Description of Internet Explorer 5.01 (244655)

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about how to obtain Internet Explorer 5.01, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Additions and Changes

Reuse Windows for Launching Shortcuts

On the Advanced tab of Internet Options, there is a new feature called "Reuse Windows for Launching Shortcuts". When enabled, it uses an existing browser window when a universal resource locator (URL) is opened. When it is not selected, a new browser window is opened when a URL is called. This new feature is enabled by default. For more information about this new feature, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Browse in New Process

The "Launch Browser Windows in a separate process" feature in Internet Explorer 5.0 and Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition and "Browse in New Process" in Internet Explorer 4.x and Windows 98, has been removed from Internet Explorer 5.01. For more information about this feature being removed, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Internet Explorer Patching Technology

Internet Explorer 5.01 Setup contains a new client-server-based binary patching download mechanism. When you choose to install Internet Explorer 5.01, Setup scans the local computer for previous versions of Internet Explorer files, and then only the files and binary patches that are necessary to install Internet Explorer 5.01 on your computer are downloaded. This reduces the download size of Internet Explorer 5.01 by including only those files necessary for the upgrade.

56-Bit Encryption

There have been several changes to encryption in Internet Explorer 5.01:

• Internet Explorer 5.01 uses 56-bit security that is exportable outside of the United States and Canada. New exportable cipher suites have been added to the Schannel.dll file that use 56-bit data encryption and up to 1024-bit key exchange.
• Certificate date rules have changed. Child certificates are no longer required to be within the date range of their parent certificate.
• New international Server Gated Cryptography (SGC) technology certificates have also been added to Internet Explorer.
• If Internet Explorer 5.01 is installed over a previous version of Internet Explorer that had 128-bit security, then Internet Explorer 5.01 retains this security level. You can download the 128-bit upgrade package for Internet Explorer 5.01 at the following Microsoft Web site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/128bit/intro.htm

Uninstallation Changes

In previous versions of Internet Explorer, installing over a previous copy of Internet Explorer on a computer in which the uninstallation (backup) information had been removed, would result in a message that warned that uninstallation would not be available. When Internet Explorer 5.01 is installed on an Internet Explorer 5 installation without uninstallation information present, Internet Explorer 5.01 Setup will create new uninstallation information and enables the uninstallation feature. If you should choose to uninstall Internet Explorer 5.01, the browser would be restored to the previous version of Internet Explorer 5 that was installed prior to the Internet Explorer 5.01 upgrade.

Extension for Msinfo32.exe

Internet Explorer 5.01 includes a new extension for the Msinfo32.exe utility. The new extension adds relevant technical information about Internet Explorer to the Msinfo32.exe tool. This information includes:

• Which version is installed.
• Product ID.
• Application path.
• IEAK build type (if applicable).
• Encryption level (cipher strength).
• Product language.
• All Internet Explorer file versions, sizes, dates, and paths.
• Connectivity settings, including Autodial, Http 1.1 settings, and auto-configuration/proxy server settings.
• Cache settings (location, size, disk space on cache drive, and so on).
• ActiveX controls installed (with status and codebase URLs).
• Content Advisor state (enabled or disabled).
• Certificates installed (personal and others).
• Trusted publishers.
• Current levels for security zones.

To view the information provided by this new extension:

• Click Start, click Run, type msinfo32.exe, and then click OK.
• After the Msinfo32.exe tool opens, double-click the Internet Explorer 5 branch to expand it.

NOTE: Internet Explorer 5.01 does not install Msinfo32.exe. The extension is installed and registered, but can be viewed only on computers that have Msinfo32.exe installed. The operating systems that include this tool are: Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows 2000 and computers with Office 2000 installed.

New Certificate Revocation checking behavior in Outlook Express

Beginning with Outlook Express 5.01, certificate revocation checking is disabled by default. This behavior only occurs if you install Internet Explorer 5.01 on a computer that does not already have Internet Explorer 5.0 installed. If you are currently running Internet Explorer 5.0, upgrading to Internet Explorer 5.01 respects the existing configuration. For more information about certificate revocation, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Read Receipts in Outlook Express

You can now request a receipt verifying that a message has been displayed on the recipient's computer. However, the recipient must support returning receipts for you to receive one.

Secure Email (S/MIME) Enhancements

Outlook Express 5.01 includes support for the S/MIME version 3 specification and other secure mail enhancements. The new features include support for CMS formatted messages, the ability to request and return secure receipts, the ability to send and process security labels, and the ability to send separate signing and encryption certificates.

New Stationery in Outlook Express

A dozen contemporary stationery designs are included in this version of Outlook Express.

Advertising Pane While Viewing Hotmail Folders

If you use Outlook Express 5.01 to obtain access to your Hotmail account, an advertising pane appears at the bottom of the Outlook Express screen to display Hotmail advertising. This advertising pane only appears when you view Hotmail folders. There is no supported method to manually turn off the pane.

Issues Addressed in Internet Explorer 5.01

The Internet Explorer issues documented in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles are addressed in Internet Explorer 5.01: