied to the Temporary Internet Files folder before being opened. In very specific circumstances, this can allow malicious parties to determine the username of the account currently using the computer. When this feature is enabled, these URLs are opened using the originating context, thus protecting the Temporary Internet Files folder and the user name from involuntary disclosure.

By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control. To disable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_CFSTR_INETURLW_DRAGDROP_FORMAT
                     contoso.exe = (DWORD) 00000000

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

Note  For security reasons, disabling this feature control is strongly discouraged.

 

Feature Entry Count

The FEATURE_ENTRY_COUNT value is not a feature, but an informational constant that defines the number of members in the INTERNETFEATURELIST enumerated type. Its value varies between different versions of Internet Explorer. As as a result, the value has limited use for applications.

Feeds

Windows Internet Explorer 7 and later. The FEATURE_FEEDS feature enables MIME-sniffing for Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, and feed auto-discovery. When this feature is enabled for applications that host the WebBrowser Control, a notification sound is played when feeds are discovered in a webpage.

By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control. To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_FEEDS
                     contoso.exe = (DWORD) 00000001

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

File Download Restrictions

The FEATURE_RESTRICT_FILEDOWNLOAD feature blocks file download requests that navigate to a resource, that display a file download dialog box, or that are not initiated explicitly by a user action (for example, a mouse click or key press). When enabled, this feature can be set differently for each security zone by using the URLACTION_AUTOMATIC_DOWNLOAD_UI URL action flag. For more information, see Compatibility in Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP Service Pack 2.

To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_RESTRICT_FILEDOWNLOAD
                     contoso.exe = (DWORD) 00000001

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

File Protocol Navigation

By default, Internet Explorer prevents navigation to Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) using the "file:" protocol when the current URL matches the following conditions:

  • The current URL is opened in the Internet zone or the Restricted Sites zone.
  • The current URL uses a protocol other than "file:".

This is a security measure designed to prevent malicious sites from accessing system file objects.

By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control. To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_BLOCK_CROSS_PROTOCOL_FILE_NAVIGATION
                     contoso.exe = (DWORD) 00000001

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

Note  Because this feature is designed to make Internet Explorer more secure, disabling this feature is strongly discouraged.

 

Frame Content Modification

Internet Explorer 7 and later. By default, Internet Explorer prevents frames from being changed by windows hosted on a different domain than the one hosting the window containing the frame. This is a security measure designed to prevent malicious sites from hijacking content hosted by legitimate websites.

When enabled, the FEATURE_IE6_DEFAULT_FRAME_NAVIGATION_BEHAVIOR feature allows frame content to be modified by windows hosted by any domain except for those listed in the Restricted zone.

By default, this feature is disabled for Internet Explorer and for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control. To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_IE6_DEFAULT_FRAME_NAVIGATION_BEHAVIOR
                     contoso.exe = (DWORD) 00000001

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

Note  Because this feature reverses a change designed to make Internet Explorer more secure, enabling this feature is strongly discouraged.

 

Frame Content Security

Internet Explorer 8. When frame and iframe objects contain non-HTML content, there is a risk that unsafe interfaces may be exposed. When enabled, the FEATURE_VIEWLINKEDWEBOC_IS_UNSAFE feature prevents this exposure.

By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control. To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_VIEWLINKEDWEBOC_IS_UNSAFE
                     contoso.exe = (DWORD) 00000001

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

Note  This feature mitigates a potential security risk; you are strongly urged to enable it for Internet Explorer and for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control.

 

GPU Rendering

Internet Explorer 9. The FEATURE_GPU_RENDERING feature enables Internet Explorer to use a graphics processing unit (GPU) to render content. This dramatically improves performance for webpages that are rich in graphics.

By default, this feature is enabled for Internet Explorer and disabled for applications hosting the WebBrowser Control. To enable this feature by using the registry, add the name of your executable file to the following setting.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_GPU_RENDERING
                     contoso.exe = (DWORD) 00000001

The feature is enabled when the value is set to (DWORD) 00000001 and disabled when the value is (DWORD) 00000000.

Note  GPU rendering relies heavily on the quality of your video drivers. If you encounter problems running Internet Explorer with GPU rendering enabled, you should verify that your video drivers are up to date and that they support hardware accelerated graphics.

 

HTTP 1.0 Connection Maximum

Internet Explorer 8 and later. The FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPER1_0SERVER feature defines the maximum number of concurrent HTTP connections allowed to a single HTTP 1.0 host. By default, six connections are allowed; earlier versions of the browser allowed four concurrent connections. For more information, see Connectivity Enhancements in Internet Explorer 8.

Dial-up connections do not support this feature and are limited to four concurrent connections to HTTP 1.0 hosts.

The following setting allows you to specify the number of connections allowed; the specified value must be between 2 and 128. You are strongly cautioned to carefully evaluate system performance after changing this setting, as high values can adversely affect user experience.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPER1_0SERVER
                     iexplore.exe = (DWORD) 00000006

HTTP 1.1 Connection Maximum

Internet Explorer 8 and later. The FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPERSERVER feature defines the maximum number of concurrent HTTP connections allowed to a single HTTP 1.1 host. By default, six connections are allowed; earlier versions of the browser allowed two concurrent connections. For more information, see Connectivity Enhancements in Internet Explorer 8.

Dial-up connections do not support this feature and are limited to two concurrent connections to HTTP 1.1 hosts.

The following setting allows you to specify the number of connections allowed; the specified value must be between 2 and 128. You are strongly cautioned to carefully evaluate system performance after changing this setting, as high values can adversely affect user experience.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER)
   SOFTWARE
      Microsoft
         Internet Explorer
            Main
               FeatureControl
                  MAXCONNECTIONSPERSERVER
                     iexplore.exe = (DWORD) 00000006

Conceptual

Internet Feature Controls (A)

Internet Feature Controls (B..C)

Internet Feature Controls (I..L)

Internet Feature Controls (M..R)

Internet Feature Controls (S..T)

Internet Feature Controls (U..Y)

Internet Feature Controls (Z)

Obsolete Feature Controls

Feature Control Registry Index