I would like to submit the following bug through Microsoft regular channels,
but don’t know how to do it. Anyone knows who I can contact to submit a bug?
Here is the bug anyway.
Through a series of conditions and steps, I am able to make IE7 freeze
systematically. The conditions for the freeze to occur, as shown below, are a
combination of Windows XP settings, IE7 settings, Windows XP patch level,
JavaScript code and Flash and/or active content. I was easily able to
reproduce that bug in a virtual machine: it is therefore VERY EASY to
reproduce.
I tested it with both versions 9 and 10 of the Flash player.
*****************************
** Conditions for the bug to occur **
*****************************
The following five (5) conditions must be met in order for the freeze to
occur when executing the steps described below in IE7.
Condition #1: The following setting is set in IE7:
==========
Tools --> Internet Options --> General --> Tabs --> Settings
When a popup is encountered: Always open pop-ups in a new tab
Condition #2: The following setting is set in IE7:
==========
Tools --> Internet Options --> Security --> Internet --> Custom Level -->
Settings
ActiveX controls and plug-ins --> Script ActiveX controls marked safe for
scripting: ENABLED
Condition #3: The following setting is set in Windows XP:
==========
Control Panel --> Regional and Language Options --> Languages --> Details
--> Advanced
« Extend support of advanced text services to all programs » is
checked.
Condition #4: The following patch is installed in Windows XP:
==========
KB932823 (or SP3, which seems to include the KB932823)
Condition #5:
==========
As shown in the steps below, a link is clicked and the target contains some
active content (in the shown example, that is Flash content), and the result
of the window.open function is assigned to a variable.
If ALL of the above five (5) conditions above are met, IE7 FREEZES when
executing the steps described below
If ANY of the above five (5) conditions are not met, IE7 DOES NOT FREEZE
when executing the steps described below.
***********************
** Steps to make IE7 freeze **
***********************
Put the following content in a local file (the bug is also present if the
content is on a web server, but putting the code into a local file is easier
to work with):
<!-- BEGINNING OF FILE -->
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3c.org/TR/1999/REC-html401-19991224/loose.dtd">
<!-- saved from url=(0022)
https://www.foobar.com -->
<HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><HEAD><TITLE>Problem
example</TITLE>
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>
function OpenOnly(link) {
window.open(link);
}
function OpenAndAssign(link) {
mywindow = window.open(link);
}
</SCRIPT>
<BODY>
<A
href="javascript
:OpenAndAssign('http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/electionsFed2006/')">Link
#1: FREEZES IE7: OpenAndAssign function, with target containing some
Flash</A><BR><BR><BR>
<A
href="javascript
:OpenOnly('http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/electionsFed2006/')">Link
#2: WORKS FINE: OpenOnly function, with target containing
Flash</A><BR><BR><BR>
<A href="javascript
:OpenAndAssign('http://www.google.ca')">Link #3: WORKS
FINE: OpenAndAssign function, with target NOT containing Flash</A><BR><BR><BR>
</body>
</html>
<!-- END OF FILE -->
==================
Scenario #1 :
IE7 FREEZES because the target has Flash content and the result of the
window.open function is assigned to a variable
==================
I open that local file in IE7, which is loaded into the Internet Zone
because the following line is present:
<!-- saved from url=(0022)
https://www.foobar.com -->.
I click on Link #1: a new tab opens and loads an external page which
contains some Flash, and the result of the window.open function is assigned
to a variable.
I close the tab.
I again click on Link #1. At this point, IE7 may freeze.
If it does not freeze, I close the tab, then click again on Link #1. At this
point, IE7 may freeze.
If it does not freeze, close the tab, then click again on Link #1.
Eventually, after 4 or 5 iterations, it will freeze, and the only way out of
this is to go into the Task Manager and kill the process iexplore.exe.
==================
Scenario #2
IE7 DOES NOT FREEZE because the target has Flash content BUT NO WINDOW
ASSIGNMENT is made
==================
Now I close IE7 and I reopen the local file shown above.
I click on Link #2: a new tab opens and loads an external page which
contains some Flash, but the result of the window.open function is NOT
assigned to a variable.
I close the tab.
I again click on Link #2. IE7 does not freeze (it may be slow opening the
tab, taking 5 or 6 seconds, but it does not freeze).
I close the tab, then click again on Link #2. IE7 does not freeze.
I can go on closing the tab and reclicking on Link #2 for hours, never am I
able to make IE freeze.
==================
Scenario #3
IE7 DOES NOT FREEZE because the target has NO Flash content, EVEN THOUGH THE
RESULT OF THE WINDOW.OPEN FUNCTION IS ASSIGNED TO A VARIABLE
==================
Now I close IE7 and I reopen the local file shown above.
I click on Link #3: a new tab opens and loads an external page which does
not contain any Flash, but the result of the window.open function is assigned
to a variable.
I close the tab.
I again click on Link #3. IE7 does not freeze.
I close the tab, then click again on Link #3. IE7 does not freeze.
I can go on closing the tab and reclicking on LINK #3 for hours, never am I
able to make IE freeze.
There you go, I tried to be as clear as possible. You see that Scenario #1
is the only one that makes IE7 freeze. I am available for any questions you
might have about this problem, as it affects a lot of our users.
Thank you.
Linear Mode
